Immunohaematology
Research Group
Overview
The Immunohaematology Research Group at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research investigates the molecular and immunological mechanisms that drive both malignant and non-malignant blood disorders. The group focuses on understanding how dysregulated iron metabolism, inflammation, and immune signalling reshape the haematopoietic microenvironment and contribute to diseases such as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), multiple myeloma, β-thalassaemia, sickle cell disease, and other bone marrow failure syndromes.
Our research integrates clinical haematology, molecular biology, immunology, and advanced genomic technologies to examine how inflammatory pathways and iron homeostasis influence haematopoietic stem and progenitor cell function, clonal evolution, and ineffective haematopoiesis. By combining preclinical disease models, functional immunology assays, spatial imaging technologies, and multi-omic profiling with analyses of clinically annotated patient samples, the group seeks to identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets that improve disease stratification and guide treatment.
Through close collaboration with clinicians, diagnostic laboratories, and international research partners, the Immunohaematology Research Group aims to translate mechanistic discoveries into new therapeutic strategies for individuals living with inherited and acquired blood disorders.
Diseases we research
Key research interests
- Iron metabolism and inflammation in haematological disease – defining how dysregulated iron homeostasis drives innate immune activation, oxidative stress, and dysfunction of the bone marrow microenvironment.
- Pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndromes, multiple myeloma, and bone marrow failure – investigating mechanisms underlying ineffective haematopoiesis, clonal evolution, and inflammatory remodelling of the haematopoietic niche.
- Inherited haemoglobinopathies – studying the molecular and immunological consequences of disorders such as β-thalassaemia and sickle cell disease, with a focus on iron overload, anaemia, and chronic inflammation.
- Translational therapeutic development – identifying biomarkers and developing targeted interventions, including RNA-based therapeutics, gene therapy, and genome editing approaches aimed at modifying disease mechanisms.
Research Group Head | Dr George Grigoriadis, Dr Jim Vadolas
Blood cancers are a major cause of cancer-related deaths in Australia. Our research focuses on how malignant and immune cells interact within the bone marrow microenvironment, with the aim to develop more precise therapeutic strategies for conditions such as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), multiple myeloma, and related haematological malignancies.
News from the lab
Collaborators
Publication highlights
