Dr Javier Sotillo-Gallego ~ Adjunct Senior Research Fellow

I obtained my PhD in 2011 at University of Valencia (Spain) with high honours under the supervision of Dr. Rafael Toledo and J. Guillermo Esteban. My interests during my PhD were the host-parasite interactions at a proteomics and immunological level in the Echinostoma-rodent. In 2012 I was appointed as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at James Cook University at the laboratory of Alex Loukas. 

My research focus is the analysis of the proteomes and secretomes of parasites and how they orchestrate a parasitic existence. I am also interested in the host-parasite relationships, with a particular emphasis on soil-transmitted helminths (e.g. hookworms, whipworms, roundworms) and water-borne trematodes such as Schistosoma spp. I have described the excretory-secretory proteins of different helminths and have been involved in in analyses of large-scale sequence datasets generated from a range of parasites (i.e. transcriptomes). I recently focused my attention to study small-secreted parasitic vesicles (exosomes) and their implication in parasite-host communication and the modulation of the host’s immune response.

Interests

Research

• Proteomics of helminths
• Host-parasite interactions

Experience

• 2013 to present - Postdoctoral Research Fellow, James Cook University (Cairns, Australia)
• 2012 to 2013 - Proteomics Laboratory Manager, James Cook University (Cairns, Australia)
• 2006 to 2010 - PhD student, University of Valencia (Valencia, Spain)
• 2008 - Visiting scientist, The Queen's University of Belfast (Belfast, Northern Ireland)

Research Disciplines

• Medical Microbiology (1108)
• Biochemistry and Cell Biology (0601)
• Evolutionary Biology (0603)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Clinical Health (9201)
• Expanding Knowledge (9701)

Fellowships

• 2006 to 2010 - PhD fellowship by Ministry of Education (Spain)
• 2004 to 2005 - Honours student fellowship

Memberships

• 2013 - Current member of the Australian Society for Parasitology
• 2008 - Current member of the Spanish Society for Proteomics
• 2006 - Curent member of the Spanish Society for Parasitology

Other

• 2013 - Reviewer for scientific journals such as PLoS NTD and Journal of Helminthology
• 2011 to 2012 - Grant reviewer for the Spanish Agency of Evaluation and Research (ANEP)

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

• Alhallaf R, Agha Z, Miller C, Robertson A, Sotillo-Gallego J, Croese J, Cooper M, Masters S, Kupz A, Smith N, Loukas A and Giacomin P (2018) The NLRP3 inflammasome suppresses protective immunity to gastrointestinal helminth infection. Cell Reports, 23 (4). pp. 1085-1098
• Cortés A, Muñoz-Antolí C, Álvarez-Izquierdo M, Sotillo J, Esteban J and Toledo R (2018) Adaptation of the secretome of Echinostoma caproni may contribute to parasite survival in a Th1 milieu. Parasitology Research, 117 (4). pp. 947-957
• Dastpeyman M, Bansal P, Wilson D, Sotillo J, Brindley P, Loukas A, Smout M and Daly N (2018) Structural variants of a liver fluke derived granulin peptide potently stimulate wound healing. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 61 (19). pp. 8746-8753
• Eichenberger R, Ryan S, Jones L, Buitrago G, Polster R, Montes de Oca M, Zuvelek J, Giacomin P, Dent L, Engwerda C, Field M, Sotillo J and Loukas A (2018) Hookworm secreted extracellular vesicles interact with host cells and prevent inducible colitis in mice. Frontiers in Immunology, 9.
• Eichenberger R, Hasanuzzaman T, Field M, Wangchuk P, Giacomin P, Loukas A and Sotillo J (2018) Characterization of Trichuris muris secreted proteins and extracellular vesicles provides new insights into host–parasite communication. Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, 7 (1).
• Mekonnen G, Pearson M, Loukas A and Sotillo J (2018) Extracellular vesicles from parasitic helminths and their potential utility as vaccines. Expert Review of Vaccines, 17 (3). pp. 197-205
• Phumrattanaprapin W, Chaiyadet S, Loukas A, Brindley P, Sotillo J and Laha T (2018) Surface display on Bacillus subtilis spores and vaccine potential of a Tetraspanin fromm caniogenic liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini. Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, 49 (6). pp. 933-948
• Sundaraneedi M, Eichenberger R, Al-Hallaf R, Yang D, Sotillo J, Rajan S, Wangchuk P, Giacomin P, Keene F, Loukas A, Collins J and Pearson M (2018) Polypyridylruthenium(II) complexes exert in vitro and in vivo nematocidal activity and show significant inhibition of parasite acetylcholinesterases. International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drugs Resistance, 8 (1). pp. 1-7
• Bansal P, Smout M, Wilson D, Cobos Caceres C, Dastpeyman M, Sotillo J, Seifert J, Brindley P, Loukas A and Daly N (2017) Development of a potent wound healing agent based on the liver fluke granulin structural fold. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 60 (10). pp. 4258-4266
• Chaiyadet S, Krueajampa W, Hipkaeo W, Plosan Y, Piratae S, Sotillo J, Smout M, Sripa B, Brindley P, Loukas A and Laha T (2017) Suppression of mRNAs encoding CD63 family tetraspanins from the carcinogenic liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini results in distinct tegument phenotypes. Scientific Reports, 7.
• Chaiyadet S, Smout M, Laha T, Sripa B, Loukas A and Sotillo J (2017) Proteomic characterization of the internalization of Opisthorchis viverrini excretory/secretory products in human cells. Parasitology International, 66 (4). pp. 494-502
• Cortés A, Sotillo-Gallego J, Muñoz-Antolí C, Molina-Durán J, Esteban J and Toledo R (2017) Antibody trapping: a novel mechanism of parasite immune evasion by the trematode Echinostoma caproni. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 11 (7).

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 55+ research outputs authored by Dr Javier Sotillo-Gallego from 2008 onwards.

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

• The Impact of Hookworm Infection and Hookworm Anti_inflammatory Proteins on Diabetes in Mice. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Characterization of the excretory/secretory molecules and extracellular vesicles from Schistosoma haematobium and their role in host-parasite relationships (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Characterisation of Necator americanus excretory/secretory products (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Schistosome exosomes - immunobiology and vaccine efficacy (PhD , Secondary 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.