ABSTRACT
Beyond their most appreciated roles in blood clotting, platelets also regulate immune responses and protect against some infectious diseases. My work studies how platelets control malarial infection, and through this has revealed the specific anti-plasmodial actions of platelets and molecules with novel mechanisms of parasite killing. Other studies have shown platelets have additional functions in the maintenance of red blood cell turnover and the potential importance of this process in bloodstream homeostasis and disease. My presentation will introduce the remarkable multi-faceted functions of platelets and my group’s contributions and current research in this area.

BIOGRAPHY

Associate Professor Brendan McMorran is a graduate of The University of Otago, New Zealand and holds BSc (Hons) and PhD degrees in biochemistry. He conducted postdoctoral studies at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia on cystic fibrosis and host response to lung disease, and at the University of Tasmania, Hobart Australia on roles of platelets in malarial infection. Since 2015 he has been a faculty member at the John Curtin School of Medical Research, working in the Division of Immunology and Infectious Disease, where he holds a teaching and research position. His research focuses on red blood cells (RBC) and platelets, and the important roles of these cells play in various human diseases. He has a strong track record in basic discovery science, having identified platelets as innate immune protective cells in malarial infection and that platelets are regulators of erythrocyte turnover. His current work aims to understand the biology and biochemistry that underpins these remarkable platelet functions as well as the broader physiological significance of platelet-RBC interactions.