Laurence Don Wai Luu
Dr Laurence Luu is a Chancellor's Research Fellow and Lecturer at UTS. His current research program investigates chlamydia host-pathogen interactions using a systems biology approach (transcriptomic, proteomic and functional genomics) and new organoid models to better understand how chlamydia infection leads to infertility. This knowledge will help develop new interventions to reduce the significant burden of chlamydia.
Laurence completed his PhD in the Evolutionary Microbiology Lab at UNSW Sydney where he investigated the evolution of Bordetella pertussis (which causes whooping cough) to vaccines. During his PhD, he discovered new proteomic adaptations that were associated with increased fitness in the current Australian B. pertussis strains circulating. This discovery garnered widespread media attention and led to a national call to improve vaccines for whooping cough. It also attracted multiple awards including the 2017 Australian Society for Microbiology NSW-ACT Branch Student Award and a travel grant to present at the 11th International Bordetella Symposium.
Laurence continued his research at UNSW as a postdoctoral researcher in the Host-Microbiome Lab, investigating how interactions between host immunogenetics and the microbiome can lead to cancers of the gastrointestinal tract and inflammatory bowel diseases, until relocating to UTS in 2022.
Incredibly passionate about his work, Laurence’s ultimate aim is to understand how bacteria cause disease in order to develop new treatments and reduce the suffering associated with infectious diseases.
Abstracts this author is presenting: