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The Vukovic laboratory investigates how brain function is sculpted and influenced by the immune system. Specifically, we examine the role of brain’s main resident immune cell population (i.e. microglia), as well as various peripheral immune cells, on learning and memory in mice. We are interested in defining the contribution of immune cells to such higher cognitive tasks, including for neuroinflammatory conditions where learning and memory deficits can occur, e.g. following traumatic brain injury, cancer treatment, and ageing. We have established an array of genetic and pharmacological tools alongside robust behavioural assays to directly probe the function of these immune cells in both the healthy and diseased brain. The ultimate goal of our work is to link cellular and molecular events to altered behaviour, and to harness the brain’s intrinsic regenerative potential for stimulating optimal cognitive function.

A neuroimmunologist, Dr Vukovic received her PhD in 2008 from The University of Western Australia after working on the repair of injured nerve cell connections. She joined QBI in 2009 to work in Professor Perry Bartlett’s laboratory as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, before being awarded a Queensland Government Smart Futures Fellowship to continue her research into the importance of adult neurogenesis for behaviour and how microglia influence this process in ageing. Dr Vukovic demonstrated that microglia can exert a dual and opposing influence over adult neurogenesis (the birth of new neurons) in the hippocampus under different physiological conditions, namely exercise and ageing, and that signalling through the chemokine receptor, CX3CR1, critically contributes towards this (Vukovic et al., 2012, J Neurosci). Dr Vukovic also generated novel evidence that ongoing neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus is critical for new learning but does not play a role in memory recall (Vukovic et al., 2013, J Neurosci).

Dr Vukovic was awarded an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (2015-2018) and was jointly appointed as a group leader by the UQ School of Biomedical Sciences (SBMS) and QBI in 2015. She heads the Neuroimmunology and Cognition team investigating the interactions between the brain and the immune system in health and disease.

Currently, the group is working on three main projects:

1. Identification of microglia-derived molecules that support neuronal survival and stimulate neural stem/progenitor cell expansion
2. Characterisation of immune cell contribution to changes in neuronal connectivity
3. Immune cell responses to cancer treatment, and their effect on learning and memory

Dr Ran Wang graduated with her PhD in 2015, and after undertaking a postdoc position in Scripps Research, USA returned to Australia in 2017. She is now a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher supported by the prestigious Bushell Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from the Gastroenterology Society of Australia. Dr Wang is interested to understand the nature of inflammation in gut and lung and investigate the local and systemic impacts of chronic gut inflammation. In addition to a growing track-record in the mucosal immunology field, she is also building an inter-disciplinary research profile in material science and nanotechnology for drug delivery and immune modulation. She is the Associate Editor of Frontier of Cellular and Infection Microbiology Journal since 2018.

Dr Yanan Wang is a Postdoc at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland. She obtained her PhD degree from Ocean University of China and joined AIBN in early 2026.

Dr Wang’s research focuses on the development of stimulus-responsive and targeted drug delivery systems for the treatment of acute organ injuries and inflammatory diseases. In addition, her current work also aims to develop engineering multifunctional nanomedicine for cancer immunotherapy, with particular interests in innate immune modulation, dendritic cell-mediated antitumour immunity, and the tumour immunosuppressive microenvironment reprogramming for enhancing cancer treatment.

Dr Wang has published 23 papers in international top refereed journals such as ACS Nano, Advanced science, Biomaterials, Chemical Engineering Journal, and so on.

Dr Woodruff is a Professor of Pharmacology who leads a research team aiming to find new therapeutic treatments for neurodegenerative disorders. Current therapies for these diseases are vastly inadequate, and so new research is needed to identify novel targets to slow or halt their progression. Prof Woodruff’s specific research revolves around the innate immune system in the brain, and the role of neuroinflammation in propagating disease. A key focus of his current work is testing new drugs developed at the University of Queensland in models of motor neuron disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), Huntington’s disease, and Parkinson's disease, as well as maintaining an active interest in acute inflammatory disorders including sepsis and ischemia-reperfusion injuries. Using a series of potent and orally active complement C5a and NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors developed at UQ, Prof Woodruff's team has demonstrated the therapeutic potential of targeting innate immune-mediated neuroinflammation to reduce neuronal cell death in animal models of these neurodegenerative diseases. His team has recently shown that in addition to their roles in neurodegeneration, innate immune factors also play essential roles in stem and neuronal cell development during embryogenesis, revealing the widespread physiological and pathological roles of this evolutionarily ancient immune system.

Dr. Ayaho Yamamoto is the Group Leader of Laboratory Science at the Children's Health and Environmental Program and is a research fellow in the field of Biomedical Science. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanistic links between environmental exposures and adverse respiratory outcomes. In particular, she focuses on the cellular responses following air pollution exposure and/or viral infection on human respiratory epithelium, and the age differences in immune defence mechanisms. Investigate on early intervention strategies with dietary antioxidants to improve respiratory health and reduce the risk of long-term chronic diseases.

Dr. Yamamoto has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health and Public Health; her research focused on childhood asthma. She has a Master of Science in Biomedical Science and Pharmacology; the research focus was to understand the mechanisms and to test new drugs for osteoporosis and chondrosarcomas metastasis. She has worked in a Uni-based start-up company for drug development.

Dr Jun Yan is a molecular biologist, currently working in the field of neurological diseases. Dr Yan's research interest is cell signal transduction pathways invoved in mechanisms of the disease development.

Dr Jun Yan completed her postgraduate study at The University of Queensland, after which she undertook a postdoctoral position in Experimental Oncology laboratory in Department of Patholody, UQ and worked on Ras / Raf signalling pathway. In 2001 she joined the Neuroimmunology Research group in Department of Medicine, UQ, and works on neurological diseases, including autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS), ischaemic stroke and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) . She has been investigating NF-kB signal transduction pathway in MS and ALS, and cell immune responese to ischaemic stroke.

Dr. Akila Wijerathna-Yapa is an interdisciplinary Biotechnology scientist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Frazer Institute, University of Queensland, with over 12 years of expertise spanning Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Bioinformatics. Holding a PhD in Biochemistry from The University of Western Australia, an MSc in Molecular Biology from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, an MBA from the University of Staffordshire, and B.Sc. (Hons.) Sp. Biotechnology from The Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, he brings a rare combination of deep scientific expertise and strategic project management insight to the life sciences.

Dr. Wijerathna-Yapa's research is defined by his ability to integrate advanced technologies—including mass spectrometry-based proteomics, peptidomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, NMR spectroscopy, and transcriptomics—to unravel molecular complexities and translate multi-omics data into actionable insights. His work spans molecular biology, cell culture bioprocess optimisation, clinical biomarker discovery, and spatial biology, with postdoctoral experience at The University of Queensland and Dalhousie University, and collaborative partnerships with leading research institutions across Sri Lanka, China, Israel, Australia, and Canada.

With a strong foundation in advanced statistical data analysis and a proven track record in project management and scientific communication, Dr. Wijerathna-Yapa bridges the gap between scientific discovery and practical innovation. He has authored over 25 peer-reviewed publications and has been recognised with prestigious international awards including the Australian Government Global Talent Independent visa and fellowships from the Higher Education Academy (FHEA, UKPSF). He is passionate about leveraging interdisciplinary knowledge to drive transformative advancements in biotechnology and life sciences.

Trained as a veterinarian, Dr Yuen is a veterinary microbiologist with expertise in pathobiology, host-pathogen interactions, and immunology in infectious diseases. Currently, he is a veterinary virologist at the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute within the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and holds an adjunct research fellow position at the School of Veterinary Science at UQ. While his current research focuses on vaccine development and immunology, he has active collaborations with academics in universities and research institutes in the areas of antimicrobial resistance, disease biomarkers discovery, epidemiology of emerging zoonotic diseases, and disease pathogenesis.