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Monday February 24, 2025

Congratulations to Zhoujie Ding
winner of the 2024 ASI Breakthrough Immunology Award and
Women’s Initiative Travel Award

 

We warmly congratulate
Zhoujie Ding
winner of the 2024 ASI Breakthrough Immunology Award and
Women’s Initiative Travel Award

 

I am a Group Leader in the Department of Immunology within the School of Translational Medicine at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. I am part of the Tarlinton Immune Memory Laboratory and currently co-lead an NHMRC Ideas Grant project focusing on plasma cell biology in health and disease. 

I completed my PhD study in 2015 under the supervision of Professor Birgitta Heyman at Uppsala University in Sweden, studying the mechanisms of IgE-, IgM-, and IgG-mediated immune enhancement. In 2018, I moved to Melbourne to undertake my postdoctoral training with Professor David Tarlinton, supported by a highly competitive Swedish International Postdoc Grant. Since then, I have published a major study of plasma cell biology in Immunity (2023) as co-first author and am co-author of several seminal works in the germinal centre and plasma cell fields (Immunity 2022, Science Immunology 2022). My emerging scientific leadership in the field of B-cell and plasma cell biology is also evidenced by my recent co-corresponding publication in J Exp Med (2024). I have also published several first-author reviews and commentaries in journals such as Nat Immunol (2023) and was featured in a recent J Exp Med commentary (2024) on “Women in STEM becoming independent”.

Currently, I lead a small group focused on uncovering the basis of plasma cell lifespan regulation. Antibody-secreting plasma cells are terminally differentiated B-lineage cells essential for long-term immune protection. We now know that there is significant heterogeneity that exists in plasma cell lifespans, with some plasma cells living for days or months, while others have calculated half-lives of more than 3,000 years. However, it remains unclear what determines this lifespan heterogeneity. We employ purpose-built mouse models and molecular techniques to investigate the internal and external regulators of plasma cell lifespan. Our findings will provide new strategies for influencing plasma cell persistence, either by removing them in pathogenetic conditions such as antibody-mediated autoimmunity or prolonging their survival in situations such as vaccination. 

As an emerging leader in the field of immunology, my focus has expanded to follow the lead of our recent, unexpected finding that Ki-67 plays a critical role in B cell development (J Exp Med, 2024). With the support of the ASI Breakthrough Immunology award, I will investigate the immunological function of Ki-67 in immune responses in vivo using the germline Ki-67 knockout mice established in collaboration with Ozgene. I expect these studies to generate crucial data for publications in high-impact journals, which will further strengthen my track record and support my future applications for category one funding. I would also like to express my immense gratitude to the ASI for supporting me with the Women’s Initiative Travel Award. This award aims to support women immunologists in Australia by covering additional childcare or caring expenses as well as travel and accommodation expenses for children or dependents and a travel companion while attending the ASI annual meeting. Thanks to this award, I was able to bring my two young children to the 2024 ASI meeting in Sydney, where on-site childcare was provided, enabling me to attend the meeting in-person —an essential opportunity for my scientific networking.

Immune Memory Lab past and present members (left to right, back row to front row): Jesse Mulder, Julia Scrofani, Dr Kate Reilly, Dr Craig McKenzie (Alumni), Dr Alexandra Dvorscek (Alumni), Kristy O’Donnell (Alumni), Dr Zhoujie Ding, Prof David Tarlinton, Dr Dimitra Zotos (Alumni), and Dr Isaak Quast (Alumni). Absent from the photo: Alex Bosak Karaviotis and Dr Marcus Robinson (Alumni; now Lab Head).

Author: Zhoujie Ding

Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ASI