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.

In 2009, Mark was granted an NHMRC training fellowship to study how molecules in parasite secretions and on the parasite surface influence the host-parasite relationship with a view to develop anti-worm vaccines and novel therapies for autoimmune disorders. Mid-way through 2011 Mark completed part of this work at the Institute of Infection and Immunology Research at the University of Edinburgh and is now continuing this research at James Cook University.

Interests

Research

• 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.

Experience

• 2011 to present - Research Fellow, James Cook University (Cairns, Qld, Australia)
• 2009 to 2011 - Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh (Edinburgh, UK)
• 2006 to 2010 - Research Officer, Queensland institute of Medical Research (Brisbane, Qld, Australia)
• 2001 to 2005 - PhD Student, Queensland institute of Medical Research (Brisbane, Qld, Australia)

Research Disciplines

• Medical Microbiology (1108)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Clinical Health (9201)
• Public Health (9204)

Awards

• 2011 - Finalist - Australian Museum Eureka Prizes
• 2010 - Research Australia Griffith University Discovery Award

Fellowships

• 2009 to 2013 - NHMRC Early Career Training Fellowship

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

• Driguez P, Li Y, Gaze S, Pearson M, Nakajima R, Trieu A, Doolan D, Felgner P, Hou X, Cardoso F, Jasinskas A, Gobert G, Loukas A and McManus D (2016) Antibody signatures reflect different disease pathologies in patients with schistosomiasis due to Schistosoma japonicum. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 213 (1). pp. 122-130
• Driguez P, McWilliam H, Gaze S, Piedrafita D, Pearson M, Nakajima R, Duke M, Trieu A, Doolan D, Cardoso F, Jasinskas A, Gobert G, Felgner P, Loukas A, Meeusen E and McManus D (2016) Specific humoral response of hosts with variable schistosomiasis susceptibility. Immunology and Cell Biology, 94. pp. 52-65
• Sotillo J, Pearson M, Potriquet J, Becker L, Pickering D, Mulvenna J and Loukas A (2016) Extracellular vesicles secreted by Schistosoma mansoni contain protein vaccine candidates. International Journal for Parasitology, 46 (1). pp. 1-5
• Susilawati T, Jex A, Cantacessi C, Pearson M, Navarro S, Susianto A, Loukas A and McBride W (2016) Deep sequencing approach for investigating infectious agents causing fever. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 35 (7). pp. 1137-1149
• Wangchuk P, Giacomin P, Pearson M, Smout M and Loukas A (2016) Identification of lead chemotherapeutic agents from medicinal plants against blood flukes and whipworms. Scientific Reports, 6. pp. 1-10
• Wangchuk P, Pearson M, Giacomin P, Becker L, Sotillo J, Pickering D, Smout M and Loukas A (2016) Compounds derived from the Bhutanese daisy, Ajania nubigena, demonstrate dual anthelmintic activity against Schistosoma mansoni and Trichuris muris. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 10 (8). pp. 1-18
• Ahmad Fuaad A, Roubille R, Pearson M, Pickering D, Loukas A, Skwarczynski M and Toth I (2015) The use of a conformational cathepsin D-derived epitope for vaccine development against Schistosoma mansoni. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 23. pp. 1307-1312
• Fuaad A, Pearson M, Pickering D, Becker L, Zhao G, Loukas A, Skwarczynski M, Toth I and (2015) Lipopeptide nanoparticles: development of vaccines against hookworm parasite. ChemMedChem, 10 (10). pp. 1647-1654
• Pearson M, Jariwala A, Abbenante G, Plieskatt J, Wilson D, Bottazzi M, Hotez P, Keegan B, Bethony J and Loukas A (2015) New tools for NTD vaccines: a case study of quality control assays for product development of the human hookworm vaccine Na-APR-1M74. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 11 (5). pp. 1251-1257
• Pearson M, Becker L, Driguez P, Young N, Gaze Jangola S, Mendes T, Li X, Doolan D, Midzi N, Mduluza T, McManus D, Wilson R, Bethony J, Nausch N, Mutapi F, Felgner P and Loukas A (2015) Of monkeys and men: immunomic profiling of sera from humans and non-human primates resistant to schistosomiasis reveals novel potential vaccine candidates. Frontiers in Immunology, 6. pp. 1-13
• Sotillo J, Pearson M, Becker L, Mulvenna J and Loukas A (2015) A quantitative proteomic analysis of the tegumental proteins from Schistosoma mansoni schistosomula reveals novel potential therapeutic targets. International Journal for Parasitology, 45 (8). pp. 505-516
• Gaze S, Driguez P, Pearson M, Mendes T, Doolan D, Trieu A, McManus D, Gobert G, Periago M, Correa Oliveira R, Cardoso F, Oliveira G, Nakajima R, Jasinskas A, Hung C, Liang L, Pablo J, Bethony J, Felgner P and Loukas A (2014) An immunomics approach to schistosome antigen discovery: antibody signatures of naturally resistant and chronically infected individuals from endemic areas. PLoS Pathogens, 10 (3). pp. 1-16

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

• Investigation of Potential Environmental Reservoirs of Mycobacterium Ulcerans in North Queensland. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Characterisation of the Extracellular Vesicles Secreted by the Liver Fluke Opisthorchis Viverrini and Their Implication in Cholangiocarcinoma (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Schistosome exosomes - immunobiology and vaccine efficacy (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Evaluation of the tetraspanin membrane protein, Sm-TSP-3 as a target for a schistosomiasis vaccine (PhD , Primary Advisor)

Completed

• Hookworm Na-ASP-2- Putative Functions, Allergenicity and Implications for Vaccine Development (2015, PhD , Associate 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.