Professor David Lynn
Matthew Flinders Professor of Systems Immunology
College of Medicine and Public Health
Academic Qualifications: BA (Trinity College Dublin, Genetics; 2000), MSc (U. Ottawa, Bioinformatics & Bacterial Genomics; 2001), PhD (University College Dublin, Immunology; 2004).
Prof. David Lynn is Director of the Computational and Systems Biology Program in the SAHMRI Precision Medicine Theme; Scientific Director of SA Genomics Centre; and Professor of Systems Immunology at Flinders University. His research team apply systems immunology approaches to investigate how microbes (pathogenic and commensal) modulate the immune system in a range of contexts from infection and immunisation to cancer therapy. His research spans from computational modelling and bioinformatics software development to mechanistic studies in preclinical mouse models (including gnotobiotic). He also leads a number of clinical studies including 3 NHMRC-funded systems studies. He was also the PI in South Australia for the Gates Foundation-funded BRACE RCT, which investigated whether the BCG vaccine provides non-specific protection against COVID-19 in ~7,000 participants worldwide. Prof. Lynn’s research is currently supported by the NHMRC, MRFF, ARC, The Hospital Research Foundation, The Flinders Foundation and others.
2020 - Present: Scientific Director, South Australian Genomics Centre, Adelaide, South Australia.
2019 - Present: Director, Computational & Systems Biology Program, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.
2014 - 2023: EMBL Australia Group Leader, Infection & Immunity Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia.
2014 - 2018: Associate Professor, College of Medicine & Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia.
2009 - 2014: Vision Appointment in Computational Biology. Group Leader, Systems Biology & Immunology Group, Teagasc Animal & Bioscience Research Department, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland.
2012 - 2013: Adjunct Lecturer, School of Biochemistry & Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
2007 - 2009: Postdoctoral Research Associate, F.S.L. Brinkman Lab., Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
2007 - 2009: Honorary Research Associate, R.E.W. Hancock Lab., The Centre for Microbial Diseases & Immunity Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
2004 - 2006: Postdoctoral Fellow, D.G. Bradley Lab., Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
2002 - 2003: Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods (Statistics), Department of Statistics, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.
2001 - 2004: Ph.D. (Bioinformatics & Innate Immunology), C. O’Farrelly Lab., Department of Medicine, University College Dublin & The Education & Research Centre, St. Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin 4, Ireland.
2000 - 2001: Research M.Sc. Biology (Bioinformatics), D.A. Hickey Lab., Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
1996 - 2000: B.A. Natural Sciences - Moderatorship in Genetics, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Recent Selected Grants and Awards:
2023-2028 BioPlatforms Australia. National Research Infrastructure funding for the SA Genomics Centre ($2,060,907 + $1,800,000 in co-funding from partner institutes). Role: CIA/Scientific Director of SAGC.
2023-2024 GPN Vaccines Collaborative Research Agreement ($156,011). Role CIA.
2023-2028 South Australian Government NCRIS Co-investment Grant (NCRIS02S1) for the SA Genomics Centre ($1,600,000). Role: CIA/Scientific Director of SAGC.
2023-2026 National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Ideas Grant (APP2019988). A human experimental model to assess whether the gut microbiota regulates specific and non-specific immune responses to vaccination. $1,579,475.
2023-2025 Australian Research Council Discovery Projects (DP230103210).Androgen receptor: A master regulator of lipid metabolism. $614,000. Role CIC.
2022 Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health – Senior Research Award (Awarded to a distinguished senior researcher in the College who has demonstrated excellence across a number of categories including research funding, publication output, service to their discipline, supervision of students and evidence of research translation).
2022 Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health – Vice President and Executive Dean Award for Outstanding Student Supervision.
2022-2027 MRFF Genomics Health Futures Mission Grant Opportunity. “Pathways to benefit for Indigenous Australians in Genomic Medicine” (MRF2016124). $4,986,948.70. CIA - Professor Alex Brown. Role: Co-CI
2022-2024 National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Ideas Grant (APP2011129). “Vaccine nonspecific effects of live and non-live vaccines: understanding the mechanisms and potentialconsequences.”($883,314). Role: CIA.
2021 – 2024 MRFF - EPCDRI - Childhood Cancer Research Grant (APP2007441). Adolescents with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia: Focussing on the gut microbiota, its role in therapeutic response and potential as an effective adjunct therapeutic in this high-risk group. ($1,292,871) Role: CIB.
2019-2021 National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Project Grant (APP1156415). “How does the microbiota modulate vaccine responses in human infants: A systems vaccinology approach.”($858,033). Role: CIA.
SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP:
Member Australian Society of Immunology (ASI)
Member Australian Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Society (former executive committee member)
Member International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB)
Member American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
- Bacteria
- Data mining
- Immunology
- Infection/Infectious diseases
- Microbiology
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
South Australia | Northern Territory
Global | Online
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