Prof Antony Basten

Emeritus Fellow - B Cell Biology Lab

Prof Antony Basten

Tony is a clinician/scientist with a career spanning over 40 years. During this time, he has made a substantial contribution to our understanding of how the immune system is regulated in health and disease. In 2007, Tony took sabbatical leave to spend time as a visiting fellow with Sir Gregory Winte

Biography

Tony is a clinician/scientist with a career spanning over 40 years. During this time, he has made a substantial contribution to our understanding of how the immune system is regulated in health and disease.

In 2007, Tony took sabbatical leave to spend time as a visiting fellow with Sir Gregory Winter FRS at Cambridge University, England. Now, back at Garvan with the B Cell Biology group, he is continuing his work on the regulation of the immune system with a focus on the mechanisms that normally prevent unwanted responses (autoimmune and allergic); the ultimate goal being to devise novel ways of treating patients with these conditions.

Tony is a Non-Executive Director of BioTech Capital Limited and Apollo Life Sciences, and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Human Genetic Signatures.

Tony is a clinician/scientist with a career spanning over 40 years. During this time, he has made a substantial contribution to our understanding of how the immune system is regulated in health and disease.

In 2007, Tony took sabbatical leave to spend time as a visiting fellow with Sir Gregory Winter FRS at Cambridge University, England. Now, back at Garvan with the B Cell Biology group, he is continuing his work on the regulation of the immune system with a focus on the mechanisms that normally prevent unwanted responses (autoimmune and allergic); the ultimate goal being to devise novel ways of treating patients with these conditions.

Tony is a Non-Executive Director of BioTech Capital Limited and Apollo Life Sciences, and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Human Genetic Signatures.

Awards and Honours

2003 - Centenary Medal awarded by the Prime Minister of Australia for service to Australian society and immunology
1996 - Rotary International Award for Vocational Excellence
1995 - Presenter of the Burnet Oration at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Australasian Society of Immunology, Queensland, Australia
1992 - Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
1989 - Florey Lecturer , Royal Society, London
1988 - Appointed Chief Commonwealth Medical and Scientific Advisor on AIDS and Executive Member, Australian National Council on AIDS (ANCA)
1988 - Appointed as an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia for services to Medicine (AO)
1987 - Appointed Chairman, National AIDS Task Force
1984 - Rubbo Orator, Australian Society for Microbiology
1983 - Listed as one of top 1 000 scientists from all disciplines in the International Scientific Citation Index (one of seven Australians listed)
1982 - Awarded one of the first 10 Commonwealth Centres of Excellence Grants in Australia
1981 - Elected to Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)
1980 - Inaugural Wellcome Australia Medal for 'distinguished discovery and its demonstrated use'
1979 - Received one of the first three NHMRC Program Grants

Education

MBBS (Adelaide)
DPhil (Oxon)
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP)
Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (FRCPA)
Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP)

Selected Publications

Paus D, Phan TG, Chan TD, Gardam S, Basten A, Brink R. Antigen recognition strength regulates the choice between extrafollicular plasma cell and germinal center B cell differentiation. Journal of Experimental Medicine 2006; 203:1081-91

Phan TG, Amesbury M, Gardam S, Crosbie J, Hasbold J, Hodgkin PD, Basten A, Brink R. B cell receptor-independent stimuli trigger immunoglobulin (Ig) class switch recombination and production of IgG autoantibodies by anergic self-reactive B cells. Journal of Experimental Medicine 2003; 197:845 860

Fulcher DA, Lyons AB, Korn SL, Cook MC, Koleda C, Parish C, Fazekas de St Groth B, Basten A. The fate of self-reactive B cells depends primarily on the degree of antigen receptor engagement and availability of T cell help. Journal of Experimental Medicine 1996; 183:2313-28.

Hartley SB, Cooke MP, Fulcher DA, Harris AW, Cory S, Basten A, Goodnow CC. Elimination of self-reactive B lymphocytes proceeds in two stages: arrested development and cell death. Cell 1993; 72:325-35.

Adelstein S, Pritchard-Briscoe H, Anderson TA, Crosbie J, Gammon G, Loblay RH, Basten A, Goodnow CC. Induction of self-tolerance in T cells but not B cells of transgenic mice expressing little self antigen.Science 1991; 251:1223-5.

Goodnow CC, Crosbie J, Adelstein S, Lavoie TB, Smith-Gill SJ, Brink RA, Pritchard-Briscoe H, Wotherspoon JS, Loblay RH, Raphael K, Trent RJ, Basten A. Altered immunoglobulin expression and functional silencing of self-reactive B lymphocytes in transgenic mice. Nature 1988; 334:676-82.

Loblay RH, Pritchand-Briscoe H, Basten A. Suppressor T-cell memory. Nature 1978; 272:620-2.

Basten A, Miller JF, Johnson P. T cell-dependent suppression of an anti-hapten antibody response.Transplantation Reviews 1975; 26:130-69.

Basten A, Miller JF, Sprent J, Pye J. A receptor for antibody on B lymphocytes. I. Method of detection and functional significance. Journal of Experimental Medicine 1972; 135:610-26.

Basten A, Sprent J, Miller JF. Receptor for antibody-antigen complexes used to separate T cells from B cells. Nature - New Biology 1972; 235:178-80.

Basten A, Beeson PB. Mechanism of eosinophilia. II. Role of the lymphocyte. Journal of Experimental Medicine 1970; 131:1288-305.