Prof Andreas L. Lopata leads the Molecular Allergy Research Laboratory in the College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, where he leads the Molecular Immunology Program in the Centre for Molecular Therapeutics. Prof Lopata graduated in biological sciences from the Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf , Germany, and undertook postgraduate studies at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, where he completed his doctorate and worked in the Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine. His research focused on the molecular characterisation of allergens and their impact on our immune system. In 2006, he moved to Australia, where he works now as a researcher at the JCU.

Andreas has more than 28 years’ experience in the molecular immunological analysis of food allergens for better diagnostics and development of therapeutics, specific to the Australian-Asian region. His discoveries are now translated into mainstream diagnostics and therapeutics for seafood allergy with leading international industry partners. Andreas is considered a world leader on seafood allergy within the field of food allergies, has contributed to the development of national and international guidelines, and sits on national and international expert committees of lead professional societies in the field. Prof Lopata is Associate Editor for ‘Clinical Experimental Allergy’ (Wiley) and Regional Associate Editor (Asia Pacific) for the World Allergy Association (WAO) Journal.

The discovery of allergens in various foods is central to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of allergic reactions. Of the ‘‘Big Eight’’ allergen food groups, fish and shellfish presents a unique challenge in terms of allergen discovery due to the large number and diversity of consumed species. Across the globe, up to 5% of children and adults are allergic to some type of seafood, as they often experience life-threatening reactions. Co-sensitisation and clinical cross-reactivity of consumer with fish, crustacean and/or mollusc allergy is often described; however, the current diagnostic approaches to manage these patients are not based on sufficient molecular knowledge of these seafood allergens.

Prof Lopata’s research team uses cutting-edge approaches in characterising the interactions of immunogenic proteins from different food sources with our human immune system, leading to allergic and inflammatory reactions.  He has published over 170 journal articles and presented at over 200 national and international conferences [H-index=44]. The outcomes of his research activities translate into the development of novel diagnostics and platform knowledge for immunotherapeutics. He consults to various organisations including the National Measurement Institute, the National Institute of Occupational Health and the International Union of Immunological Societies sub-committe on allergen nomenclature.

Teaching

• BC2024: Principles of Molecular Cell Biology (Level 2; TSV)
• BC3102: Molecular Basis of Disease (Level 3; TSV)
• BC5102: Advanced Molecular Basis of Disease (Level 5; TSV)

Interests

Professional

• Molecular Medicine; Occupational Medicine; Allergology

Research

• Molecular Allergology; Occupational Allergy; Diagnostics; Tropical Health; Immunotherapeutics

Teaching

• Molecular Immunology; Biochemistry; Professional Doctorate

Experience

• 2020 to present - Appointed Member-JCU Research Committee, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2016 to present - Professor, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2007 to present - Ajunct Member, Infectious Diseases and Development of Molecular Medicine (South Africa)
• 2014 to 2016 - Associate Dean of Research, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2013 to 2015 - Honours program coordinator, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2011 to 2015 - Associate Professor, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2011 to 2012 - Academic Advisor-Molecular Sciences, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2010 to 2011 - Senior Lecturer, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2009 to 2010 - Associate Professor, RMIT University (Melbourne)
• 2007 to 2008 - Senior Lecturer, RMIT University (Melbourne)
• 2004 to 2006 - Head of Department of Immunology, University of Cape Town (South Africa)
• 2002 to 2006 - Senior Lecturer, Department of Immunology; University of Cape Town (South Africa)
• 1992 to 2002 - Natural Medical Scientist, National Health Laboratory Services (South Africa)
• 1991 to 1992 - Research Fellow, University of Cape Town (South Africa)

Awards

• 2020 - JCU Primary Advisor of the Year
• 2012 - Winner of UniQuest Trailblazer-James Cook University
• 2011 - Winner of UniQuest Trailblazer-James Cook University

Fellowships

• 2012 to 2016 - ARC Future Fellow

Memberships

• 2014 - Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Allergologie und Klinische Immunologie (DGAKI)
• 2014 - Collegium Internationale Allergologicum (CIA)
• 2012 - Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia
• 2009 - Australasian Society for Immunology
• 2008 - Australasian Society for Parasitology (ASP)
• 2008 - Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA)
• 2007 - European Associaton of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (EAACI)

Other

• 2017 - Review Editor - Frontier Immunology_Vaccines and Molecular Therapeutics
• 2016 - Associate Editor---Allergo Journal International (Springer)
• 2016 - Editorial Board---Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology (Croatia)
• 2016 - Reperio Innovation Competition-AITHM People’s Choice Award
• 2016 - Review Editor---Frontier Microbial Immunology
• 2016 - Regional Associate Editor -Asia Pacific--World Allergy Organisation Journal (Elsevier)
• 2015 - Associate Editor---Clinical & Experimental Allergy (Wiley)
• 2014 - NATA assessor for laboratories in Australia quantifying allergens
• 2011 - Adjunct Associate Professor of the School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne
• 2010 - Appointed External academic reprentative for the Major Course Review Panel of the Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences, Deakin University
• 2010 - Adjunct Professor of the School of Publica Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa
• 2007 - Adjunct of the 'Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine', University of Cape Town, South Africa
• 2007 - Adjunct - Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine; University of Cape Town; South Africa
• 2006 - Appointed External Advisor to the National Institute of Occupational Health, Johannesburg, South Africa
• 2014 to 2020 - Associate Editor---Molecular Immunology (Elsevier)
• 2015 to 2019 - Review Editor---Molecular Immunology (Elsevier)
• 2009 to 2018 - Honorary Research Associate-Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research (CEOHR) and Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University of Cape Town
• 2016 - Reperio Innovation Competition- AITHM People’s Choice Award
• 2015 - Member of the 'National Allergy Strategy'-an initiative of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy and Anaphylaxis and Allergy Australia
• 2014 to 2015 - Elected member on the draft proposal on the 'National Allergy Strategy' for Australia
• 2004 to 2005 - Scientific Evaluator for the European Framework Program FP6 and FP7 "Food Quality and Safety" and "Health", European Union

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

• Buyuktiryaki B, Masini M, Mori F, Barni S, Liccioli G, Sarti L, Lordi L, Giovannini M, Toit G, Lopata A and Marques-Mejias M (2021) IgE-mediated fish allergy in children. Medicina, 57 (1), Article: 76, DOI:10.3390/medicina57010076.
• Karnaneedi S, Huerlimann R, Johnston E, Nugraha R, Ruethers T, Taki A, Kamath S, Wade N, Jerry D and Lopata A (2021) Novel allergen discovery through comprehensive de novo transcriptomic analyses of five shrimp species. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22 (1), Article: 32, DOI:10.3390/ijms22010032.
• Chinnappan R, Rahamn A, AlZabn R, Kamath S, Lopata A, Abu-Salah K and Zourob M (2020) Aptameric biosensor for the sensitive detection of major shrimp allergen, tropomyosin. Food Chemistry, 314, Article: 126133, DOI:10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.126133.
• Davis C, Gupta R, Aktas O, Diaz V, Kamath S and Lopata A (2020) Clinical management of seafood allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 8 (1), pp. 37-44, DOI:10.1016/j.jaip.2019.10.019.
• Kalic T, Kamath S, Ruethers T, Taki A, Nugraha R, Le T, Humeniuk P, Williamson N, Hira D, Rolland J, O'Hehir R, Dai D, Campbell D, Breiteneder H and Lopata A (2020) Collagen-an important fish allergen for improved diagnosis. Journal Of Allergy And Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 8 (9), pp. 3084-3092, DOI:10.1016/j.jaip.2020.04.063.
• Kamath S, Scheiblhofer S, Johnson C, Machado Y, McLean T, Taki A, Ramsland P, Iyer S, Joubert I, Hofer H, Wallner M, Thalhamer J, Rolland J, O’Hehir R, Briza P, Ferreira F, Weiss R and Lopata A (in press) Effect of structural stability on endolysosomal degradation and T-cell reactivity of major shrimp allergen tropomyosin. Allergy, , DOI:10.1111/all.14410.
• Kidgell J, Glasson C, Magnusson M, Vamvounis G, Sims I, Carnachan S, Hinkley S, Lopata A, de Nys R and Taki A (2020) Themolecular weight of ulvan affects the in vitro inflammatory response of a murine macrophage. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 150, pp. 839-848, DOI:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.02.071.
• Le T, Tran T, Ho H, Vu A, McBryde E and Lopata A (2020) The predominance of seafood allergy in Vietnamese adults: results from the first population-based questionnaire survey. World Allergy Organization Journal, 13 (3), DOI:10.1016/j.waojou.2020.100102.
• Mendoza-Porras O, Kamath S, Harrison J, Colgrave M, Huerlimann R, Lopata A and Wade N (2020) Resolving hemocyanin isoform complexity in haemolymph of black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon - implications in aquaculture, medicine and food safety. Journal of Proteomics, 218, Article: 103689, DOI:10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103689.
• Pratap K, Taki A, Johnston E, Lopata A and Kamath S (2020) A comprehensive review on natural bioactive compounds and probiotics as potential therapeutics in food allergy treatment. Frontiers in Immunology, 11, Article: 996, DOI:10.3389/fimmu.2020.00996.
• Adams S, Lopata A, Smuts C, Baatjies R and Jeebhay M (2019) Relationship between serum omega-3 fatty acid and asthma endpoints. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16 (1), Article: 43, DOI:10.3390/ijerph16010043.
• Aibinu I, Smooker P and Lopata A (2019) Anisakis nematodes in fish and shellfish- from infection to allergies. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 9, pp. 384-393, DOI:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.04.007.

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ResearchOnline@JCU stores 150+ research outputs authored by Prof Andreas Lopata from 1992 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

• Current Approaches in Managing Food Allergy in Australian Settings (Masters , Primary Advisor)
• Utilising Bioinformatics Tools to Improve the Diagnosis of Crustacean and Fish Allergy (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• The structure and bioactivity of ulvan, a sulfated polysaccharide from Ulva (chlorophyta) (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Novel Biopharmaceuticals for Food Allergy (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)

Completed

• Characterisation of oyster allergens for improved diagnosis of mollusc allergy (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Epidemiology and clinical presentations of seafood allergy in the Asia Pacific (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Biomarker discovery and food allergy profiling distinguishes DOCK8 deficiency from atopic dermatitis (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Development of a mouse model to evaluate the degree of immunological cross-reactivity between prawns and abalone (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Tackling Fish Allergy: Bio Molecular Studies on Allergenic Proteins Causing Fish Allergy in Australian Children for Improved Diagnosis (2020, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)

These are the most recent metadata records associated with this researcher. To see a detailed description of all dataset records, visit Research Data Australia.

• Lopata, A. (2017) cDNA sequences of major allergenic proteins in Australian seafood species. James Cook University
• Lopata, A. (2017) In solution digestion and mass spectrometry identification of major proteins in various crustacean species. James Cook University
• Lopata, A. (2017) In solution digestion and mass spectrometry identification of major proteins in various mollusc species. James Cook University
• Lopata, A. (2017) Proteome data of the raw and the heated Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). James Cook University
• Kamath, S. (2017) Proteomic analysis of allergenic proteins in King crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) and Edible crab (Cancer pagurus). James Cook University
• Lopata, A. (2017) Potential allergens of the Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas). James Cook University
• Lopata, A. (2017) Identified proteins in the IgE-reactive spots. James Cook University

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.