Overview
Background
Dr Chris McMillan is a virologist and vaccinologist whose work focuses on innovative vaccine platforms and advanced delivery technologies. His research spans several pathogens of global health importance, including seasonal and pandemic influenza, flaviviruses, poliovirus, SARS-CoV-2, and emerging viral threats. He works across multiple vaccine modalities, from recombinant proteins and virus-like particles to DNA, mRNA, and self-amplifying RNA platforms.
A major research focus is improving vaccine performance through targeted skin delivery using microarray patches (MAPs) to access immune-rich epidermal and dermal layers. By applying spatial transcriptomics and other tissue-scale profiling tools, we aim to map how MAP vaccines interact with the skin and draining lymph nodes in vivo to inform next-generation vaccine design.
He is also focusing on new RNA technologies, including self-amplifying RNA systems for both vaccine and therapeutic applications. This work integrates virology, RNA engineering, and spatial immunology to better understand and enhance immune responses at the tissue level.
Availability
- Dr Chris McMillan is:
- Available for supervision
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science, The University of Queensland
- Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Works
Search Professor Chris McMillan’s works on UQ eSpace
2021
Journal Article
Developing a stabilizing formulation of a live chimeric dengue virus vaccine dry coated on a high-density microarray patch
Choo, Jovin J. Y., McMillan, Christopher L. D., Fernando, Germain J. P., Hall, Roy A., Young, Paul R., Hobson-Peters, Jody and Muller, David A. (2021). Developing a stabilizing formulation of a live chimeric dengue virus vaccine dry coated on a high-density microarray patch. Vaccines, 9 (11) 1301, 1301. doi: 10.3390/vaccines9111301
2021
Journal Article
Development of molecular clamp stabilized hemagglutinin vaccines for Influenza A viruses
McMillan, Christopher L. D., Cheung, Stacey T. M., Modhiran, Naphak, Barnes, James, Amarilla, Alberto A., Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Helle, Lee, Leo Yi Yang, Guilfoyle, Kate, van Amerongen, Geert, Stittelaar, Koert, Jakob, Virginie, Lebas, Celia, Reading, Patrick, Short, Kirsty R., Young, Paul R., Watterson, Daniel and Chappell, Keith J. (2021). Development of molecular clamp stabilized hemagglutinin vaccines for Influenza A viruses. npj Vaccines, 6 (1) 135, 135. doi: 10.1038/s41541-021-00395-4
2021
Journal Article
Complete protection by a single-dose skin patch–delivered SARS-CoV-2 spike vaccine
McMillan, Christopher L. D., Choo, Jovin J. Y., Idris, Adi, Supramaniam, Aroon, Modhiran, Naphak, Amarilla, Alberto A., Isaacs, Ariel, Cheung, Stacey T. M., Liang, Benjamin, Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Helle, Azuar, Armira, Acharya, Dhruba, Kelly, Gabrielle, Fernando, Germain J. P., Landsberg, Michael J., Khromykh, Alexander A., Watterson, Daniel, Young, Paul R., McMillan, Nigel A. J. and Muller, David A. (2021). Complete protection by a single-dose skin patch–delivered SARS-CoV-2 spike vaccine. Science Advances, 7 (44) eabj8065, eabj8065. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abj8065
2021
Journal Article
A versatile reverse genetics platform for SARS-CoV-2 and other positive-strand RNA viruses
Amarilla, Alberto A., Sng, Julian D. J., Parry, Rhys, Deerain, Joshua M., Potter, James R., Setoh, Yin Xiang, Rawle, Daniel J., Le, Thuy T., Modhiran, Naphak, Wang, Xiaohui, Peng, Nias Y. G., Torres, Francisco J., Pyke, Alyssa, Harrison, Jessica J., Freney, Morgan E., Liang, Benjamin, McMillan, Christopher L. D., Cheung, Stacey T. M., Guevara, Darwin J Da Costa, Hardy, Joshua M., Bettington, Mark, Muller, David A., Coulibaly, Fasséli, Moore, Frederick, Hall, Roy A., Young, Paul R., Mackenzie, Jason M., Hobson-Peters, Jody, Suhrbier, Andreas ... Khromykh, Alexander A. (2021). A versatile reverse genetics platform for SARS-CoV-2 and other positive-strand RNA viruses. Nature Communications, 12 (1) 3431, 3431. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-23779-5
2021
Journal Article
A chimeric dengue virus vaccine candidate delivered by high density microarray patches protects against infection in mice
Choo, Jovin J. Y., Vet, Laura J., McMillan, Christopher L. D., Harrison, Jessica J., Scott, Connor A. P., Depelsenaire, Alexandra C. I., Fernando, Germain J. P., Watterson, Daniel, Hall, Roy A., Young, Paul R., Hobson-Peters, Jody and Muller, David A. (2021). A chimeric dengue virus vaccine candidate delivered by high density microarray patches protects against infection in mice. npj Vaccines, 6 (1) 66, 66. doi: 10.1038/s41541-021-00328-1
2021
Journal Article
Preclinical development of a molecular clamp-stabilised subunit vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Watterson, Daniel, Wijesundara, Danushka K., Modhiran, Naphak, Mordant, Francesca L., Li, Zheyi, Avumegah, Michael S., McMillan, Christopher L. D., Lackenby, Julia, Guilfoyle, Kate, van Amerongen, Geert, Stittelaar, Koert, Cheung, Stacey T. M., Bibby, Summa, Daleris, Mallory, Hoger, Kym, Gillard, Marianne, Radunz, Eve, Jones, Martina L., Hughes, Karen, Hughes, Ben, Goh, Justin, Edwards, David, Scoble, Judith, Pearce, Lesley, Kowalczyk, Lukasz, Phan, Tram, La, Mylinh, Lu, Louis, Pham, Tam ... Chappell, Keith J. (2021). Preclinical development of a molecular clamp-stabilised subunit vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Clinical & Translational Immunology, 10 (4) e1269, e1269. doi: 10.1002/cti2.1269
2021
Journal Article
An optimized high-throughput immuno-plaque assay for SARS-CoV-2
Amarilla, Alberto A., Modhiran, Naphak, Setoh, Yin Xiang, Peng, Nias Y. G., Sng, Julian D. J., Liang, Benjamin, McMillan, Christopher L. D., Freney, Morgan E, Cheung, Stacey T. M., Chappell, Keith J., Khromykh, Alexander A., Young, Paul R. and Watterson, Daniel (2021). An optimized high-throughput immuno-plaque assay for SARS-CoV-2. Frontiers in Microbiology, 12 625136, 625136. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.625136
2021
Journal Article
Adjuvant selection for influenza and RSV prefusion subunit vaccines
Isaacs, Ariel, Li, Zheyi, Cheung, Stacey T. M., Wijesundara, Danushka K., McMillan, Christopher L. D., Modhiran, Naphak, Young, Paul R., Ranasinghe, Charani, Watterson, Daniel and Chappell, Keith J. (2021). Adjuvant selection for influenza and RSV prefusion subunit vaccines. Vaccines, 9 (2) 71, 1-14. doi: 10.3390/vaccines9020071
2021
Journal Article
A SARS-CoV-2 targeted siRNA-nanoparticle therapy for COVID-19
Idris, Adi, Davis, Alicia, Supramaniam, Aroon, Acharya, Dhruba, Kelly, Gabrielle, Tayyar, Yaman, West, Nic, Zhang, Ping, McMillan, Christopher L.D., Soemardy, Citradewi, Ray, Roslyn, O'Meally, Denis, Scott, Tristan A., McMillan, Nigel A.J. and Morris, Kevin V. (2021). A SARS-CoV-2 targeted siRNA-nanoparticle therapy for COVID-19. Molecular Therapy, 29 (7), 2219-2226. doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.05.004
2021
Journal Article
The next generation of influenza vaccines: towards a universal solution
McMillan, Christopher L. D., Young, Paul R., Watterson, Daniel and Chappell, Keith J. (2021). The next generation of influenza vaccines: towards a universal solution. Vaccines, 9 (1) 26, 1-20. doi: 10.3390/vaccines9010026
2020
Journal Article
A novel purification procedure for active recombinant human DPP4 and the inability of DPP4 to bind SARS-CoV-2
Xi, Cecy R., Di Fazio, Arianna, Nadvi, Naveed Ahmed, Patel, Karishma, Xiang, Michelle Sui Wen, Zhang, Hui Emma, Deshpande, Chandrika, Low, Jason K K, Wang, Xiaonan Trixie, Chen, Yiqian, McMillan, Christopher L. D., Isaacs, Ariel, Osborne, Brenna, Vieira de Ribeiro, Ana Júlia, McCaughan, Geoffrey W., Mackay, Joel P., Church, W Bret and Gorrell, Mark D. (2020). A novel purification procedure for active recombinant human DPP4 and the inability of DPP4 to bind SARS-CoV-2. Molecules , 25 (22) 5392, 1-16. doi: 10.3390/molecules25225392
2019
Other Outputs
Rational design of a recombinant subunit influenza vaccine
McMillan, Christopher (2019). Rational design of a recombinant subunit influenza vaccine. PhD Thesis, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2019.923
2019
Journal Article
Basimarols A, B, and C, Highly Oxygenated Pimarane Diterpenoids from Basilicum polystachyon
Tan, Yuen P., Xue, Yongbo, Savchenko, Andrei I., Houston, Sevan D., Modhiran, Naphak, McMillan, Christopher L. D., Boyle, Glen M., Bernhardt, Paul V., Young, Paul R., Watterson, Daniel and Williams, Craig M. (2019). Basimarols A, B, and C, Highly Oxygenated Pimarane Diterpenoids from Basilicum polystachyon. Journal of Natural Products, 82 (10) acs.jnatprod.9b00522, 2828-2834. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.9b00522
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Chris McMillan is:
- Available for supervision
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Media
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