Professor Alan Baxter is a medical graduate who completed a PhD in immunogenetics at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute under the supervision of Tom Mandel. He has worked as a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School and at Cambridge University, where he was a Supervisor in Pathology for Trinity College. He has been a member of the Australasian Society for Immunology since 1994 and was President of the Society from 2006-2008. Alan is currently a member of the Council of the Federation of Immunological Societies of Asia-Oceania, the Council of the International Union of Immunological Societies and the MSRA Research Management Council. He is a member of the editorial boards of Immunology and Cell Biology and The Review of Diabetic Studies and is a reviewer for several journals including Nature Medicine, Science, The Lancet, Diabetologia, Autoimmunity, and the Journal of Immunology. His extensive commitments to the public appreciation of science have helped promote rational discussion of the health sciences in Australia. He established the Autoimmunity Research Group at the Centenary Institute, where he worked for nine years before taking up his current appointment as Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology and Director of the Comparative Genomics Centre of James Cook University. In 2013, he was appointed Honorary Professor at the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow. His work is funded by the NHMRC, ARC and Lions Club.

Specialties

He is known internationally for his contributions to the genetics of autoimmune disease and has published pioneering work on the genetics of gastritis and the role of NKT cells in autoimmunity, and made major contributions to our understanding of gene/environment interactions in autoimmune disease.

 

Teaching

• BC2024: Cell Biology (Level 2; TSV)
• BC3102: Molecular Basis of Disease (Level 3; TSV)
• BC3201: Bioengineering (Level 3; TSV)
• BC3202: Special Topics in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Level 3; TSV)
• BC5101: Advanced Genes, Genomes and Development (Level 5; TSV)
• BC5102: Advanced Molecular Basis of Disease (Level 5; TSV)
• BC5201: Advanced Bioengineering (Level 5; TSV)
• BC5202: Advanced Laboratory Practice in Molecular and Cell Biology (Level 5; TSV)
• BC5312: Research and Dissertation in Molecular and Cell Biology (Level 5; TSV)
• BM1000: Introductory Biochemistry and Microbiology (Level 1; TSV)
• MD1020: Introduction to Integrated Medical Studies Part 2 of 2 (Level 1; TSV)
• MD3011: Introduction to Clinical Healthcare Part 1 of 2 (Level 3; TSV)
• PC2001: Molecular Basis of Therapeutics 2 (Level 2; TSV)
• PC3102: Health Care for Pharmacists (Level 3; TSV)
• TV1102: Cell Biology and Biochemistry for Veterinary Science and Agriculture (Level 1; TSV)

Interests

Research

• Immunogenetics of autoimmune disease
• Innate immunity
• Genetics of immune regulation
• Multiple sclerosis
• Type 1 diabetes
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Autoimmune gastritis

Research Disciplines

• Immunology (1107)
• Genetics (0604)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Clinical Health (9201)

Awards

• 2011 to 2015 - NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship (B)
• 2006 to 2010 - NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship (B)
• 2001 to 2005 - NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship (A)
• 1997 to 2000 - NHMRC RD Wright Fellowship
• 1992 to 1995 - NHMRC CJ Martin Fellowship

Memberships

• 2013 - Elected member of the Council for the International Union of Immunological Societies.
• 2012 - Senior Editorial Board, American J Clinical and Experimental Immunology
• 2012 - Elected member of the Council for the Federation of Immunological Societies for Asia/Oceania.
• 2010 - Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia Research Management Council
• 2006 - Board of the Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine
• 2004 to 2007 - Professional Review Panel, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
• 1999 to 2003 - Professional Advisory Panel, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Australia
• 1997 to 2002 - Editorial Board, Autoimmunity

Other

• 2007 - Associate Editor, Immunology and Cell Biology
• 2004 - Associate Editor, The Review of Diabetic Studies
• 2006 to 2008 - President, Australasian Society for Immunology
• 2004 to 2008 - Associate Editor, Journal of Immunology
• 2005 to 2006 - Vice-President, Australasian Society for Immunology

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Binder M, Fox A, Merlo D, Johnson L, Giuffrida L, Calvert S, Akkermann R, Ma G, Perera A, Gresle M, Laverick L, Foo G, Fabis-Pedrini M, Spelman T, Jordan M, Baxter A, Foote S, Butzkueven H, Kilpatrick T and Field J (2016) Common and low Frequency variants in MERTK are independently associated with multiple sclerosis susceptibility with discordant association dependent upon HLA-DRB1*15:01 status. PLoS Genetics, 12 (3). pp. 1-25
• Too L, McGregor I, Baxter A and Hunt N (2016) Altered behaviour and cognitive function following combined deletion of Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 in mice. Behavioural Brain Research, 303. pp. 1-8
• Gu B, Field J, Dutertre S, Ou A, Kilpatrick T, Lechner-Scott J, Scott R, Lea R, Taylor B, Stankovich J, Butzkueven H, Gresle M, Laws S, Petrou S, Hoffjan S, Akkad D, Graham C, Hawkins S, Bedri S, Glaser A, Hillert J, Matute C, Antiguedad A, Wiley J and ANZgene Consortium inlcuding Alan G. Baxter (2015) A rare P2X7 variant Arg307Gln with absent pore formation function protects against neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis. Human Molecular Genetics, 24 (19). pp. 5644-5654
• Johnson L, Widi A, Rowarth S and Baxter A (2015) Abdominal distension and Escherichia coli peritonitis in mice lacking myeloid differentiation factor 88. Comparative medicine, 65 (2). pp. 123-126
• Gresle M, Schulz K, Jonas A, Perreau V, Cipriani T, Baxter A, Miranda-Hernandez S, Field J, Jokubaitis V, Cherny R, Volitakis I, David S, Kilpatrick T and Butzkueven H (2014) Ceruloplasmin gene-deficient mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis show attenuated early disease evolution. Journal of Neuroscience Research, 92 (6). pp. 732-742
• Quah H, Miranda-Hernandez S, Khoo A, Harding A, Fynch S, Elkerbout L, Brodnicki T, Baxter A, Kay T, Thomas H and Graham K (2014) Deficiency in type I interferon signaling prevents the early interferon–induced gene signature in pancreatic islets but not type 1 diabetes in NOD mice. Diabetes, 63 (3). pp. 1032-1040
• Shahijanian F, Parnell G, McKay F, Gatt P, Shojoei M, O'Connor K, Schibeci S, Brilot F, Liddle C, Batten M, Baxter A, Kermode A, Carrol W, Butzkueven H, Vucic S, Wiley J, Field J, Tajouri L, Griffiths L, Barnett M, Scott R, Lechner-Scott J, Moscato P, Broadley S, Slee M, Kilpatrick T, Taylor B, Charlesworth J, Brown M, Mason D, Graeme S and Booth D (2014) The CYP27B1 variant associated with an increased risk of autoimmune disease is underexpressed in tolerizing dendritic cells. Human Molecular Genetics, 23 (6). pp. 1425-1434
• Baxter A and Jordan M (2013) Plasticity is the differentiated state of CD4 T cells. Cellular & Molecular Immunology, 10 (5). pp. 375-378
• Miranda-Hernandez S and Baxter A (2013) Role of toll-like receptors in multiple sclerosis. American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 2 (1). pp. 75-93
• Baxter A and Jordan M (2012) From markers to molecular mechanisms: type 1 diabetes in the post-GWAS era. Review of Diabetic Studies, 9 (4). pp. 201-223
• Dickgreber N, Farrand K, van Panhuys N, Knight D, McKee S, Chong M, Miranda-Hernandez S, Baxter A, Locksley R, Le Gros G and Hermans I (2012) Immature murine NKT cells pass through a stage of developmentally programmed innate IL-4 secretion. Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 92 (5). pp. 999-1009

Book Chapters

• Jordan M, Field J, Butzkueven H and Baxter A (2014) Genetic predisposition: humans. In: The Autoimmune Diseases. Elsevier, Boston, pp. 341-364

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 91+ research outputs authored by Prof Alan Baxter from 1989 onwards.

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• NKT Cell Development and Regulatory Factors in Non-Obese Diabetic Mice (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Causes of Multiple Sclerosis: A Functional Genomics Approach. (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• The effects of the Ketogenic diet on animal models of schizophrenia (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

Completed

• Role of toll-like receptors and NKT cells in gene/environment interactions in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (2013, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Regulation of the immune system during experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis in gene-deficient mice (2013, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Evaluation of IgE and non-IgE mediated inflammatory pathways generated through exposure to prawn proteins (2014, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Molecular analysis of innate immunity in type 1 diabetes (2014, PhD , Primary Advisor)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.