Associate Professor Mariusz Skwarczynski
Associate Professor

Mariusz Skwarczynski

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 334 69894

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) under the direction of late Professor M. Nishizawa, where he studied the biomimetic total synthesis of anticancer agent paclitaxel. He then joined the laboratory of Professor Yoshiaki Kiso at Kyoto Pharmaceutical University (Japan) to study prodrugs of paclitaxel. In 2004 he was awarded with Japanese fellowship (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science postdoctoral fellowship) and research grant to conduct further research on paclitaxel. He developed novel classes of paclitaxel prodrugs: isotaxoids and phototaxels. He also co-developed an epimerization-free method for the synthesis of novel building blocks (isodipeptides) for solid phase peptide synthesis and these units have been commercialized by Merck-Novabiochem.

In 2008 he joined Professor Istvan Toth group at University of Queensland (Australia) to work on vaccine delivery strategies. Since then, he research is mainly focused on nanotechnology-based peptide vaccine delivery approaches. In 2010 he was awarded with University of Queensland Strategic Fund Research Fellowship. In Australia, he is involved in a wide range of collaborative research projects, both nationally and internationally, to develop vaccines against GAS, HIV, hookworm infections, malaria and cancer, along with antibiotics against multidrug resistant bacteria.

Availability

Associate Professor Mariusz Skwarczynski is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Medicinal and biomolecular chemistry Organic chemistry

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 Desing, Nanotechnology, Peptide Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Vaccine/Drug Delivery, Antimicrobial Agents, Macromolecules, Adjuvants, Immunology

Research impacts

Mariusz Skwarczynski has over 180 publications, including peer-reviewed journals, book chapters (Wiley, Springer Nature, Nova Science, Elsevier), and two edited book (Elsevier, Springer Nature) – as of 2023. Among these publications, 16 are in journals with an impact factor of 10-30. He was ranked 3rd in the world in the Subunit Vaccines field (2012-2022) by Expertscape's PubMed-based scheme and placed among the top 0.1% (0.022% of 18,308 published authors) of scholars writing about Subunit Vaccines over the past 10 years: https://expertscape.com/ex/vaccines%2C+subunit. He is an inventor on three patents that attracted interest from the industry including Meat & Livestock Australia Ltd, Vet-Agro Sp. z o.o., Paragen Bio, and Brandon Capital. He co-developed an epimerization-free method for the synthesis of novel building blocks (isodipeptides) for solid-phase peptide synthesis; these units have been commercialised by Merck-Novabiochem. Recently, he has been actively engaged in several projects aimed at the commercialisation of veterinary vaccines (mostly targeting domestic and wild animals’ fertility control) in Australia and Italy.

He is very active in a collaborative initiative between universities, on projects to develop vaccines against Group A Streptococcus, tuberculosis, hookworm, malaria, porcine circovirus, babesia and cancer, as well as other drug delivery systems. He is an Associate Editor in Frontiers in Pharmacology, (2016 – current) and Regional Editor of Australia in Vaccines (2018 – current). In addition to grants from the ARC and NHMRC, he is also the recipient of industry-specific grants (Economic Accelerator Launch Programme 2023 and Meat & Livestock Australia Limited grant 2021). He regularly communicates with the public (locally and internationally) on issues related to vaccine development and safety. His recent publication on the oral hookworm vaccine has attracted wide media interest from all over the world (Australia, India, China, Kenya, New Zealand, Hungary, Pakistan, etc.). He is often invited to present at international conferences, and recently he organised and chaired Micro and Nanoparticles in Drug and Vaccine Delivery Symposium, Brisbane, 2021.

He has served as a primary supervisor of four PhD students (two ongoings, two theses awarded) and co-supervisor of 23 PhD students in the medicinal chemistry, biotechnology, and vaccine development fields. All his former students have successfully found jobs, many of which are in the fields of biology or chemistry, across industry and academia, in Australia and abroad. Some notable examples of current employers of his past students include Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, National University of Malaysia, The Translational Research Institute, Griffith University, Miltenyi Biotec Australia, James Cook University, Procter & Gamble, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, WuXi Biologics, and Endologix California.

Search Professor Mariusz Skwarczynski’s works on UQ eSpace

205 works between 1995 and 2025
All (205) Journal Article (172) Book Chapter (19) Conference Publication (9) Book (2) Other Outputs (3)

101 - 120 of 205 works

2017

Journal Article

Inulin: a new adjuvant with unknown mode of action

Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2017). Inulin: a new adjuvant with unknown mode of action. EBioMedicine, 15, 8-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.11.019

Inulin: a new adjuvant with unknown mode of action

2017

Journal Article

Evaluation of lipopeptides as toll-like receptor 2 ligands

Hussein, Waleed, Choi, Phil, Zhang, Cheng, Su, Mei, Sierecki, Emma, Johnston, Wayne, Fagan, Vincent, Alexandrov, Kirill, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Gambin, Yann, Toth, Istvan and Simerska, P. (2017). Evaluation of lipopeptides as toll-like receptor 2 ligands. Current Drug Delivery, 14 (7), 935-943. doi: 10.2174/1567201813666160804114107

Evaluation of lipopeptides as toll-like receptor 2 ligands

2017

Book Chapter

Micro- and Nanotechnology in Vaccine Development - Introduction

Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2017). Micro- and Nanotechnology in Vaccine Development - Introduction. Micro- and Nanotechnology in Vaccine Development . (pp. XVII-XVIII) edited by Skwarczynski, M. and Toth, I.. Kidlington, Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier Science.

Micro- and Nanotechnology in Vaccine Development - Introduction

2017

Journal Article

Meet our editorial board member

Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2017). Meet our editorial board member. Medicinal Chemistry, 13 (1), 2-2. doi: 10.2174/157340641301161222205112

Meet our editorial board member

2017

Book

Micro- and nanotechnology in vaccine development

Mariusz Skwarczynski and Istvan Toth eds. (2017). Micro- and nanotechnology in vaccine development. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier.

Micro- and nanotechnology in vaccine development

2017

Book Chapter

Liposomes as a vaccine delivery system

Marasini, N., Ghaffar, K.A., Skwarczynski, M. and Toth, I. (2017). Liposomes as a vaccine delivery system. Micro and Nanotechnology in Vaccine Development. (pp. 221-239) edited by Mariusz Skwarczynski and Istvan Toth. Kidlington, Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-323-39981-4.00012-9

Liposomes as a vaccine delivery system

2016

Journal Article

Towards the development of synthetic antibiotics: designs inspired by natural antimicrobial peptides

Azmi, Fazren, Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2016). Towards the development of synthetic antibiotics: designs inspired by natural antimicrobial peptides. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 23 (41), 4610-4624. doi: 10.2174/0929867323666160825162435

Towards the development of synthetic antibiotics: designs inspired by natural antimicrobial peptides

2016

Journal Article

Double adjuvanting strategy for peptide-based vaccines: trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles for lipopeptide delivery

Marasini, Nirmal, Giddam, Ashwini K., Khalil, Zeinab G., Hussein, Waleed M., Capon, Robert J., Batzloff, Michael R., Good, Michael F., Toth, Istvan and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2016). Double adjuvanting strategy for peptide-based vaccines: trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles for lipopeptide delivery. Nanomedicine, 11 (24), 3223-3235. doi: 10.2217/nnm-2016-0291

Double adjuvanting strategy for peptide-based vaccines: trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles for lipopeptide delivery

2016

Journal Article

Lipid core peptide/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) as a highly potent intranasal vaccine delivery system against Group A streptococcus

Marasini, Nirmal, Khalil, Zeinab G., Giddam, Ashwini K., Abdul Ghaffar, Khairunnisa, Hussein, Waleed M., Capon, Robert J., Batzloff, Michael R., Good, Michael F., Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2016). Lipid core peptide/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) as a highly potent intranasal vaccine delivery system against Group A streptococcus. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 513 (1-2), 410-420. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2016.09.057

Lipid core peptide/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) as a highly potent intranasal vaccine delivery system against Group A streptococcus

2016

Journal Article

Meet our editorial board member

Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2016). Meet our editorial board member. Current Drug Delivery, 13 (7), 1003-1003. doi: 10.2174/156720181307161018173422

Meet our editorial board member

2016

Journal Article

A semi-synthetic whole parasite vaccine designed to protect against blood stage malaria

Giddam, Ashwini Kumar, Reiman, Jennifer M., Zaman, Mehfuz, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Toth, Istvan and Good, Michael F. (2016). A semi-synthetic whole parasite vaccine designed to protect against blood stage malaria. Acta Biomaterialia, 44, 295-303. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.08.020

A semi-synthetic whole parasite vaccine designed to protect against blood stage malaria

2016

Journal Article

Multiantigenic peptide-polymer conjugates as therapeutic vaccines against cervical cancer

Hussein, Waleed M., Liu, Tzu-Yu, Jia, Zhongfan, McMillan, Nigel A. J., Monteiro, Michael J., Toth, Istvan and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2016). Multiantigenic peptide-polymer conjugates as therapeutic vaccines against cervical cancer. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 24 (18), 4372-4380. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2016.07.036

Multiantigenic peptide-polymer conjugates as therapeutic vaccines against cervical cancer

2016

Journal Article

Linear and branched polyacrylates as a delivery platform for peptide-based vaccines

Chandrudu, Saranya, Bartlett, Stacey, Khalil, Zeinab G., Jia, Zhongfan, Hussein, Waleed M., Capon, Robert J., Batzloff, Michael R., Good, Michael F., Monteiro, Michael J., Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2016). Linear and branched polyacrylates as a delivery platform for peptide-based vaccines. Therapeutic Delivery, 7 (9), 601-609. doi: 10.4155/tde-2016-0037

Linear and branched polyacrylates as a delivery platform for peptide-based vaccines

2016

Journal Article

Short cationic lipopeptides as effective antibacterial agents: design, physicochemical properties and biological evaluation

Azmi, Fazren, Elliott, Alysha G., Marasini, Nirmal, Ramu, Soumya, Ziora, Zyta, Kavanagh, Angela M., Blaskovich, Mark A. T., Cooper, Matthew A., Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2016). Short cationic lipopeptides as effective antibacterial agents: design, physicochemical properties and biological evaluation. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 24 (10), 2235-2241. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2016.03.053

Short cationic lipopeptides as effective antibacterial agents: design, physicochemical properties and biological evaluation

2016

Journal Article

Multilayer engineered nanoliposomes as a novel tool for oral delivery of lipopeptide-based vaccines against group A Streptococcus

Marasini, Nirmal, Giddam, Ashwini K., Ghaffar, Khairunnisa A., Batzloff, Michael R., Good, Michael F., Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2016). Multilayer engineered nanoliposomes as a novel tool for oral delivery of lipopeptide-based vaccines against group A Streptococcus. Nanomedicine, 11 (10), 1223-1236. doi: 10.2217/nnm.16.36

Multilayer engineered nanoliposomes as a novel tool for oral delivery of lipopeptide-based vaccines against group A Streptococcus

2016

Journal Article

Liposome-based intranasal Delivery of lipopeptide vaccine candidates against Group A Streptococcus

Ghaffar, Khairunnisa Abdul, Marasini, Nirmal, Giddam, Ashwini K., Batzloff, Michael, Good, Michael, Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2016). Liposome-based intranasal Delivery of lipopeptide vaccine candidates against Group A Streptococcus. Acta Biomaterialia, 41, 161-168. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.04.012

Liposome-based intranasal Delivery of lipopeptide vaccine candidates against Group A Streptococcus

2016

Journal Article

Peptide-based synthetic vaccines

Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2016). Peptide-based synthetic vaccines. Chemical Science, 7 (2), 842-854. doi: 10.1039/c5sc03892h

Peptide-based synthetic vaccines

2016

Journal Article

Double conjugation strategy to incorporate lipid adjuvants into multiantigenic vaccines

Hussein, Waleed M., Liu, Tzu-Yu, Maruthayanar, Pirashanthini, Mukaida, Saori, Moyle, Peter M., Wells, James W., Toth, Istvan and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2016). Double conjugation strategy to incorporate lipid adjuvants into multiantigenic vaccines. Chemical Science, 7 (3), 2308-2321. doi: 10.1039/C5SC03859F

Double conjugation strategy to incorporate lipid adjuvants into multiantigenic vaccines

2016

Journal Article

Synthesis and immunological evaluation of peptide-based vaccine candidates against malaria

Chandrudu, Saranya, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Pattinson, David, Apte, Simon H., Doolan, Denise L. and Toth, Istvan (2016). Synthesis and immunological evaluation of peptide-based vaccine candidates against malaria. Biochemical Compounds, 4 (1). doi: 10.7243/2052-9341-4-1

Synthesis and immunological evaluation of peptide-based vaccine candidates against malaria

2016

Book Chapter

The use of microwave-assisted solid-phase peptide synthesis and click chemistry for the synthesis of vaccine candidates against hookworm infection

Ahmad Fuaad, Abdullah A. H., Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2016). The use of microwave-assisted solid-phase peptide synthesis and click chemistry for the synthesis of vaccine candidates against hookworm infection. Vaccine design: methods and protocols: volume 1: vaccines for human diseases. (pp. 639-653) edited by Thomas, Sunil. New York, NY United States: Springer New York. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3387-7_36

The use of microwave-assisted solid-phase peptide synthesis and click chemistry for the synthesis of vaccine candidates against hookworm infection

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2027
    A nanovaccine against Invasive Group A Streptococcus and Rheumatic Heart Disease
    NHMRC IDEAS Grants
    Open grant
  • 2024 - 2027
    Paving the way for a Clinical Vaccine Candidate against Hookworm Infection
    NHMRC IDEAS Grants
    Open grant
  • 2024 - 2025
    Single-shot anti-fertility vaccine in pigs
    Australia's Economic Accelerator Seed Grants
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2021 - 2024
    Poly(amino acids) as immune stimulators
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2025
    A single-shot anti-fertility vaccine in female cattle
    Meat & Livestock Australia
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2021
    Hookworm peptide therapeutic for oral treatment of IBD (NHMRC Development Grant administered by James Cook University)
    James Cook University
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2014
    A Self-assembling and Self-adjuvanting Nanoparticular Therapeutic Vaccine Against Cervical Cancer
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant

Availability

Associate Professor Mariusz Skwarczynski is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    L-Rhamnose-based nanovaccine derived from poly-rhamnose backbone of Group A Carbohydrate (GAC) against Invasive Group A Streptococcus and Rheumatic Heart Disease

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Polymers and peptides for vaccine delivery.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Development of silver nanoparticles as novel adjuvants in vaccine

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Poly(hydrophobic amino acids) as immune stimulators.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Poly(hydrophobic amino acids) as immune stimulators.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Hookworm vaccine: vaccine development toward clinical trials

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Polymers and peptides for vaccine delivery.

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Poly(hydrophobic amino acids) as immune stimulators.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Development of poly(hydrophobic amino acids)-based immunopotentiators for subunit vaccines against infectious diseases

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jazmina Gonzalez Cruz

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Novel Vaccine Designs of Adjuvants and Delivery Systems against Infectious Diseases

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth, Dr Rachel Stephenson

  • Doctor Philosophy

    A nanovaccine against Invasive Group A Streptococcus and Rheumatic Heart Disease

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Rachel Stephenson, Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Delivery systems for novel vaccine candidates against infectious diseases

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jazmina Gonzalez Cruz

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Development of poly(hydrophobic amino acids)-based immunopotentiators for subunit vaccines against infectious diseases

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jazmina Gonzalez Cruz

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Associate Professor Mariusz Skwarczynski directly for media enquiries about:

  • fertility control
  • group A streptococcus
  • hookworm
  • immune adjuvants
  • nanovaccines
  • peptide vaccines

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