Professor Fabienne Mackay
Principal Research Fellow; Director, Autoimmunity Research Unit; Garvan Institute of Medical Research; NHMRC Senior Research Fellow; Adjunct Professor of Medicine, The University of New South Wales and University of Sydney
Email: f.mackay 'at' garvan.org.au
Research Group: Autoimmune Disease Mechanisms
Fabienne has continued to work on molecules in the TNF family, discovering a new family member in 1999. She is listed as an inventor on 22 patents.
In 2000, Fabienne joined the Garvan Institute. Her lab has since discovered the role of a new molecule (a TNF ligand) named BAFF (B cell activating factor) that turns out to be a key B cell survival factor essential for the maturation of B lymphocytes, but which also plays a role in autoimmunity. As well as studying the role of BAFF in driving autoimmune diseases, she is also interested in how subsets of lymphocytes become potentially pathogenic. In addition, in collaboration with Professor Herbert Herzog from the Neuroscience program, Fabienne’s lab studies the interactions between our neurological and immune systems, which opens new possibilities for the treatment of immune disorders.
Fabienne has authored more than 65 articles/reviews/book chapters, many in high impact factor journals and she is a consultant for several biotech and pharmaceutical groups.
Education
1994 PhD Hoffmann La Roche Ltd, Basel Switzerland/Universite Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France
1989 D.E.A. de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (Université de Clermont II), France
1989 Diplôme d'ingénieur Génie Biologique obtenu au C.U.S.T. (Centre
Universitaire de Sciences et Techniques) à Clermont-Ferrand, France
1986 Diplôme Universitaire de Technologie (D.U.T.) Biological Technology. Option: biological and biochemical analysis. I.U.T. de Clermont-Ferrand, France
Awards and Honours
2007 NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship
2004 Medical Research Council UK Senior Research Fellow
2002 Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow
Publications
Sierro F, Biben C, Weininger L, Woehl B, Groom J, Batten M, Mackay C. and Mackay F . CXCR7/RDC1 controls the development of semi-lunar heart valves. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2007 104:14759-14764.
Groom J, Fletcher CA, Walters SN, Grey ST, Watt SV, Sweet MJ, Smyth MJ, Mackay CR.and Mackay F . BAFF and MyD88 signals promote a lupus-like disease, independent of T cells. J. Exp. Med. 2007 204:1959-1971.
Wheway J, Mackay CR, Newton R, Boey D, Herzog H, Mackay F. The Y1 neuropeptide Y receptor controls the function of antigen-presenting cells and T lymphocytes. J. Exp. Med. 2005. 202:1527-1538.
Mecklenbrauker I, Kalled SL, Mackay F, Tarakhovsky A. Regulation of B cell survival by BAFF-dependent PKC alpha-mediated nuclear signalling. Nature 2004; 431(7007):456-461.
Mackay F, Schneider P, Rennert P, Browning J. BAFF and APRIL: a tutorial on B cell survival. Annu Rev Immunol 2003; 21:231-264.
Mackay F, Browning JL. BAFF: a fundamental survival factor for B cells. Nat Rev Immunol 2002; 2:465-475.
Groom J, Kalled SL, Cutler AH, Olson C, Woodcock SA, Schneider P, Tschopp J, Cachero TG, Batten M, Wheway J, Mauri D, Cavill D, Gordon TP, Mackay CR, Mackay F. Association of BAFF/BLyS overexpression and altered B cell differentiation with Sjögren's syndrome. J Clin Invest 2002; 109:59-68.
Batten M, Groom J, Cachero TG, Xian F, Schneider P, Tschopp J, Browning JL, Mackay F. BAFF mediates survival of peripheral immature B lymphocytes. J Exp Med 2000; 192:1453-1465.
Montrasio F, Frigg R, Glatzel L, Klein MA, Mackay F, Agguzi A, Weissmann C. Prion replication in the spleen requires functional FDC. Science 1999; 288:1257-1259.
Mackay F, Browning JL. Turning off follicular dendritic cells. Nature 1998; 395(6697):26-7.
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