Our Team

The TropCOVID Project brings together immunologists, clinician-scientists, public-health researchers, and healthcare-education leaders from James Cook University and partner institutions.

Our team combines local Far North Queensland leadership with senior scientific mentorship to deliver a safe, participant-centred study of how COVID-19 immunity changes over time.

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The TropCOVID Team

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Principal Investigator

Cellular Immunity Lead

Dr Daniel Browne
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Daniel is a Lecturer in Microbiology and Immunology at James Cook University.

Daniel leads the day-to-day delivery of TropCOVID. His research focuses on integrating molecular biology, microbiology, and immunology to investigate cellular immune responses to infection and vaccination.

Daniel oversees the study design, project coordination, laboratory immune monitoring, data analysis, and dissemination of findings. He is leading the development of practical, high throughput approaches for measuring COVID-19 immunity in Far North Queensland.

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Clinical Research Lead

Dr Chanika Alahakoon
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Chanika is a Lecturer in Physiology & Pharmacology at James Cook University.

Chanikas role includes participant coordination, informed consent, health-questionnaire collection, safe blood donation procedures, and study coordination.

Drawing on her clinical and participant-facing research experience, Chanika helps ensure that participation is safe, respectful, and straightforward. She also contributes to data interpretation and the clinical relevance of the study findings.

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Humoral Immunity Lead

Dr Hillary Vanderven
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Hillary is a Senior Lecturer in Immunology & Infectious Disease at James Cook University.

Hillary is a specialist viral immunologist with extensive expertise in antibody responses, vaccine development, and antibody-based therapeutics.

Her expertise will support the measurement and interpretation of antiviral immunity in this study, including the identification of humoral immune correlates associated with broad protective responses.

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Clinical and Public Health Advisor

A/Prof Julie Mudd
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Julie is the Academic Lead of Foundation Medical Studies for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at James Cook University

Julie provides advice on participant safety, consent procedures, clinical relevance, and the public-health interpretation of the research.

She supports safe blood collection when required and helps ensure that TropCOVID remains relevant to the public health priorities of Far North Queensland.

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Senior Immunologist

A/Prof Kate Miller
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Kate is an Associate Professor of Oral Biosciences, and First-Year Coordinator for the Bachelor of Dental Surgery at James Cook University

Kate has extensive experience in immunological research and provides senior scientific mentorship in immunology, laboratory methodology, research quality, and interpretation of immune-response data.

Her guidance supports the measurement and interpretation of antibodies and T-cell responses, laboratory quality control, and the development of research outputs including publications and conference presentations.

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Strategic and Healthcare Engagement

A/Prof David Simcock
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David is Dean of the College of Healthcare Sciences at James Cook University

David provides strategic advice on project leadership, governance, healthcare engagement, and collaboration across health and education networks.

His role supports the project’s connection with healthcare-exposed communities and its longer-term development as an interdisciplinary health-research platform.

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External Immunology Advisor

Prof Denise Doolan
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Professor Denise Doolan is Director of Research at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at The University of Queensland.

Denise provides external scientific mentorship in human immunology, antigen-specific T-cell responses, and high-throughput immune-monitoring approaches.

She advises on study design, assay selection, interpretation of immune-response data, and the broader contribution of TropCOVID to infectious-disease research.

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