Group leader
Professor Jana Vukovic
Professorial Research Fellow
Queensland Brain Institute
School of Biomedical Sciences
Affiliate of the Centre for Cardiovascular Health and Research
Research overview
The Vukovic lab investigates how interactions between the brain and immune system shape learning, memory, and cognitive function. A central focus is on microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells, and how they cooperate with peripheral immune cells to influence neural activity in both healthy and diseased states.
This research sits at the intersection of neuroscience and immunology, aiming to understand how immune signals regulate higher-order cognitive processes and contribute to dysfunction in various conditions. By harnessinging the brain’s intrinsic regenerative capacity to support optimal cognitive function, the lab aim to develop new strategies for treating neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative conditions.
Research approach
The lab uses a combination of genetic models, pharmacological tools, and behavioural assays to investigate how immune cells influence brain function. By directly manipulating immune pathways and measuring behavioural outcomes, cellular and molecular mechanisms can be linked to cognitive changes.
The team uses an integrative approach to determine how immune activity shapes neural circuits, including:
- Targeting specific immune cell populations, including microglia
- Assessing effects on learning, memory, and behaviour
- Modelling neuroinflammatory conditions relevant to human disease
Latest news
- 19 December 2022