Research Output per year
Personal profile
Biography
I am a BrightSpark Foundation Research Fellow with the UWA School of Paediatrics and Child Health and Honorary Research Fellow with the Telethon Kids Institute. My research interests lie in understanding the interactions between bacteria and the host in chronic and recurrent respiratory infections including ear, nose and throat infections and chronic lung disease. I was awarded my PhD in 2011 from the University of Western Australia under the mentorship of Associate Professor Peter Richmond, Clinical Professor Harvey Coates and Associate Professor Paul Rigby. During my PhD I demonstrated that otopathogenic bacteria exist in both biofilms and intracellularly in the middle ear mucosa of Indigenous and non-Indigenous children with chronic and recurrent otitis media. I also demonstrated that the middle ear effusion contains host DNA which can be used by the bacteria as scaffolding to maintain an infectious reservoir in the middle ear. This DNA scaffolding may provide a treatment target to prevent recurrent ear infections and repeat surgeries following initial ventilation tube insertions. My research into the role of bacterial biofilms, intracellular persistence and host immunity in recurrent middle ear infections (OM) has changed paradigms in the understanding and treatment of OM. My research has directly translated into clinical trials to improve surgical outcomes for OM and will be used in improving treatment outcomes for Indigenous children with chronic suppurative OM.
Funding overview
BrightSpark Research Fellow
Teaching overview
PhD student completion: Chinh Ngo, Griffith Univeristy, 2016
Research
• Exploring the role of bacterial biofilm and intracellular infection in chronic and recurrent ear, nose and throat infections in children.
• Understanding the immunology and microbiology of chronic respiratory diseases including ear, nose and throat disease in children and non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis in both adults and children.
• Exploring bacterial persistence mechanisms in children with chronic suppurative lung disease and adults with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.
• Exploring novel treatment options for treatment of otitis media.
• Understanding the immunology and microbiology of chronic respiratory diseases including ear, nose and throat disease in children and non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis in both adults and children.
• Exploring bacterial persistence mechanisms in children with chronic suppurative lung disease and adults with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.
• Exploring novel treatment options for treatment of otitis media.
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Research Output
Nasal delivery of a commensal pasteurellaceae species inhibits nontypeable haemophilus influenzae colonization and delays onset of otitis media in mice
Granland, C. M., Scott, N. M., Lauzon-Joset, J. F., Langereis, J. D., De Gier, C., Sutherland, K. M. J., Clark, S. L., Pickering, J. L., Thornton, R. B., Richmond, P. C., Strickland, D. H. & Kirkhama, L. A. S., 1 Mar 2020, In : Infection and Immunity. 88, 4, e00685-19.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Open Access
1
Citation
(Scopus)
Panel 7 – Pathogenesis of otitis media – a review of the literature between 2015 and 2019
Thornton, R. B., Hakansson, A., Hood, D. W., Nokso-Koivisto, J., Preciado, D., Riesbeck, K., Richmond, P. C., Su, Y. C., Swords, W. E. & Brockman, K. L., Mar 2020, In : International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 130, Suppl. 1, 109838.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Panel 8: Vaccines and immunology
Alderson, M. R., Murphy, T., Pelton, S. I., Novotny, L. A., Hammitt, L. L., Kurabi, A., Li, J. D., Thornton, R. B. & Kirkham, L. A. S., Mar 2020, In : International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 130, Suppl. 1, 109839.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Combination of clinical symptoms and blood biomarkers can improve discrimination between bacterial or viral community-acquired pneumonia in children
Bhuiyan, M. U., Blyth, C. C., West, R., Lang, J., Rahman, T., Granland, C., de Gier, C., Borland, M. L., Thornton, R. B., Kirkham, L-A. S., Martin, A., Richmond, P. C., Smith, D. W., Jaffe, A. & Snelling, T. L., 2 Apr 2019, In : BMC Pulmonary Medicine. 19, 1, 9 p., 71.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Open Access
6
Citations
(Scopus)
High concentrations of middle ear antimicrobial peptides and proteins and proinflammatory cytokines are associated with detection of middle ear pathogens in children with recurrent acute otitis media
Seppanen, E. J., Thornton, R. B., Corscadden, K. J., Granland, C. M., Hibbert, J., Fuery, A., Wiertsema, S. P., Vijayasekaran, S., Coates, H. L., Jacoby, P., Currie, A., Richmond, P. C. & Kirkham, L. A. S., 26 Dec 2019, In : PLoS One. 14, 12, e0227080.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Open Access
Projects
- 16 Finished
QIAcube HT workstation
Kirkham, L., Thornton, R., Richmond, P., Blyth, C., Bowen, A., Van Den Biggelaar, A., Prescott, S., Gamez, C., Strunk, T., Adams, L., Stick, S., Kicic, A., Le Souef, P., Laing, I., Hales, B., Baltic, S. & Pickering, J.
National Health & Medical Research Council NHMRC
1/01/16 → 31/12/16
Project: Research
Beyond qualitative pathogen detection: a pilot study to explore the next generation of diagnostic assays for childhood respiratory infection
Blyth, C., Kirkham, L., Thornton, R., Bhuiyan, M., Jacoby, P. & Smith, D.
1/01/16 → 31/12/17
Project: Research
Development of Digital PCR Methods to Quantitatively Assess NTHi and H. Haemolyticus Nasopharyngeal Density in Children with and without Recurrent Otitis Media
Pickering, J., Thornton, R., Kirkham, L., Richmond, P., Blyth, C., Mills, N., Best, E. & Walls, T.
1/07/15 → 30/06/16
Project: Research
Evaluation of Haemophilus haemolyticus as a preventative therapy for NTHi disease
Kirkham, L., Thornton, R., Richmond, P. & Bellgard, M.
National Health & Medical Research Council NHMRC
1/01/15 → 31/12/17
Project: Research