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
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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
2015
Journal Article
Self-assembling lipopeptides with a potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria, including multidrug resistant strains
Azmi, Fazren, Elliott, Alysha G., Khalil, Zeinab G., Hussein, Waleed M., Kavanagh, Angela, Huang, Johnny X., Quezada, Michelle, Blaskovich, Mark A. T., Capon, Robert J., Cooper, Matthew A., Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2015). Self-assembling lipopeptides with a potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria, including multidrug resistant strains. Nanomedicine, 10 (22), 3359-3371. doi: 10.2217/nnm.15.137
2014
Journal Article
Group A Streptococcal vaccine candidate: contribution of epitope to size, antigen presenting cell interaction and immunogenicity
Zaman, Mehfuz, Chandrudu, Saranya, Giddam, Ashwini K., Reiman, Jennifer, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, McPhun, Virginia, Moyle, Peter M., Batzloff, Michael R., Good, Michael F. and Toth, Istvan (2014). Group A Streptococcal vaccine candidate: contribution of epitope to size, antigen presenting cell interaction and immunogenicity. Nanomedicine, 9 (17), 2613-2624. doi: 10.2217/NNM.14.190
2014
Journal Article
Recent advances in peptide-based subunit nanovaccines
Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2014). Recent advances in peptide-based subunit nanovaccines. Nanomedicine, 9 (17), 2657-2669. doi: 10.2217/nnm.14.187
2014
Journal Article
Self-adjuvanting vaccine against group A streptococcus: application of fibrillized peptide and immunostimulatory lipid as adjuvant
Azmi, Fazren, Ahmad Fuaad, Abdullah Al Hadi, Giddam, Ashwini Kumar, Batzloff, Michael R., Good, Michael F., Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2014). Self-adjuvanting vaccine against group A streptococcus: application of fibrillized peptide and immunostimulatory lipid as adjuvant. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 22 (22), 6401-6408. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2014.09.042
2014
Journal Article
Oral delivery of nanoparticle-based vaccines
Marasini, Nirmal, Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2014). Oral delivery of nanoparticle-based vaccines. Expert Review of Vaccines, Early Online (11), 1361-1376. doi: 10.1586/14760584.2014.936852
2014
Journal Article
Liposomes as Nanovaccine Delivery Systems
Ghaffar, Khairunnisa Abdul, Giddam, Ashwini Kumar, Zaman, Mehfuz, Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2014). Liposomes as Nanovaccine Delivery Systems. Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, 14 (9), 1194-1208. doi: 10.2174/1568026614666140329232757
2014
Journal Article
Toll-like receptor agonists: a patent review (2011 - 2013)
Hussein, Waleed M., Liu, Tzu-Yu, Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2014). Toll-like receptor agonists: a patent review (2011 - 2013). Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents, 24 (4), 453-470. doi: 10.1517/13543776.2014.880691
2014
Journal Article
Recent progress in adjuvant discovery for peptide-based subunit vaccines
Azmi, Fazren, Fuaad, Abdullah Al Hadi Ahmad, Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2014). Recent progress in adjuvant discovery for peptide-based subunit vaccines. Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, 10 (3), 778-796. doi: 10.4161/hv.27332
2014
Conference Publication
Synthesis of therapeutic vaccine against cervical cancer
Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Liu, Tzu-Yu, Hussein, Waleed M., Jia, Zhongfan, Ziora, Zyta M., McMillan, Nigel A. J., Monteiro, Michael J. and Toth, Istvan (2014). Synthesis of therapeutic vaccine against cervical cancer. 4th Asia-Pacific International Peptide Symposium in conjunction with 50th Japanese Peptide Symposium, Osaka, Japan, 6-8 November 2013. Osaka, Japan: Japanese Peptide Society.
2014
Journal Article
Self-assembled peptide-polymer conjugates as vaccines
Liu, Tzu-Yu, Fuaad, Abdullah Al-Hadi Ahmad, Toth, Istvan and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2014). Self-assembled peptide-polymer conjugates as vaccines. Chimica Oggi - Chemistry Today, 32 (2 (Supplement)), 18-22.
2014
Journal Article
Polymer–peptide hybrids as a highly immunogenic single-dose nanovaccine
Ahmad Fuaad, Abdullah A. H., Jia, Zhongfan, Hartas, Jon, Ziora, Zyta M., Lin, I-Chun, Moyle, Peter M., Batzloff, Michael R., Good, Michael F., Monteiro, Michael J., Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2014). Polymer–peptide hybrids as a highly immunogenic single-dose nanovaccine. Nanomedicine, 9 (1), 35-43. doi: 10.2217/NNM.13.7
2014
Journal Article
Lipid core peptide targeting the cathepsin D hemoglobinase of Schistosoma mansoni as a component of a schistosomiasis vaccine
Dougall, Annette M., Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Khoshnejad, Makan, Chandrudu, Saranya, Daly, Norelle L., Toth, Istvan and Loukas, Alex (2014). Lipid core peptide targeting the cathepsin D hemoglobinase of Schistosoma mansoni as a component of a schistosomiasis vaccine. Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, 10 (2), 399-409. doi: 10.4161/hv.27057
2014
Journal Article
The immune system likes nanotechnology
Toth, Istvan and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2014). The immune system likes nanotechnology. Nanomedicine, 9 (17), 2607-2609. doi: 10.2217/nnm.14.199
2013
Journal Article
Feherje alapu vedooltasok nanotechnologiaval
Toth, Istvan, Zaman, Mehfuz and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2013). Feherje alapu vedooltasok nanotechnologiaval. Termézet Világa, 144 (11), 504-508.
2013
Journal Article
Self-adjuvanting polymer-peptide conjugates as therapeutic vaccine candidates against cervical cancer
Liu, Tzu-Yu, Hussein, Waleed M., Jia, Zhongfan, Ziora, Zyta M., McMillan, Nigel A. J., Monteiro, Michael J., Toth, Istvan and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2013). Self-adjuvanting polymer-peptide conjugates as therapeutic vaccine candidates against cervical cancer. Biomacromolecules, 14 (8), 2798-2806. doi: 10.1021/bm400626w
2013
Journal Article
pH-Triggered peptide self-assembly into fibrils: a potential peptide-based subunit vaccine delivery platform
Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Kowapradit, Jariya, Ziora, Zyta Maria and Toth, Istvan (2013). pH-Triggered peptide self-assembly into fibrils: a potential peptide-based subunit vaccine delivery platform. Biochemical Compounds, 1. doi: 10.7243/2052-9341-1-2
2013
Journal Article
M-protein-derived conformational peptide epitope vaccine candidate against Group A Streptococcus
Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Kamaruzaman, Khairul A., Srinivasan, Saranya, Zaman, Mehfuz, Lin, I-Chun, Batzloff, Michael R., Good, Michael F. and Toth, Istvan (2013). M-protein-derived conformational peptide epitope vaccine candidate against Group A Streptococcus. Current Drug Delivery, 10 (1), 39-45. doi: 10.2174/1567201811310010007
2013
Journal Article
Liposome-based delivery system for vaccine candidates: constructing an effective formulation (vol 7, pg 1877, 2012)
Giddam, Ashwini Kumar, Zaman, Mehfuz, Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2013). Liposome-based delivery system for vaccine candidates: constructing an effective formulation (vol 7, pg 1877, 2012). Nanomedicine, 8 (2), 312-312. doi: 10.2217/nnm.13.0
2013
Book Chapter
Lipo-peptides/saccharides in peptide vaccine delivery
Skwarczynskim, Mariusz, Zaman, Mehfuz and Toth, Istvan (2013). Lipo-peptides/saccharides in peptide vaccine delivery. Handbook of biologically active peptides. (pp. 571-579) edited by Abba J. Kastin. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Academic Press/Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-385095-9.00078-6
2013
Journal Article
Microwave-assisted synthesis of difficult sequence-containing peptides using the isopeptide method
Hussein, Waleed M., Liu, Tzu-Yu, Toth, Istvan and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2013). Microwave-assisted synthesis of difficult sequence-containing peptides using the isopeptide method. Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 11 (14), 2370-2376. doi: 10.1039/c3ob00030c
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
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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.
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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
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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
A Nanovaccine against Invasive Group A Streptococcus and Rheumatic Heart Disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: 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
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2026
Doctor Philosophy
Development of mannose receptor ligands as novel immune adjuvants
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Development of silver nanoparticles as novel adjuvants in vaccine
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Istvan Toth
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
Therapeutic and Preventive Potential of Synthetic Lipopeptides against Bacterial Infections
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
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
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