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Coming up in 2021 We have a a study to suit every age range in 2021!  From babies at just six weeks for the FluBub Study, through to teenagers in

The year that was 2025!

Highlights from the VTG Laboratory in 2025

Conference presentations in 2025

COVID-19 Research Update

RSV Update

Pneumococcal – a bacterial infection that can cause pneumonia and meningitis – is responsible for 1000s of hospital admissions in Australia each year, many of them children.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that survivors of acute burn trauma are at long-term increased risk of developing a range of morbidities. The mechanisms underlying this increased risk remain unknown. This study aimed to determine whether burn injury leads to sustained immune dysfunction that may underpin long-term morbidity. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from 36 pediatric burn survivors >3 years after a non-severe burn injury (<10% total body surface area) and from age/sex-matched non-injured controls.

Detection of pneumonia-causing respiratory viruses in the nasopharynx of asymptomatic children has made their actual contribution to pneumonia unclear. We compared nasopharyngeal viral density between children with and without pneumonia to understand if viral density could be used to diagnose pneumonia.

BK polyomavirus infection in transplanted kidneys that leads to BK virus–associated nephropathy (BKVAN) is an important cause of allograft loss and has limited treatment options. Recent data suggest that BK viremia affects approximately 10% of people within the first 12 months following kidney transplantation. Among recipients with BKVAN, the overall risk of allograft loss is substantially increased, estimated to be 50% within 5 years of diagnosis.