Pant Research Group: Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery Clinical Epigenetics

Project 1. Reducing Steroid and Antibiotic Use in Rhinosinusitis and Asthma with Precision Medicine

Supervisors: Prof H Pant, Prof Paul Reynolds, Dr Damon Tumes, Prof Angel Lopez

Suitability: Honours, Masters and PhD candidates, from medical or science backgrounds. Prior laboratory experience is preferred but not required.

Collaborators: Dr Mark Schembri (Calvariam ENT), Prof Hubertus Jersmann (RAH), Dr Vinod Aiyappan and A/Prof Jeff Bowden (Flinders Medical Centre & SA Medical Specialists)

Location: Adelaide Health & Medical Sciences Building, North Terrace, Adelaide     

Every sinusitis and asthma sufferer’s immunological environment is unique however current treatments are uniform, broad spectrum and often ineffective. This project aims to change that by undertaking a precision care based randomised-controlled clinical trial to reduce antibiotic and steroid use in sinusitis/asthma patients. By identifying specific inflammatory traits within patient’s airways using single-cell and spatial -omics, proteomics, and biochemical assays this project aims to inform and develop more personalised and effective treatments.

Project 2. Dissecting eosinophil heterogeneity in chronic allergic and non-allergic airway inflammation

Supervisors: Prof H Pant, Dr Damon Tumes, A/Prof Luciano Martelotto, Prof Angel Lopez

Collaborators: Dr Mark Schembri (Calvariam ENT), Prof Hubertus Jersmann (RAH), Dr Vinod Aiyappan and A/Prof Jeff Bowden (Flinders Medical Centre & SA Medical Specialists)

Suitability: Honours, Masters and PhD candidates, from medical or science backgrounds. Prior laboratory experience is preferred but not required.

Location: Bradley Building, North Terrace, Adelaide

Eosinophils are key immune cells that drive CRS, nasal polyps and asthma. Contrary to previous belief, they are more than just mediators of allergic inflammation—they are a complex and functionally diverse population of cells. This project offers the chance to re-define eosinophilic diseases by mapping their specific subpopulations and their roles in allergic and non-allergic inflammation, and in health and in disease. Using state-of-the-art cellular techniques and bioinformatics, this project aims to unlock eosinophil heterogeneity and inform new strategies for precision treatments.

Project 3. Overcoming immune exhaustion in head and neck cancer

Supervisors: Prof H Pant, Dr Carly Whyte, Dr Damon Tumes

Collaborators: A/Prof JC Hodge (ENT, CALHN), Dr James Badlani and Dr Paul Sambrook (OMF, CALHN)

Suitability: Honours, Masters and PhD candidates, from medical or science backgrounds. Prior laboratory experience is not required.

Location: Bradley Building, North Terrace, Adelaide

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a highly aggressive cancer with high recurrence and poor survival rates. Current immunotherapies such as PD-1 inhibitors benefit only a minority of patients. This project offers a unique opportunity to re-define treatment for this challenging cancer by using spatial gene expression profiling of patient samples and animal models to uncover epigenetic drivers of T cell dysfunction and develop and test cell-based immunotherapies to reinvigorate anti-cancer T cells to improve their anti-cancer function.

Project 4.  Cancer-associated fibroblasts and stromal components as predictors of occult metastasis in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Supervisors: Prof H Pant, Dr Marina Kochetkova, Dr Adrienne Sullivan

Collaborators: A/Prof JC Hodge (ENT, CALHN), Dr James Badlani and Dr Paul Sambrook (OMF, CALHN)

Suitability: Honours, Masters and PhD candidates, from medical or science backgrounds. Prior laboratory experience is not required.

Location: Bradley Building, North Terrace, Adelaide

Neck lymph node metastasis is the key prognostic factor in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC), yet current diagnostics fail to predict its occurrence. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are emerging as critical drivers of metastasis, aggressive cancer biology and poor outcomes. Using molecular and functional analyses of patient-derived samples we have identified distinct CAF populations that enhance tumour invasiveness. This project builds on these findings to investigate epigenetic mechanisms of metastasis, aiming to improve early detection of occult metastases and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

Project 5. Reprogramming airway basal cells to improve barrier function

Supervisors: Prof H Pant, Dr Damon Tumes, Prof Jose Polo

Suitability: Honours, Masters and PhD candidates, from medical or science backgrounds. Prior laboratory experience is not essential.

Location: Adelaide Health & Medical Sciences Building, North Terrace, Adelaide

Functional ciliated respiratory epithelial system is critical for effective muco-ciliary function, maintaining homeostasis and barrier function. This project will utilise innovative molecular and cellular techniques to comprehensively characterise the respiratory epithelium to uncover epigenetic drivers of the reprogramming process into ciliated epithelium.