Julianne Hamelink
Honours Student
julianne.hamelink@qimrberghofer.edu.au
CAREER HISTORY
Julianne graduated from the Queensland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Biomedical Science in 2019. During her studies, Julianne completed three workplace experience placements; one at the Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Diseases Institute, another with QUT’s Bacterial Polysaccharide Research Group, and a final placement with QUT’s Cancer and Ageing Research Program. Following her graduation, Julianne spent a semester working as a laboratory demonstrator in QUT’s Cellular Engineering unit.
In mid-2020 Julianne commenced an Honours project with the Human Malaria Immunology Group, facilitated by the University of Queensland. Her project focuses on antibody sub-class responses to protein epitopes across different settings of malaria infection. After completing her Honours, Julianne intends to spend some time working as a research assistant before commencing a PhD in 2022. Her interests include Immunology, Virology, Parasitology and Science Education.
CURRENT AREA OF RESEARCH
The Human Malaria Immunology Lab’s research is focused on identifying cellular mechanisms that drive the induction of protective humoral responses to human infection. The group primarily focuses on Plasmodium parasite infection, the causative parasite of malaria using a human cohort of experimental and natural infection to understand immune development.
Some of the key research challenges:
- Identifying and characterising key functional mechanisms of antibodies that mediate protection
- Defining the key cellular mechanisms that promote the generation of functional antibodies
- Quantifying the impact of host age and prior malaria exposure on antibody development
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology Inc.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
- 2019 Bachelor of Biomedical Science