Overview
Background
Mariusz Skwarczynski completed his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1999 at Wroclaw University of Technology (Poland). His postdoctoral training began at Tokushima Bunri University (Japan), and then Kyoto Pharmaceutical University (Japan). In 2008 he joined Professor Istvan Toth’s group at The University of Queensland (Australia) to work on new vaccine development strategies. Currently his group activity is mainly focused on nanotechnology-based peptide vaccine delivery approaches and adjuvants discovery. He is Regional Editor of Australia in Vaccines, and Associate Editor in Frontiers in Pharmacology. He has published over 190 peer-reviewed publications, including 18 book chapters and three books.
Availability
- Associate Professor Mariusz Skwarczynski is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Masters (Coursework) of Science, Wroclaw University of Technology
- Doctor of Philosophy, Wroclaw University of Technology
- Member, Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre
- Journal Editorial Board Member, Current Drug Delivery, Current Drug Delivery
- Journal Editorial Board Member, Frontiers in Pharmacology (Associate Editor), Frontiers in Pharmacology (Associate Editor)
- Journal Editorial Board Member, Medicinal Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry
- Member, Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
- Member, The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Alumni Association in Australia, The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Alumni Association in Australia
- Journal Editorial Board Member, Vaccines (Regional Editor of Australia), Vaccines (Regional Editor of Australia)
Research interests
-
Vaccines and Nanomedicine
Vaccine Design, Adjuvants, Nanotechnology, Peptide Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Vaccine/Drug Delivery, Antimicrobial Agents, Macromolecules, Immunology
Research impacts
Mariusz Skwarczynski work focuses on nanotechnology-based approaches to vaccine adjuvants, with the potential for significant practical applications in developing novel vaccines. He has co-developed unique peptide, polymer, and liposomes-based adjuvanting systems used in vaccine development against malaria, hookworm, Group A Streptococcus, cancer and fertility vaccines.
As per January 2026:
He has published 3 books, 18 book chapters, and over 170 journal papers (~ 40 first and ~ 40 as last author, h index = 55, citations >9000), with a Field-Weighted Citation Impact of 2.14 (twice higher than the average researcher), and 29.9% of publications in last 5-years are in the top 10% of journals by CiteScore. Ranked 5th (Top 0.027% of 18,422) in the world in Subunit Vaccines (2012-2022; ExpertScape) and listed in World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University in 2024, inside the top 0.35% in medicinal & biomolecular chemistry. His publications have received > 150 patent cites.
In the past 10 years, he secured $33.8M in grant funding, including $3.0M as the principle CI, $10.1M as a CI and $20.7M as the AI. He currently holds five grants as a CI: 2xNHMRC Ideas (CIA, 2024-27, $608K; CIA, 2024-27, $856K), CRE NHMRC (CIF, 2026-31, $3,000K), Synergy NHMRC (CIF, 2026-31, $5,000K), and ARC DP (CIA, 2026-30, $1,073K).
He has been invited 21 times in the last 5 years to present at international seminars and conferences,including invited lectures at National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC) (Bangkok, Thailand), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno (Campania, Italy), University of Opole, (Opole, Poland), and 5th International Symposium on Synthetic Peptide as Human and Veterinary Pharmaceutical Products, (Varadero, Cuba). His work has received over 39 news articles from national and international agencies, including 11 interviews and articles in 2021 from Australia, India, Pakistan, Hungary, Kenya and New Zealand for his work on the oral hookworm vaccine.
He is the Regional Editor of Australia for Vaccines and Associate Editor for Frontiers in Pharmacology. He has organised 9 special issues in the last 5 years for journals such as Vaccines, Molecules and Frontiers in Pharmacology. Furthermore, he organised and chaired “Micro and Nanoparticles in Drug and Vaccine Delivery Symposium”, St Lucia, QLD, 3rd December 2021. He regularly reviews domestic grants, for example, 13 NHMRC Ideas grants in 2024, as well as international, for example, Austrian Science Fund, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, The Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council (UK). Peer reviews >10/year for top international journals (e.g. Nat. Commun.; Adv. Sci.; Adv. Mater.; Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev; Acta Biomater.).
He was/is co/supervisor of 33 PhD students (graduated and ongoing), and co/supervisor of over 30 research students. In the years 2019-2025, his supervised students received eleven awards, including the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Higher Degree by Research Theses, and awards at international conferences (travel, best poster, best oral presentations).
Works
Search Professor Mariusz Skwarczynski’s works on UQ eSpace
2026
Journal Article
A non-conjugated peptide-adjuvant system of synthetic peptide-vaccine elicited potent antibody response and opsonic protection against clinical GAS strains
Fan, Jingyi, Khalil, Zeinab G., Hussein, Waleed M., Toth, Istvan, Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Stephenson, Rachel J. (2026). A non-conjugated peptide-adjuvant system of synthetic peptide-vaccine elicited potent antibody response and opsonic protection against clinical GAS strains. Bioorganic Chemistry, 176 109861, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2026.109861
2026
Journal Article
Rational selection of antigenic targets for Group A Streptococcus vaccine: updates, challenges and opportunities
Belete, Melaku Ashagrie, Toth, Istvan, Stephenson, Rachel and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2026). Rational selection of antigenic targets for Group A Streptococcus vaccine: updates, challenges and opportunities. npj Vaccines, 11 (1) 119, 1. doi: 10.1038/s41541-026-01445-5
2026
Journal Article
Development of a novel polyleucine-based immunopotentiator for subunit vaccines against Group A Streptococcus
Lu, Lantian, Cruz, Jazmina L. Gonzalez, Giri, Rabina, Zhang, Yuexiao, Bashiri, Sahra, Cadena, Leslie C. Domínguez, Li, Shuhang, Khalil, Zeinab G., Hussein, Waleed M., Wang, Jingwen, Kiong, Jolynn, Lu, Xuehan, Zhang, Jiahui, Lu, Miao, Huang, Wenbin, Kong, Wei Yang, Nahar, Ummey Jannatun, Koirala, Prashamsa, Guo, Zhong, Walden, Patricia, Blumenthal, Antje, Begun, Jakob, Alexandrov, Kirill, Toth, Istvan, Stephenson, Rachel J. and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2026). Development of a novel polyleucine-based immunopotentiator for subunit vaccines against Group A Streptococcus. Small, 22 (22) e11459, 1-20. doi: 10.1002/smll.202511459
2026
Journal Article
Investigation of physical mixtures versus disulfide crosslinking self-adjuvanting peptide-based subunit vaccines against Group A Streptococcus
Fan, Jingyi, Wang, Jingwen, Lu, Lantian, Nahar, Ummey Jannatun, Kong, Wei Yang, Zhang, Jiahui, Stephenson, Rachel J., Cruz, Jazmina Gonzalez, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Toth, Istvan, Khalil, Zeinab G. and Hussein, Waleed M. (2026). Investigation of physical mixtures versus disulfide crosslinking self-adjuvanting peptide-based subunit vaccines against Group A Streptococcus. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 689 126513, 126513. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2025.126513
2025
Book
Peptide Synthesis - Methods and Protocols
Waleed M. Hussein and Mariusz Skwarczynski eds. (2025). Peptide Synthesis - Methods and Protocols. 2nd ed. Methods in Molecular Biology, New York, NY United States: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4562-8
2025
Journal Article
Development of an efficacious oral peptide vaccine against infection with the carcinogenic liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini
Phumrattanaprapin, Wuttipong, Shalash, Ahmed O., Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Smout, Michael J., Laha, Thewarach, Toth, Istvan and Loukas, Alex (2025). Development of an efficacious oral peptide vaccine against infection with the carcinogenic liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini. Vaccine, 61 127400. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127400
2025
Journal Article
Evaluation of peptide-based vaccines against Group A Streptococcus in Staphylococcus aureus-infected mice
Shalash, Ahmed O., Sun, Haolan, Cui, Yiru, Wang, Jingwen, Arnts, Barb, Bauer, Jannah, Hussein, Waleed M., Khalil, Zeinab G., Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2025). Evaluation of peptide-based vaccines against Group A Streptococcus in Staphylococcus aureus-infected mice. Vaccines, 13 (6) 632, 1-29. doi: 10.3390/vaccines13060632
2025
Journal Article
Evaluation of novel single-dose vaccine candidates against gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in mice
Shalash, Ahmed O., Wang, Wanyi, Xia, Yihui, Hussein, Waleed M., Bashiri, Sahra, D'Occhio, Michael J., Stephenson, Rachel J., Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2025). Evaluation of novel single-dose vaccine candidates against gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in mice. Vaccine, 53 127092, 127092. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127092
2025
Journal Article
Influence of component structural arrangement on cholesterol-antigen conjugate immunogenicity and antisera bactericidal activity against group A Streptococcus
Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Alharbi, Nedaa, Nahar, Ummey J., Shalash, Ahmed O., Azuar, Armira, Koirala, Prashamsa, Khisty, Shefali J., Wang, Jingwen, Marasini, Nirmal, Hussein, Waleed M., Khalil, Zeinab G. and Toth, Istvan (2025). Influence of component structural arrangement on cholesterol-antigen conjugate immunogenicity and antisera bactericidal activity against group A Streptococcus. Bioorganic Chemistry, 157 108248, 108248. doi: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2025.108248
2025
Journal Article
Tumor‐derived autophagosomes coated with nanodots as future personalized cancer vaccines
Lu, Lantian and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2025). Tumor‐derived autophagosomes coated with nanodots as future personalized cancer vaccines. MedComm – Future Medicine, 4 (1) e70015. doi: 10.1002/mef2.70015
2025
Journal Article
A modular self-assembling and self-adjuvanting multiepitope peptide nanoparticle vaccine platform to improve the efficacy and immunogenicity of BCG
Zhao, Guangzu, Sathkumara, Harindra D., Miranda-Hernandez, Socorro, Seifert, Julia, Valencia-Hernandez, Ana Maria, Puri, Munish, Huang, Wenbin, Toth, Istvan, Daly, Norelle, Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Kupz, Andreas (2025). A modular self-assembling and self-adjuvanting multiepitope peptide nanoparticle vaccine platform to improve the efficacy and immunogenicity of BCG. Small, 21 (7) 2406874, 1-16. doi: 10.1002/smll.202406874
2025
Journal Article
Preface
Hussein, Waleed W. and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2025). Preface. Methods in Molecular Biology, 2931.
2025
Book Chapter
Automated synthesis and purification of hydrophobic peptides
Huang, Wenbin, Toth, Istvan and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2025). Automated synthesis and purification of hydrophobic peptides. Peptide synthesis: methods and protocols. (pp. 343-354) edited by Waleed M. Hussein and Mariusz Skwarczynski. New York, NY, U.S.A.: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4562-8_26
2024
Journal Article
Editorial: Peptides against infectious diseases: from antimicrobial peptides to vaccines
Bojarska, Joanna, Wang, Xiumin and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2024). Editorial: Peptides against infectious diseases: from antimicrobial peptides to vaccines. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 15 1522148, 1522148. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1522148
2024
Journal Article
Self-assembled monovalent lipidated mannose ligand as a standalone nanoadjuvant
Nahar, Ummey J., Wang, Jingwen, Shalash, Ahmed O., Lu, Lantian, Islam, Md. T., Alharbi, Nedaa, Koirala, Prashamsa, Khalil, Zeinab G., Capon, Robert J., Hussein, Waleed M., Toth, Istvan and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2024). Self-assembled monovalent lipidated mannose ligand as a standalone nanoadjuvant. Vaccine, 42 (23) 126060, 126060. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.06.027
2024
Journal Article
Cholesterol as an inbuilt immunoadjuvant for a lipopeptide vaccine against group A Streptococcus infection
Alharbi, Nedaa, Shalash, Ahmed O., Koirala, Prashamsa, Boer, Jennifer C., Hussein, Waleed M., Khalil, Zeinab G., Capon, Robert J., Plebanski, Magdalena, Toth, Istvan and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2024). Cholesterol as an inbuilt immunoadjuvant for a lipopeptide vaccine against group A Streptococcus infection. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 663, 43-52. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.02.134
2024
Journal Article
COVID-19 variants and vaccine development
Zhao, Ziyao, Bashiri, Sahra, Ziora, Zyta M., Toth, Istvan and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2024). COVID-19 variants and vaccine development. Viruses, 16 (5) 757, 757. doi: 10.3390/v16050757
2024
Journal Article
Utilizing murine dendritic cell line DC2.4 to evaluate the immunogenicity of subunit vaccines in vitro
Lu, Lantian, Kong, Wei Yang, Zhang, Jiahui, Firdaus, Farrhana, Wells, James W., Stephenson, Rachel J., Toth, Istvan, Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Cruz, Jazmina L. Gonzalez (2024). Utilizing murine dendritic cell line DC2.4 to evaluate the immunogenicity of subunit vaccines in vitro. Frontiers in Immunology, 15 1298721, 1-13. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1298721
2024
Journal Article
Polymeric nanoparticles as oral and intranasal peptide vaccine delivery systems: the role of shape and conjugation
Koirala, Prashamsa, Shalash, Ahmed O., Chen, Sung-Po R., Faruck, Mohammad O., Wang, Jingwen, Hussein, Waleed M., Khalil, Zeinab G., Capon, Robert J., Monteiro, Michael J., Toth, Istvan and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2024). Polymeric nanoparticles as oral and intranasal peptide vaccine delivery systems: the role of shape and conjugation. Vaccines, 12 (2) 198, 1-14. doi: 10.3390/vaccines12020198
2024
Book Chapter
An analytical protocol for detecting antibody titer levels in serum/saliva by indirect Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)
Wang, Jingwen, Bashiri, Sahra, Toth, Istvan and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2024). An analytical protocol for detecting antibody titer levels in serum/saliva by indirect Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Peptide antibodies: methods and protocols. (pp. 205-216) edited by Gunnar Houen. New York, NY, United States: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3914-6_16
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Mariusz Skwarczynski is:
- Available for supervision
Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.
Available projects
-
A nanonaccine against Invasive Group A Streptococcus and Rheumatic Heart Disease
The major challenge in any vaccine development is its formulation/delivery once the target antigens are identified. The main aim of this project is to adopt and further develop our immune-stimulating delivery systems to produce a multicomponent synthetic (poly)peptide vaccine candidate against Group A Streptococcus (GAS), the major causative agent of deadly diseases such as rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and invasive GAS infection. Notably, a variety of vaccines against GAS infection have reached clinical trials in the past decades; however, these vaccines have limited efficacy due to the high variability of GAS strains. We hypothesise that the incorporation of three conserved peptide antigens from GAS proteins into our newly developed nanoparticles-based vaccine delivery systems will overcome the above obstacles and produce an efficient and universal vaccine candidate against GAS. The project will deliver preclinical vaccine candidates against Group A Streptococcus, which, after oral dosing, will be able to induce robust opsonic antibody production against a wide range of GAS strains without triggering adverse effects and off-target immune responses. We will employ peptide antigens from the highly conserved region of M-protein, cell envelope proteinase, and fibronectin-binding protein 1. The optimized vaccine delivery system will be easily adaptable for the development of vaccines against other diseases.
-
Oral anti-fertility vaccine for rabbits
Develop the first oral vaccines that suppress fertility in rabbits and enable responsible and ethical landscape population control. Expected outcomes of this project include the creation of a commercially attractive oral immunization platform.
Who can apply: medicinal/peptide chemists with preferable knowledge in immunology and pharmaceutical formulations.
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
A Nanovaccine against Invasive Group A Streptococcus and Rheumatic Heart Disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
Doctor Philosophy
A nanovaccine against Invasive Group A Streptococcus and Rheumatic Heart Disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Rachel Stephenson, Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
Doctor Philosophy
Combating cervical cancer through a combination of anticancer therapy and vaccinations.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Zyta M Ziora
-
Doctor Philosophy
Hookworm vaccine: vaccine development toward clinical trials
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
Doctor Philosophy
Novel Vaccine Designs of Adjuvants and Delivery Systems against Infectious Diseases
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth, Dr Rachel Stephenson
Completed supervision
-
2026
Doctor Philosophy
Development of mannose receptor ligands as novel immune adjuvants
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2025
Doctor Philosophy
Development of silver nanoparticles as novel adjuvants in vaccine
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Development of a new peptide-based self-adjuvanting delivery system for vaccine against Group A Streptococcus (GAS)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Delivery of a peptide-based vaccine against group A streptococcus with the help of cell-penetrating peptides
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2025
Doctor Philosophy
Development of poly(hydrophobic amino acids)-based immunopotentiators for subunit vaccines against infectious diseases
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Polymers as a nanoparticulate adjuvant and vaccine delivery system
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
The role of shape in vaccine delivery: Polymeric nanoparticles-based peptide vaccine against Group A Streptococci (GAS) infection
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Lipophilic Peptides as Immune Stimulants
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Cholesterol-based Vaccine Delivery Systems against Group A Streptococcal Infection
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Development of Peptide-based Vaccines against Infectious Diseases: Hookworm, Liver fluke, and SARS-CoV-2 virus
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Development of polyacrylate-based delivery systems for peptide vaccines
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Targeting lectin receptors for vaccine delivery against group A streptococcus
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Development of an effective prophylactic and therapeutic treatment for malaria
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Design and evaluation of polysaccharide-based nanoparticles for mucosal vaccine delivery
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Hydrophobic amino acid-based vaccine delivery systems to induce cellular and humoral immunity
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Development of novel nanoparticulate polymeric delivery system for peptide vaccines against group A streptococcus
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Epitope-focused vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Keith Chappell, Professor Daniel Watterson, Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Peptide-Based Self-Assembling Delivery System for Development of Group A Streptococcus Vaccine
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Development of novel nanoparticle-based mucosal delivery systems for lipopeptide vaccine against group A streptococcus
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Development of Peptide-Based Vaccines Against Group A Streptococcus (GAS) and Malaria
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Therapeutic and Preventive Potential of Synthetic Lipopeptides against Bacterial Infections
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Development of Novel Strategies for Delivery of Vaccine Candidates Against Group A Streptococcus
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Liposome-based delivery system for the development of malaria vaccine
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
The Development of Peptide-Based Subunit Vaccines against Streptococcus pyogenes, Necator americanus and Schistosome mansoni.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
Self-assembling and self-adjuvanting polymer-peptide conjugates as therapeutic vaccines against cervical cancer
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2010
Doctor Philosophy
The synthesis and characterization of peptide-based carriers for gene delivery and peptide therapeutics
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
-
2010
Doctor Philosophy
Lipopeptide-Carbohydrate-Antigen Platforms for Synthetic Vaccine Development
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
Media
Enquiries
Contact Associate Professor Mariusz Skwarczynski directly for media enquiries about:
- fertility control
- group A streptococcus
- hookworm
- immune adjuvants
- nanovaccines
- peptide vaccines
Need help?
For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team: