Associate Professor Robert Brink
Senior Research Fellow; Leader, Immunology Program, and Group Leader B Cell Biology, Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Email: r.brink 'at' garvan.org.au
Research Group: B Cell Biology
Robert undertook his postdoctoral studies at the Whitehead Institute in Boston, where he furthered his molecular skills and worked on TNF receptors their signalling molecules. Upon returning to Australia, he generated gene-targeted mice designed with which to visualise B cell responses and analyse gene function in vivo. Robert joined Garvan as a Senior Research Fellow in 2006 and continues to use these in vivo models to uncover how B cells function during protective immune responses, autoimmune disease and lymphomagenesis.
Education
1992 PhD (Medicine) Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology University of Sydney
1986 BSc (Hons I) Department of Biochemistry University of Sydney
Awards and Honours
2006 NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship
1994 NHMRC CJ Martin Research Fellowship
1991 University of Sydney Medical Foundation Fellowship
1988 Australian Postgraduate Research Award
Selected Publications
Chan TD, Gatto D, Wood K, Camidge T, Basten A and Brink R (2009) Antigen affinity controls rapid T-dependent antibody production by driving the expansion rather than the differentiation or extrafollicular migration of early plasmablasts. J. Immunol. 183: 3139-3149.
Gatto D, Paus D, Basten A, Mackay C and Brink R (2009) Guidance of B cells by the orphan G protein-coupled receptor EBI2 shapes humoral immune responses. Immunity. 31: 259-269.
Gardam S, Sierro F, Basten A, Mackay F and Brink R (2008) TRAF2 and TRAF3 signal adapters act cooperatively to control the maturation and survival signals delivered to B cells by the BAFF receptor. Immunity. 28: 391-401.
Brink R, Phan TG, Paus, D and Chan TD (2008) Visualising the effects of antigen affinity on T-dependent B cell differentiation. Immunol. Cell Biol. 86: 31-39.
Vince JE, Wong WW, Khan N, Feltham R, Chau, D, Ahmed AU, Chan D, Benetatos CA, Chunduru SK, Condon SM, McKinlay M, Brink R, Leverkus M, Tergaonkar V, Schneider P, Callus BA, Koentgen F, Vaux DL and Silke J. (2007) IAP antagonists target cIAP1 to induce TNF-dependent apoptosis. Cell. 131: 682-693.
Brink R. (2007) Germinal-center B cells in the zone. Immunity. 26: 552-554.
Phan TG, Paus D, Chan TD, Turner ML, Nutt SL, Basten A and Brink R. (2006). High affinity germinal center B cells are actively selected into the plasma cell compartment. J. Exp. Med. 203: 2419-2424.
Paus D, Phan TG, Chan TD, Gardam, S, Basten A and Brink R. (2006) Antigen recognition strength regulates the choice between extrafollicular plasma cell and germinal center B cell differentiation. J. Exp. Med. 203: 1081-1091.
Brink R. (2006) Regulation of B cell self-tolerance by BAFF. Sem. Immunol. 18: 276-283.
Grech AP, Gardam S, Chan T, Quinn R, Gonzales R, Basten A and Brink R. (2005) Tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) signaling is negatively regulated by a novel, carboxyl-terminal TNFR associated factor 2 (TRAF2) binding site. J. Biol. Chem. 280: 31572-31581.
Phan TG, Gardam S, Basten A and Brink R. (2005) Altered migration, recruitment and somatic hypermutation in the early response of marginal zone B cells to T cell-dependent antigen. J. Immunol. 174: 4567-4578.
Grech AP, Amesbury M, Chan T, Gardam S, Basten A and Brink R. (2004) TRAF2 differentially regulates the canonical and non-canonical pathways of NF-B activation in mature B cells. Immunity. 21: 629-642.
Thien M, Phan TG, Gardam S, Amesbury M, Basten A, Mackay F and Brink R. (2004) Excess BAFF rescues self-reactive B cells from peripheral deletion and allows them to enter forbidden follicular and marginal zone niches. Immunity. 20: 785-798.
Phan TG, Amesbury M, Gardam S, Crosbie J, Hasbold J, Hodgkin PD, Basten A and Brink R. (2003) B cell receptor-independent stimuli trigger immunoglobulin (Ig) class switch recombination and production of IgG autoantibodies by anergic self-reactive B cells. J. Exp. Med. 197: 845-860.
Grech A, Quinn R, Srinivasan D, Badoux X and Brink R. (2000) Complete structural characterisation of the mammalian and Drosophila TRAF genes: implications for TRAF evolution and the role of RING finger splice variants. Mol. Immunol. 37: 721-734.
