SCS Honours student receives prestigious Nairn Prize for research into autoimmune disease

Ms Taylah Bennett

Former honours student and Research Assistant Ms Taylah Bennet was awarded this year’s Nairn Prize in Immunology, in recognition of the top Honours grade in the Department of Immunology, Monash University.

A Research Assistant in Professor Eric Morand’s lab, Taylah will start her PhD next month in Professor Stephen Turner’s lab in the Department of Microbiology at Monash University.

“My research project investigated a protein called the 'glucocorticoid induced leucine zipper', or GILZ for short, which we believe acts a 'molecular brake' to ensure that immune cells are appropriately switched on and off,” Taylah said.

“My research aims to understand how GILZ regulates a specialised white blood cell, called a 'Killer T cell'.”

“Killer T cells provide us with critical defence when we get viral infections, such as influenza, however, when they are inappropriately switched on, they can contribute to autoimmune diseases such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE).”

Taylah said that understanding the mechanisms that instruct a killer T cell to become activated or not is critical to developing new treatments for autoimmune diseases.

Currently, glucocorticoids (steroids) are used throughout the world to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, because of their powerful anti-inflammatory effects.

Despite the protective effects of glucocorticoids, they also have serious adverse side effects including diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis.

“These side effects are unacceptable, and therefore a safer, alternative treatment to glucocorticoids is urgently needed,” Taylah said.

“The protein we research, GILZ, is powerfully switched on by glucocorticoids and seems to drive the protective anti-inflammatory effects without having the harmful side effects.”

This makes GILZ a very attractive candidate for a glucocorticoid alternative.

“We hope that our research may one day lead to a safer therapeutic alternative to glucocorticoid use, something that is urgently needed in the clinic.” 

“I feel very honoured and proud to be the recipient of this prize. I worked really hard during my Honours year, but also had a lot of fun!”

“Also, Professor Stephen Turner, one of my PhD supervisors, won this prize himself back when he did his Honours degree, which is really cool,” Taylah said.

Taylah acknowledges Professor Eric Morand for his mentorship during some key moments in her Honours year, as well as her Honours supervisors Dr Sarah Jones and Dr Brendan Russ.

In her PhD, Taylah will continue her Honours project and will be co-supervised by Dr Sarah Jones while closely collaborating with the Morand lab.  Taylah acknowledges the ongoing support of her supervisors Dr Jones and Dr Brendan Russ, who gave “exceptional guidance, encouragement and enthusiasm throughout the year.”