It’s not every day an early-career scientist has the chance to work on life-saving research, but for UNE Bachelor of Science with Honours student, Kaitland Parker, it’s been the focus of her time for the past year.
Working under the guidance of Professor in Biomedical Science Natkunam Ketheesan and Lecturer in Biomedical Science Dr Sinead Henderson, Kaitland has been assisting with important research that aims to improve vaccination rates for Q-Fever, which is an animal-borne disease impacting rural communities around Australia.
“There is a vaccine, known as Q VAX, which protects against the disease, however, it is used only in high-risk populations due to the risk of serious side-effects in those who may have been previously exposed to the bacterium that causes Q-Fever,” says Kaitland.
“Before vaccination can safely take place, patients must have their blood and skin tested to ensure they can have the vaccine. My project focuses on creating a more streamlined way of testing for that exposure, which might someday make pre-vaccination screening more efficient, enabling more people to get vaccinated against the disease.”
Image: Kaitland has been assisting with important research that aims to improve vaccination rates for Q-Fever
The side effects that previous Q-Fever patients face when given Q-VAX include can include a severe reaction at the site of injection that may develop into an abscess requiring medical treatment, and additional symptoms similar to those reported during Q fever fatigue syndrome.
Because of this, Kaitland’s Honours thesis is part of a larger body of work that is being carried by a group of UNE scientists to develop a safer, more accessible Q-Fever vaccine that would be suitable for anyone, regardless of previous exposure. If successful, it could result in improved health outcomes for those in rural and regional areas who regularly work closely with livestock.
“Q-Fever is spread through close-contact with animals, and can cause severe fever, headaches, flu-like symptoms, pneumonia, hepatitis and heart complications,” says Dr Henderson.
“Whilst most patients recover from the initial infection, months or years later, some develop chronic Q-fever or Q-fever fatigue syndrome, which in rare cases, may be fatal. The development of an improved vaccine against Q fever would simplify access to the vaccine for at-risk populations which would be particularly beneficial for regions where Q fever infections are high, such as the New England area.”
The project first began in 2020, however, due to COVID-19 restrictions, research was temporarily put on hold. With restrictions now removed, the team recently recommenced human clinical trials on UNE agricultural students who are part of the demographic most at risk of the disease.
Image: Kaitland's Honour's project is part of a larger body of research being conducted by a groupd of UNE scientists (pictured) that can be used to develop a safer, more accessible vaccine to prevent Q-Fever. (Back, L-R: Associate Professor Phillip Fourie, Dr Sinead Henderson, Professor Natkunam Ketheesan. Front L-R: Kaitland Parker, Professor Linda Agnew).
Using state-of-the-art diagnostic immuno-analysing technology, the researchers are testing how subset of immune cells, the T lymphocytes, respond following vaccination against Q fever.
“We would like to complete this research within the next few years, but in reality, the project timeline will be largely determined by the number of people who agree to participate in the study,” says Dr Henderson.
“If the opportunity to be involved in this project or another research project ever arises, please seriously consider volunteering to make a valuable contribution to the advancement of scientific research!”
This aspect of the project has been one of the highlights for Kaitland. Having the opportunity to undertake a clinical trial, speak with participants, and undertake practical experience has inspired her to continue in the field in the future.
“I really enjoy seeing the results at the end of an experiment- even if they’re not quite what I hoped would happen, it’s a good feeling to reach the end of the process and know that I gained practical experience along the way,” she says.
“I’d like to continue in this field in the future as I enjoy the process of preparing samples, and getting better at a protocol the more times I do it. Becoming more familiar with the lab and the techniques I need has also been a highlight.”
Kaitland is set to finish up her Honours at the end of this year.
If you would like to take part in the clinical trials, please email Dr Hederson at Sinead.Henderson@une.edu.au or Prof Ketheesan at nkethees@une.edu.au
The project falls under the Q Fever Research Consortium (QRC) that was established in 2019, which comprises researchers from UNE, James Cook University and University of Queensland, public health practitioners, including NSW Health, Hunter New England Health and QLD Health, as well as the Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory (ARRL) located in Victoria. You can read more here.
