Women Speakers Database
Photo
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Name
Joanna Groom -
Email
groom@wehi.edu.au -
Country/Region
Australia -
Institute
WEHI -
Career Stage
New Faculty -
Website
https://www.wehi.edu.au/people/joanna-groom -
Research Interests
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Profile
Dr Groom’s research is focused on dissecting the T cell interactions that control immune function and maintenance of memory. This interest was piqued during her PhD, at the Garvan Institute, investigating the cellular signalling critical to lupus autoimmunity. Her research revealed a novel mechanism of autoantibody production, which was pivotal in licensing the BAFF blocking antibody, Belimumab for lupus treatment. During her postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard/Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr Groom discovered a new role for inflammatory chemokines in T cell priming. Dr Groom is a Laboratory Head in the Immunology Division at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and LI Investigator recipient. Dr Groom combines in vivo and 3D imaging methods with transcriptional analysis to discover how cellular interactions lead to tailored protection against diverse pathogenic infections.