Mark Pearson

Biography

After the completion of a PhD in 2005, Mark was appointed the senior research scientist of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research arm of the Human Helminth Vaccine Initiative, a multi-national collaborative effort funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop recombinant vaccines against the human parasitic worms, Necator americanus and Schistosoma mansoni.After the completion of a PhD in 2005, Mark was appointed the senior research scientist of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research arm of the Human Helminth Vaccine Initiative, a multi-national collaborative effort funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop recombinant vaccines against the human parasitic worms, Necator americanus and Schistosoma mansoni.

Research Interest

Mark’s major research focus involves looking at the functions of proteins from human parasites (specifically helminths, or worms) and how these molecules interact with the host immune system.I am particularly interested in understanding these processes in the context of developing vaccines against parasites of third world populations and finding novel therapies for autoimmune disorders such as asthma.