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), 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

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 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).

Search Professor Mariusz Skwarczynski’s works on UQ eSpace

212 works between 1995 and 2026
All (212) Book (3) Journal Article (178) Other Outputs (2) Conference Publication (9) Book Chapter (20)

181 - 200 of 212 works

2010

Journal Article

Thymine, adenine and lipoamino acid based gene delivery systems

Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Ziora, Zyta M., Coles, Daniel J., Lin, I-Chun and Toth, Istvan (2010). Thymine, adenine and lipoamino acid based gene delivery systems. Chemical Communications, 46 (18), 3140-3142. doi: 10.1039/b924371b

Thymine, adenine and lipoamino acid based gene delivery systems

2010

Book Chapter

Toll-like receptor 2 mediated dendritic cell activation: Key target for lipopeptide vaccines design

Zaman, Mehfuz, Skwarczynski, Marius and Toth, Istvan (2010). Toll-like receptor 2 mediated dendritic cell activation: Key target for lipopeptide vaccines design. Dendritic Cells: Types, Life Cycles and Biological Functions. (pp. 63-80) edited by Lorraine C. Welles. New York, NY, U.S.A.: Nova Science Publishers.

Toll-like receptor 2 mediated dendritic cell activation: Key target for lipopeptide vaccines design

2009

Journal Article

Development of conformational mimetics of conserved Streptococcus pyogenes minimal epitope as vaccine candidates

Zhong, Wei, Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2009). Development of conformational mimetics of conserved Streptococcus pyogenes minimal epitope as vaccine candidates. Current Drug Delivery, 6 (5), 520-527. doi: 10.2174/156720109789941650

Development of conformational mimetics of conserved Streptococcus pyogenes minimal epitope as vaccine candidates

2009

Journal Article

Development of highly pure alpha-helical lipoglycopeptides as self-adjuvanting vaccines

Zhong, Wei, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Simerska, Pavla, Good, Michael F. and Toth, Istvan (2009). Development of highly pure alpha-helical lipoglycopeptides as self-adjuvanting vaccines. Tetrahedron, 65 (17), 3459-3464. doi: 10.1016/j.tet.2009.02.060

Development of highly pure alpha-helical lipoglycopeptides as self-adjuvanting vaccines

2009

Journal Article

Application of intramolecular migration reaction in peptide chemistry to chemical biology, chemical pharmaceutics and medicinal chemistry

Hayashi, Yoshio, Yamazaki, Yuri, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Sohma, Youhei, Taniguchi, Atsuhiko, Noguchi, Mayo, Kimura, Tooru, Neuteboom, Saskia, Potts, Barbara, Lloyd, G. Kenneth and Kiso, Yoshiaki (2009). Application of intramolecular migration reaction in peptide chemistry to chemical biology, chemical pharmaceutics and medicinal chemistry. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 611, 513-514. doi: 10.1007/978-0-387-73657-0_223

Application of intramolecular migration reaction in peptide chemistry to chemical biology, chemical pharmaceutics and medicinal chemistry

2009

Journal Article

Design and synthesis of lipopeptide-carbohydrate assembled multivalent vaccine candidates using native chemical ligation

Zhong, Wei, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Fujita, Yoshio, Simerska, Pavla, Good, Michael F. and Toth, Istvan (2009). Design and synthesis of lipopeptide-carbohydrate assembled multivalent vaccine candidates using native chemical ligation. Australian Journal of Chemistry, 62 (9), 993-999. doi: 10.1071/CH09065

Design and synthesis of lipopeptide-carbohydrate assembled multivalent vaccine candidates using native chemical ligation

2009

Journal Article

Lipid core peptide system for gene, drug, and vaccine delivery

Zhong, Wei, Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2009). Lipid core peptide system for gene, drug, and vaccine delivery. Australian Journal of Chemistry, 62 (9), 956-967. doi: 10.1071/CH09149

Lipid core peptide system for gene, drug, and vaccine delivery

2009

Journal Article

Click peptide by use of the O-acyl isopeptide method: Production of Amyloid Beta peptide from water-soluble analogue

Taniguchi, Atsuhiko, Sohma, Youhei, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Okada, Takuma, Ikeda, Keisuke, Prakash, Halan, Mukai, Hidehito, Kimura, Tooru, Hayashi, Yoshio, Hirota, Shun, Matsuzaki, Katsumi and Kiso, Yoshiaki (2009). Click peptide by use of the O-acyl isopeptide method: Production of Amyloid Beta peptide from water-soluble analogue. Peptide Science, 397-400.

Click peptide by use of the O-acyl isopeptide method: Production of Amyloid Beta peptide from water-soluble analogue

2008

Journal Article

Controlled production of amyloid beta peptide from a photo-triggered, water-soluble precursor "click peptide"

Taniguchi, Atsuhiko, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Sohma, Youhei, Okada, Takuma, Ikeda, Keisuke, Prakash, Halan, Mukai, Hidehito, Hayashi, Yoshio, Kimura, Tooru, Hirota, Shun, Matsuzaki, Katsumi and Kiso, Yoshiaki (2008). Controlled production of amyloid beta peptide from a photo-triggered, water-soluble precursor "click peptide". ChemBioChem, 9 (18), 3055-3065. doi: 10.1002/cbic.200800503

Controlled production of amyloid beta peptide from a photo-triggered, water-soluble precursor "click peptide"

2008

Journal Article

Development of novel water-soluble photocleavable protective group and its application for design of photoresponsive paclitaxel prodrugs

Noguchi, Mayo, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Prakash, Halan, Hirota, Shun, Kimura, Tooru, Hayashi, Yoshio and Kiso, Yoshiaki (2008). Development of novel water-soluble photocleavable protective group and its application for design of photoresponsive paclitaxel prodrugs. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 16 (10), 5389-5397. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2008.04.022

Development of novel water-soluble photocleavable protective group and its application for design of photoresponsive paclitaxel prodrugs

2007

Journal Article

Application of the O-N intramolecular acyl migration reaction in medicinal chemistry

Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Kiso, Yoshiaki (2007). Application of the O-N intramolecular acyl migration reaction in medicinal chemistry. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 14 (26), 2813-2823. doi: 10.2174/092986707782360123

Application of the O-N intramolecular acyl migration reaction in medicinal chemistry

2007

Journal Article

The synthesis of bioactive peptides based on O-Acyl Isopeptide Method: Application of O-acyl isodipeptide units

Abe, Naoko, Fukao, Fukue, Hayashi, Yoshio, Ito, Nui, Kimura, Tooru, Kiso, Yoshiaki, Nakamura, Setsuko, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Sohma, Youhei, Taniguchi, Atsuhiko and Yoshiya, Taku (2007). The synthesis of bioactive peptides based on O-Acyl Isopeptide Method: Application of O-acyl isodipeptide units. Peptide Science: Proceedings of the Japanese Peptide Symposium, 44, 187-190.

The synthesis of bioactive peptides based on O-Acyl Isopeptide Method: Application of O-acyl isodipeptide units

2007

Journal Article

"O-acyl isopeptide method" for peptide synthesis: Synthesis of forty kinds of "O-acyl isodipeptide unit" Boc-Ser/Thr(Fmoc-Xaa)-OH

Yoshiya, Taku, Taniguchi, Atsuhiko, Sohma, Youhei, Fukao, Fukue, Nakamura, Setsuko, Abe, Naoko, Ito, Nui, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Kimura, Tooru, Hayashi, Yoshio and Kiso, Yoshiaki (2007). "O-acyl isopeptide method" for peptide synthesis: Synthesis of forty kinds of "O-acyl isodipeptide unit" Boc-Ser/Thr(Fmoc-Xaa)-OH. Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 5 (11), 1720-1730. doi: 10.1039/b702284k

"O-acyl isopeptide method" for peptide synthesis: Synthesis of forty kinds of "O-acyl isodipeptide unit" Boc-Ser/Thr(Fmoc-Xaa)-OH

2007

Conference Publication

Development of new photoresponsive paclitaxel prodrug

Noguchi, Mayo, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Prakash, Halan, Hirota, Shun, Kimura, Tooru, Hayashi, Yoshio and Kiso, Yoshiaki (2007). Development of new photoresponsive paclitaxel prodrug. 第４４回 ペプチド討論会 (44th Japanese Peptide Symposium), Toyama, Toyama Prefecture, Japan, 7-9 November 2007. Osaka, Japan: Protein Research Foundation.

Development of new photoresponsive paclitaxel prodrug

2007

Conference Publication

Synthesis of a Novel Water-Soluble Paclitaxel Prodrug, Arginine-Isotaxel, and its Physicochemical and Caco-2 Transport Properties

Suehisa, Y., Noguchi, M., Skwarczynski, M., Yamamoto, A., Kiso, Y., Hayashi, Y. and Fujita, T. (2007). Synthesis of a Novel Water-Soluble Paclitaxel Prodrug, Arginine-Isotaxel, and its Physicochemical and Caco-2 Transport Properties. 8th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Study of Xenobiotics, Sendai, Japan, 9-12 October 2007. PHILADELPHIA: Informa Healthcare.

Synthesis of a Novel Water-Soluble Paclitaxel Prodrug, Arginine-Isotaxel, and its Physicochemical and Caco-2 Transport Properties

2006

Journal Article

Paclitaxel prodrugs: Toward smarter delivery of anticancer agents

Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Hayashi, Yoshio and Kiso, Yoshiaki (2006). Paclitaxel prodrugs: Toward smarter delivery of anticancer agents. J. Med. Chem., 49 (25), 7253-7269. doi: 10.1021/jm0602155

Paclitaxel prodrugs: Toward smarter delivery of anticancer agents

2006

Journal Article

'Click peptide': A novel 'O-acyl isopeptide method' for peptide synthesis and chemical biology-oriented synthesis of amyloid beta peptide analogues

Sohma, Youhei, Taniguchi, Atsuhiko, Yoshiya, Taku, Chiyomori, Yousuke, Fukao, Fukue, Nakamura, Setsuko, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Okada, Takuma, Ikeda, Keisuke, Hayashi, Yoshio, Kimura, Tooru, Hirota, Shun, Matsuzaki, Katsumi and Kiso, Yoshiaki (2006). 'Click peptide': A novel 'O-acyl isopeptide method' for peptide synthesis and chemical biology-oriented synthesis of amyloid beta peptide analogues. Journal of Peptide Science, 12 (12), 823-828. doi: 10.1002/psc.817

'Click peptide': A novel 'O-acyl isopeptide method' for peptide synthesis and chemical biology-oriented synthesis of amyloid beta peptide analogues

2006

Journal Article

Application of intramolecular carbonate-carbamate migration

Skwarczynski, M., Noguchi, M., Sohma, Y., Kimura, T., Hayashi, Y. and Kiso, Y. (2006). Application of intramolecular carbonate-carbamate migration. Chimica Oggi, 24 (6), 30-32.

Application of intramolecular carbonate-carbamate migration

2006

Journal Article

Development of first photoresponsive prodrug of paclitaxel

Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Noguchi, Mayo, Hirota. Shun, Sohma, Youhei, Kimura, Tooru, Hayashi, Yoshio and Kiso, Yoshiaki (2006). Development of first photoresponsive prodrug of paclitaxel. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 16 (17), 4492-4496. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2006.06.030

Development of first photoresponsive prodrug of paclitaxel

2006

Journal Article

'O-Acyl isopeptide method' for the efficient synthesis of difficult sequence-containing peptides: Use of 'O-acyl isodipeptide unit'

Sohma, Youhei, Taniguchi, Atsuhiko, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Yoshiya, Taku, Fukao, Fukue, Kimura, Tooru, Hayashi, Yoshio and Kiso, Yoshiaki (2006). 'O-Acyl isopeptide method' for the efficient synthesis of difficult sequence-containing peptides: Use of 'O-acyl isodipeptide unit'. Tetrahedron Letters, 47 (18), 3013-3017. doi: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.03.017

'O-Acyl isopeptide method' for the efficient synthesis of difficult sequence-containing peptides: Use of 'O-acyl isodipeptide unit'

Current funding

  • 2026 - 2030
    Oral anti-fertility vaccine for population control of invasive rabbits
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 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

Past funding

  • 2024 - 2025
    Single-shot anti-fertility vaccine in pigs
    Australia's Economic Accelerator Seed Grants
    Open grant
  • 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

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

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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