We are the Australian Respiratory Early Surveillance Team for Cystic Fibrosis (AREST CF). We are a team of doctors, nurses, scientists and researchers who are dedicated to the improvement of the general health of children with CF.
We have two centres, one in Perth, (the newly opened Perth Children's Hospital which has replaced Princess Margaret Hospital for Children) and one in Melbourne (Royal Children's Hospital). Importantly, if you want to discuss any aspect of our research OR have a research idea, speak to a team member about this - we want to make your idea a reality.
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Executive Committee and Scientific Management Committee
AREST CF Executive Committee and Scientific Management Committee
Yuliya Karpievitch
Patricia Agudelo Romero
Luke Garratt
David Hancock
Kathryn Ramsey
Phil Sutton
Melanie Neeland
Shivanthan Shanthikumar
Kate Mc Donald
Helen Lester
Marcelo Leal
Amanda Bearcroft -
Consumer Representatives
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Perth Members
Perth Members
Erika Sutanto
Ingrid Laing
Craig Schofield
Sam McLean
Liz Starcevich
Kevin Looi
Rebecca
Langford
Luke Berry
Emma de Jong
Elizabeth Smith
Alana Harper
Eleanor Ferguson
Samantha Grogan
Sally McCappin
Nick de Klerk
Josh Beeson
André Schultz
Steven Oo
Oded Breuer
Barry Clements
Rachel Foong
Alexia Foti
Grace Pettigrew
Georgia Banton
Thomas Iosifidis
Jaqueline
Macpherson
Harpreet Kaur
Madeline Olson
Joseph Ho
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Melbourne Members
Melbourne Members
Louise King
Suzanna Vidmar
Rosemary Carzino
Nadeene Clarke
Phil Robinson
Rebecca McElroy
Natalie Zajakovski
Katherine Frayman
Jo Harrison
John Massie
Julie Smith
Colin Robertson
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Other Members
Other members
Peter Sly
Linda Shields
Tonia Douglas
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Students
Shivanthan Shanthikumar (PhD)
The aim of my research is to identify epigenetic markers from early life which predict the severity of lung disease at 9 years of age. I will do this by comparing two groups, one with mild lung disease and one with severe lung disease at 9 years of age (based on CT scan results), and I will perform whole genome methylation analysis on broncho-alveolar lavage from early life with the aim of identifying differential methylation patterns between the two groups.
The study involves patients with CF - so the 2 groups of kids will be kids with CF from the AREST CF cohort.
Kak-Ming Ling (PhD)
Innate Immune Response of Airway Epithelial Cells from Children with Cystic Fibrosis to Rhinovirus Infection
Growing evidence has linked respiratory virus infection in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) with lung function decline and pulmonary exacerbation. Currently, rhinovirus is the most prevalent virus detected, predominantly in children with CF less than 5 years old who suffer an exacerbation. Although these children are prone to repeat and prolonged infection, there is no effective targeted treatment. My project will elucidate the mechanisms of viral infection at the primary site of infection, namely the airway epithelium. The first phase of my study will identify dysregulation in innate immune pathways in CF airway epithelium in response to rhinovirus infection utilising RNA-sequencing technology in conjunction with our collaborators (Hancock Laboratory; University of British Columbia). The second phase will validate the proposed candidate pathways and determine their role in regulating innate immune responses during viral infection. The last phase will focus on screening databases of known drugs for desirable interactions with these identified pathways. The anticipated translation of this research is a new area of anti-viral intervention in young children with CF, prior to severe lung disease and irreversible structural damage. By limiting the harmful consequences of viral infection at this early stage, we aim to ultimately reduce viral associated morbidity in CF.
Samuel Montgomery (PhD)
The Role of Hypoxia and Necrosis in Sterile Neutrophilic Inflammation in Children with Cystic Fibrosis
Samuel is a fourth-year PhD student who focuses on an important but poorly researched area in CF; early life inflammation in the absence of infection. Specifically, his research aims to investigate the IL-1R inflammatory pathway in CF and the mechanisms surrounding inflammation arising from cell death following airway hypoxia and viral infections.
Daniel Laucirica (PhD)
Early life airway infections in children with Cystic Fibrosis
My research focuses on early life airway infections in children with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). The goal of my project is to assess innate immune responses of the CF airway epithelium to infection by a variety of CF associated pathogens, and connect these responses to functional changes in airway neutrophil activity observed in vivo. One of my key interests is modeling pathogenic interactions in CF airways that may enhance microbial dissemination, predisposition to further infection, and exacerbate epithelial immune responses. In addition to contributing new knowledge on early life airway infections in CF, results may also inform new strategies for the management or prevention of airway inflammation in CF lung disease.
Joshua Iszatt (PhD)
Joshua is a second-year PhD candidate with an aim to investigate the potential of bacteriophage therapies for people who suffer from persistent bacterial infections. Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a fatal genetic disorder in which individuals suffer from a cycle of persistent bacterial infection, followed by antibiotic treatment which results in antibiotic resistance later in life. His aims are as follows; to isolate and characterise a bacteriophage active against a range of resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria from CF airways and to provide data supporting the safety of using bacteriophage as an inhaled therapeutic for people with CF
Reanne Ho (PhD)
How the human airways of children and adults respond to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). With new strains emerging, scientists are concerned that these may increase the spread of infection, be more severe, and cause more deaths. The human airway is lined with cells that form a protective barrier to bacteria and viruses. However, these cells are capable of recognising and interacting with SARS-CoV-2, and thus may increase the chances of contracting infection and causing severe disease. With over 45,000 cases and almost 1,000 deaths across Australia itself, the project reflects the need for better understanding of the virus and how it affects the human airways.
Therefore, my study hypothesises that infection with different SARS-CoV-2 variants will result in distinct innate immune responses by human airway cells depending on their origin. Using a systematic approach and 3D cell models, the study aims to assess how the airway responds to SARS-CoV-2 infection. It will also attempt to identify individuals who may be more vulnerable to the effects of infection by comparing airway cells from children (healthy, preterm birth survivors, and children with cystic fibrosis or asthma) and adults (healthy, asthmatic, and those suffering chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). This study will be at the forefront of understanding this virus and its specific effects on human respiratory airways at the cell and molecular level. It will also inform future studies attempting to find complementary therapeutics besides vaccines to reduce the harmful effects of the virus.
Andrew Vaitekenas (PhD)
Antibiotic resistant infections are a significant threat to modern healthcare, yet there is a lack of investment in developing new antibiotics. The increase in resistance and lack of new antibiotics has a profound effect on people with CF, where antibiotics are essential to treat the frequent airway infections and maintain a person’s health. Therefore, alternatives treatments to antibiotics are urgently required. Bacteriophages, or viruses that only infect and kill bacteria, are a promising alternative to antibiotics as a treatment. However, bacteria can become resistant to long term and repeated exposure to phages. Resistance can be prevented by combining different phages together in cocktail with complimentary antibiotics, but this needs to be better understood.
In my project, I will be using phages to treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa specifically isolated from people with CF, which is important because these bacteria are vastly different to P. aeruginosa that causes other infections. I will monitor the P. aeruginosa for phage resistance and examine the trade-offs for P. aeruginosa becoming phage resistant. These trade-offs can then be targeted through strategic combination of several different phages together and antibiotics, to prevent resistance occurring. We hypothesise that these phage cocktails will increase the effectiveness of therapy and prevent phage-resistance whilst remaining non-harmful to humans.
Renee Ng (PhD)
Phage Therapy for Children with Cystic Fibrosis Pseudomonas aeruginosa Lung Infection
Chronic bacterial infections are one of the main contributing factors to permanent lung damage and loss of function in the lungs of people with Cystic fibrosis (CF). Mucus build up on the airway epithelial cells results in an ideal breeding ground for opportunistic bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa to grow. Pseudomonas aeruginosa easily develops resistance to the antibiotics typically used to treat it. Presently, intravenous antibiotics are given over an extended period of time, sometimes at very high concentrations which can have significant side-effects including kidney damage. With little investment into discovery of novel antibiotics by the pharmaceutical industry, there is an urgent need to explore alternative therapeutics. In my project, I will be revisiting the use of bacteriophages, or “phages” to treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial lung infections in children with CF. Phages are bacterial viruses that use specific bacteria as a host to grow which in turn, kills it. Phage therapy is not a standardised treatment in Australia and many other western countries due to insufficient evidence about their use and effects in humans. However, phage therapy has been commonly used in Eastern Europe as treatment. We hypothesise that specific phages will show high activity against bacteria that cause chronic lung infection without detrimental effects on the body. Ultimately, my project aims to establish a screening tool for high throughput phage assessment and develop a potential therapeutic pipeline to treat affected children.
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Alumni (past team members)
AREST CF Governance Structure
Research conducted under the auspices of AREST CF complies with the highest scientific and ethical standards, the Australian Code for Responsible Conduct of Research and principles of good governance. AREST CF is a collaborative research group. Membership comprises of the Executive Committee and the Scientific Management Committee within the AREST CF governance structure.