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Dr Kate Gartlan is an immunologist with considerable expertise in cellular immunology, particularly using in vivo models of inflammation to investigate immune-modulation and T cell polarisation. Dr Gartlan began her research career at WEHI within Professor Ken Shortman’s laboratory developing strong skills in both molecular and cell biology, where she became interested in the early factors that influence adaptive immunity. She completed her PhD in 2009 at the Burnet Institute working with Associate Professor Mark Wright, where she studied functional redundancy between Tetraspanin proteins in the immune system. To advance her understanding of inflammatory mediators and adaptive immune polarisation, she moved to the University of Oxford and took up a postdoctoral position within the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology. Working with Professor Quentin Sattentau, she investigated novel ways to modulate T cell polarisation and influence B cell responses to HIV vaccines.

After returning to Australia, she has worked with Professor Geoff Hill at QIMR Berghofer investigating novel therapies to treat graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in allograft recipients. Dr Gartlan has held active teaching roles within both university and research institute environments, contributing to undergraduate science and medicine programs at both departmental and college levels.

Her main research interests at present surround the role of IL-17 & IL-22 in GVHD, potential therapeutics to modulate T cell polarisation after allogeneic bone marrow/stem cell transplant (BMT/SCT), as well as developing novel inhibitors of graft rejection to improve engraftment after BMT/SCT.

Senior clinical pharmacist with 3 decades of experience in many facets of the pharmaceutical industry in both Australia and the UK- including work for Queensland Health as clinical pharmacist, clinical educator and team leader, National Prescribing Service academic detailer, Australian Pharmacy Council subject matter expert, Kidney Health Australia clinical advisory committee, CARI guideline working group member, Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) leadership group chair, and working as a community pharmacist and Home Medicines Review facilitator and provider.