Personal profile
Biography
I graduated with a BSc (Hons) from the University of Melbourne. I undertook my PhD at the St Vincent’s Institute (Melbourne), where I studied the development and function of islet-specific T cells in autoimmune diabetes. I was also part of the Tom Mandel Islet Transplantation Programme, which offered access to islet transplantation for people with type 1 diabetes. After successfully completing my PhD, I joined the National Centre of Asbestos Related Disease (NCARD) in November 2014, and am currently a Cancer Council Western Australia Postdoctoral Fellow.
Research interests
My research interests are in understanding the immunology mechanisms that underlie why some mesothelioma patients respond better to immunotherapy/chemotherapy but not others. The end goal is to utilise this knowledge to develop novel therapies and accurate predictors of treatment outcomes. I am particularly interested in understanding how the T cell repertoire influences treatment outcomes in cancer patients.
Current projects
- The integration of mathematics and TCR sequencing to understand how an individual’s immune system contributes to therapy success
- The development of preclinical models to study why some patients develop severe autoimmunity after cancer immunotherapy
- The development of novel epigenetic targeting tools to improve mesothelioma therapy outcomes
Roles and responsibilities
- Lead the murine TCR, mesothelioma-epiCRISPR and irae projects at NCARD
- Manage and maintain preclinical models at NCARD
- Supervision of PhD and Honours students
Teaching overview
Tumour Immunology Lecture
"Vaccines to immune checkpoint blockade" PATH3309
Languages
English, Mandarin
Education/Academic qualification
Autoimmune Diabetes, Immunology, PhD, University of Melbourne
Award Date: 13 Mar 2015
Science, BSc (Hons), University of Melbourne
Award Date: 15 Dec 2008
Biomedical Science, BBiomedSc, University of Melbourne
Award Date: 15 Dec 2007
Research expertise keywords
- Immunology—T cell
- T cell receptor
- Tumour Immunology
- Mouse models for disease
- Mesothelioma
- TCR sequencing
- Type 1 Diabetes
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
-
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
Tumor Infiltrating Effector Memory Antigen-Specific CD8+ T Cells Predict Response to Immune Checkpoint Therapy
Principe, N., Kidman, J., Goh, S., Tilsed, C. M., Fisher, S. A., Fear, V. S., Forbes, C. A., Zemek, R. M., Chopra, A., Watson, M., Dick, I. M., Boon, L., Holt, R. A., Lake, R. A., Nowak, A. K., Lesterhuis, W. J., McDonnell, A. M. & Chee, J., 12 Nov 2020, In: Frontiers in Immunology. 11, 584423.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access56 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
Characteristics of TCR Repertoire Associated With Successful Immune Checkpoint Therapy Responses
Kidman, J., Principe, N., Watson, M., Lassmann, T., Holt, R. A., Nowak, A. K., Lesterhuis, W. J., Lake, R. A. & Chee, J., 14 Oct 2020, In: Frontiers in Immunology. 11, 587014.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access76 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
Malignant Pleural Effusions—A Window Into Local Anti-Tumor T Cell Immunity?
Principe, N., Kidman, J., Lake, R. A., Lesterhuis, W. J., Nowak, A. K., McDonnell, A. M. & Chee, J., 27 Apr 2021, In: Frontiers in Oncology. 11, 672747.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access23 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
Reprogramming the anti-tumor immune response via CRISPR genetic and epigenetic editing
Alves, E., Taifour, S., Dolcetti, R., Chee, J., Nowak, A. K., Gaudieri, S. & Blancafort, P., 11 Jun 2021, In: Molecular Therapy - Methods and Clinical Development. 21, p. 592-606 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access30 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
Tumour associated lymphocytes in the pleural effusions of patients with mesothelioma express high levels of inhibitory receptors
Chee, J., Watson, M. W., Chopra, A., Nguyen, B., Cook, A. M., Creaney, J., Lesterhuis, W. J., Robinson, B. W., Gary Lee, Y. C., Nowak, A. K., Lake, R. A. & McDonnell, A. M., 5 Dec 2018, In: BMC Research Notes. 11, 1, 6 p., 864.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access13 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)
-
Refuelling the immune system to eliminate cancer cells
Orozco, L. (Investigator 01), Lesterhuis, J. (Investigator 02), Piggott, M. (Investigator 03), Elaskalani, O. (Investigator 04), Principe, N. (Investigator 05), Chee, J. (Investigator 06), King, J. (Investigator 07) & Scaffidi, A. (Investigator 08)
2/02/26 → 2/02/27
Project: Research
-
Repurposing anti-copper drugs to improve anti-mesothelioma immunity
Chee, J. (Investigator 01) & Stevens, K. (Investigator 02)
8/01/24 → 8/01/27
Project: Research
-
Repurposing copper chelating drugs to improve mesothelioma immunotherapy
Stevens, K. (Investigator 01), Chee, J. (Investigator 02), Vittorio, O. (Investigator 03) & Nelson, D. (Investigator 04)
1/01/24 → 30/07/25
Project: Research
-
Repurposing anti-copper drugs to improve mesothelioma immunotherapy
Stevens, K. (Chief Investigator), Chee, J. (Investigator), Yeow, W.-S. (Investigator), Chee, J. (CoPI) & Yeow, W.-S. (CoPI)
The University of Western Australia
1/01/23 → 31/12/24
Project: Research
-
NHMRC Equipment Grant qPCR
Pflueger, C. (Investigator 01), Lister, R. (Investigator 02), Laing, N. (Investigator 03), Ravenscroft, G. (Investigator 04), Morahan, G. (Investigator 05), Leedman, P. (Investigator 06), Blancafort, P. (Investigator 07), Forrest, A. (Investigator 08), Nilsson, J. (Investigator 09), Waryah, C. (Investigator 10), Chee, J. (Investigator 11), Nowak, A. (Investigator 12) & Gaudieri, S. (Investigator 13)
NHMRC National Health and Medical Research Council
14/02/22 → 10/02/23
Project: Research
Prizes
-
-
-
Cancer Council WA Suzanne Cavanagh Early Career Investigator Grant
Chee, J. (Recipient), 2016
Prize: Award