Stephan Brouwer (ORCiD: 0000-0002-9777-2992) is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Queensland. With expertise in bacterial pathogenesis, encompassing both Gram-negative and Gram-positive human pathogens, his research explores the interaction between infectious disease agents and the human host. Much of his work focuses on understanding and preventing disease caused by the human pathogen Group A Streptococcus (GAS; Streptococcus pyogenes). He is at the forefront of the global effort to characterise a scarlet fever outbreak which began in North Asia in 2011, and his current research themes centre around the emergence of new hypervirulent GAS lineages that pose a major public health threat. Stephan utilises modern molecular technologies to study host-pathogen interactions and identify the genetic requirements for GAS to cause disease, with the aim to pursue the development of life-saving therapeutic and preventative advances. He has published his findings in Top Tier journals and helped to establish a sentinel hospital surveillance system in Australia to monitor the importation of GAS isolates causing epidemic scarlet fever.
Stephan completed his PhD in 2015 at one of Germany’s most respected research institutes, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), where he conducted research on post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms in the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. He then moved to Australia to join the group of Prof. Mark Walker at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, where he is working eversince.
Journal Article: Integrative omics identifies conserved and pathogen-specific responses of sepsis-causing bacteria
Mu, Andre, Klare, William P., Baines, Sarah L., Ignatius Pang, C. N., Guérillot, Romain, Harbison-Price, Nichaela, Keller, Nadia, Wilksch, Jonathan, Nhu, Nguyen Thi Khanh, Phan, Minh-Duy, Keller, Bernhard, Nijagal, Brunda, Tull, Dedreia, Dayalan, Saravanan, Chua, Hwa Huat Charlie, Skoneczny, Dominik, Koval, Jason, Hachani, Abderrahman, Shah, Anup D., Neha, Nitika, Jadhav, Snehal, Partridge, Sally R., Cork, Amanda J., Peters, Kate, Bertolla, Olivia, Brouwer, Stephan, Hancock, Steven J., Álvarez-Fraga, Laura, De Oliveira, David M. P. ... Walker, Mark J. (2023). Integrative omics identifies conserved and pathogen-specific responses of sepsis-causing bacteria. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 1530, 1-21. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-37200-w
Journal Article: Pathogenesis, epidemiology and control of Group A Streptococcus infection
Brouwer, Stephan, Rivera-Hernandez, Tania, Curren, Bodie F., Harbison-Price, Nichaela, De Oliveira, David M. P., Jespersen, Magnus G., Davies, Mark R. and Walker, Mark J. (2023). Pathogenesis, epidemiology and control of Group A Streptococcus infection. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 21 (7), 431-447. doi: 10.1038/s41579-023-00865-7
Journal Article: Detection of Streptococcus pyogenes M1UK in Australia and characterization of the mutation driving enhanced expression of superantigen SpeA
Davies, Mark R., Keller, Nadia, Brouwer, Stephan, Jespersen, Magnus G., Cork, Amanda J., Hayes, Andrew J., Pitt, Miranda E., De Oliveira, David M. P., Harbison-Price, Nichaela, Bertolla, Olivia M., Mediati, Daniel G., Curren, Bodie F., Taiaroa, George, Lacey, Jake A., Smith, Helen V., Fang, Ning-Xia, Coin, Lachlan J. M., Stevens, Kerrie, Tong, Steven Y. C., Sanderson-Smith, Martina, Tree, Jai J., Irwin, Adam D., Grimwood, Keith, Howden, Benjamin P., Jennison, Amy V. and Walker, Mark J. (2023). Detection of Streptococcus pyogenes M1UK in Australia and characterization of the mutation driving enhanced expression of superantigen SpeA. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 1051, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-36717-4
(2023–2025) University of Wollongong
Studying the synergistic effects of streptococcal SLO and NADase on toxification of the host redox metabolism
Doctor Philosophy
The contribution of superantigens to the pathogenesis of Streptococcus pyogenes M1UK
Doctor Philosophy
Deploying ex vivo intranasal and tonsillar epithelial models to investigate Streptococcus pyogenes colonisation
Doctor Philosophy
Genetic manipulation of Group A Streptococcus - gene deletion by allelic replacement
Barnett, Timothy C., Daw, Jessica N., Walker, Mark J. and Brouwer, Stephan (2020). Genetic manipulation of Group A Streptococcus - gene deletion by allelic replacement. Group A Streptococcus: methods and protocols. (pp. 59-69) edited by Thomas Proft and Jacelyn M. S. Loh. New York, NY, United States: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0467-0_5
Integrative omics identifies conserved and pathogen-specific responses of sepsis-causing bacteria
Mu, Andre, Klare, William P., Baines, Sarah L., Ignatius Pang, C. N., Guérillot, Romain, Harbison-Price, Nichaela, Keller, Nadia, Wilksch, Jonathan, Nhu, Nguyen Thi Khanh, Phan, Minh-Duy, Keller, Bernhard, Nijagal, Brunda, Tull, Dedreia, Dayalan, Saravanan, Chua, Hwa Huat Charlie, Skoneczny, Dominik, Koval, Jason, Hachani, Abderrahman, Shah, Anup D., Neha, Nitika, Jadhav, Snehal, Partridge, Sally R., Cork, Amanda J., Peters, Kate, Bertolla, Olivia, Brouwer, Stephan, Hancock, Steven J., Álvarez-Fraga, Laura, De Oliveira, David M. P. ... Walker, Mark J. (2023). Integrative omics identifies conserved and pathogen-specific responses of sepsis-causing bacteria. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 1530, 1-21. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-37200-w
Pathogenesis, epidemiology and control of Group A Streptococcus infection
Brouwer, Stephan, Rivera-Hernandez, Tania, Curren, Bodie F., Harbison-Price, Nichaela, De Oliveira, David M. P., Jespersen, Magnus G., Davies, Mark R. and Walker, Mark J. (2023). Pathogenesis, epidemiology and control of Group A Streptococcus infection. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 21 (7), 431-447. doi: 10.1038/s41579-023-00865-7
Davies, Mark R., Keller, Nadia, Brouwer, Stephan, Jespersen, Magnus G., Cork, Amanda J., Hayes, Andrew J., Pitt, Miranda E., De Oliveira, David M. P., Harbison-Price, Nichaela, Bertolla, Olivia M., Mediati, Daniel G., Curren, Bodie F., Taiaroa, George, Lacey, Jake A., Smith, Helen V., Fang, Ning-Xia, Coin, Lachlan J. M., Stevens, Kerrie, Tong, Steven Y. C., Sanderson-Smith, Martina, Tree, Jai J., Irwin, Adam D., Grimwood, Keith, Howden, Benjamin P., Jennison, Amy V. and Walker, Mark J. (2023). Detection of Streptococcus pyogenes M1UK in Australia and characterization of the mutation driving enhanced expression of superantigen SpeA. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 1051, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-36717-4
Brouwer, Stephan, Rivera-Hernandez, Tania, Curren, Bodie F., Harbison-Price, Nichaela, De Oliveira, David M. P., Jespersen, Magnus G., Davies, Mark R. and Walker, Mark J. (2023). Author Correction: Pathogenesis, epidemiology and control of Group A Streptococcus infection (Nature Reviews Microbiology, (2023), 21, 7, (431-447), 10.1038/s41579-023-00865-7). Nature Reviews Microbiology, 21 (9), 619-619. doi: 10.1038/s41579-023-00939-6
Streptococcus pyogenes hijacks host glutathione for growth and innate immune evasion
Brouwer, Stephan, Jespersen, Magnus G., Ong, Cheryl-lynn Y., De Oliveira, David M. P., Keller, Bernhard, Cork, Amanda J., Djoko, Karrera Y., Davies, Mark R. and Walker, Mark J. (2022). Streptococcus pyogenes hijacks host glutathione for growth and innate immune evasion. mBio, 13 (3), e0067622. doi: 10.1128/mbio.00676-22
De Oliveira, David M. P., Keller, Bernhard, Hayes, Andrew J., Ong, Cheryl-Lynn Y., Harbison-Price, Nichaela, El-Deeb, Ibrahim M., Li, Gen, Keller, Nadia, Bohlmann, Lisa, Brouwer, Stephan, Turner, Andrew G., Cork, Amanda J., Jones, Thomas R., Paterson, David L., McEwan, Alastair G., Davies, Mark R., McDevitt, Christopher A., Itzstein, Mark von and Walker, Mark J. (2022). Neurodegenerative disease treatment drug PBT2 breaks intrinsic polymyxin resistance in Gram-positive bacteria. Antibiotics, 11 (4) 449, 449. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics11040449
De Oliveira, David M. P., Forde, Brian M., Phan, Minh-Duy, Steiner, Bernhard, Zhang, Bing, Zuegg, Johannes, El-deeb, Ibrahim M., Li, Gen, Keller, Nadia, Brouwer, Stephan, Harbison-Price, Nichaela, Cork, Amanda J., Bauer, Michelle J., Alquethamy, Saleh F., Beatson, Scott A., Roberts, Jason A., Paterson, David L., McEwan, Alastair G., Blaskovich, Mark A. T., Schembri, Mark A., McDevitt, Christopher A., von Itzstein, Mark and Walker, Mark J. (2022). Rescuing Tetracycline Class Antibiotics for the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Pulmonary Infection. mBio, 13 (1) e03517, e0351721. doi: 10.1128/mbio.03517-21
Streptococcal superantigens and the return of scarlet fever
Hurst, Jacklyn R., Brouwer, Stephan, Walker, Mark J. and McCormick, John K. (2021). Streptococcal superantigens and the return of scarlet fever. PLOS Pathogens, 17 (12) e1010097, e1010097. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010097
Richter, Johanna, Monteleone, Mercedes M, Cork, Amanda J., Barnett, Timothy C., Nizet, Victor, Brouwer, Stephan, Schroder, Kate and Walker, Mark J. (2021). Streptolysins are the primary inflammasome activators in macrophages during Streptococcus pyogenes infection. Immunology and Cell Biology, 99 (10), 1-13. doi: 10.1111/imcb.12499
Inflammasome activation and IL ‐1β signalling in Group A Streptococcus disease
Richter, Johanna, Brouwer, Stephan, Schroder, Kate and Walker, Mark J. (2021). Inflammasome activation and IL ‐1β signalling in Group A Streptococcus disease. Cellular Microbiology, 23 (9) e13373, 1-9. doi: 10.1111/cmi.13373
Brouwer, Stephan, Barnett, Timothy C., Ly, Diane, Kasper, Katherine J., De Oliveira, David M. P., Rivera-Hernandez, Tania, Cork, Amanda J., McIntyre, Liam, Jespersen, Magnus G., Richter, Johanna, Schulz, Benjamin L., Dougan, Gordon, Nizet, Victor, Yuen, Kwok-Yung, You, Yuanhai, McCormick, John K., Sanderson-Smith, Martina L., Davies, Mark R. and Walker, Mark J. (2020). Prophage exotoxins enhance colonization fitness in epidemic scarlet fever-causing Streptococcus pyogenes. Nature Communications, 11 (1) 5018, 5018. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18700-5
Role of glutathione in buffering excess intracellular copper in Streptococcus pyogenes
Stewart, Louisa J., Ong, Cheryl-Lynn Y., Zhang, May M., Brouwer, Stephan, McIntyre, Liam, Davies, Mark R., Walker, Mark J., McEwan, Alastair G., Waldron, Kevin J. and Djoko, Karrera Y. (2020). Role of glutathione in buffering excess intracellular copper in Streptococcus pyogenes. mBio, 11 (6) e02804-20, 1-19. doi: 10.1128/mBio.02804-20
De Oliveira, David M. P., Bohlmann, Lisa, Conroy, Trent, Jen, Freda E.-C., Everest-Dass, Arun, Hansford, Karl A., Bolisetti, Raghu, El-Deeb, Ibrahim M., Forde, Brian M., Phan, Minh-Duy, Lacey, Jake A., Tan, Aimee, Rivera-Hernandez, Tania, Brouwer, Stephan, Keller, Nadia, Kidd, Timothy J., Cork, Amanda J., Bauer, Michelle J., Cook, Gregory M., Davies, Mark R., Beatson, Scott A., Paterson, David L., McEwan, Alastair G., Li, Jian, Schembri, Mark A., Blaskovich, Mark A. T., Jennings, Michael P., McDevitt, Christopher A., von Itzstein, Mark and Walker, Mark J. (2020). Repurposing a neurodegenerative disease drug to treat Gram-negative antibiotic-resistant bacterial sepsis. Science Translational Medicine, 12 (570) abb3791, eabb3791. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abb3791
All major cholesterol-dependent cytolysins use glycans as cellular receptors
Shewell, Lucy K., Day, Christopher J., Jen, Freda E.-C., Haselhorst, Thomas, Atack, John M., Reijneveld, Josephine F., Everest-Dass, Arun, James, David B. A., Boguslawski, Kristina M., Brouwer, Stephan, Gillen, Christine M., Luo, Zhenyao, Kobe, Bostjan, Nizet, Victor, von Itzstein, Mark, Walker, Mark J., Paton, Adrienne W., Paton, James C., Torres, Victor J. and Jennings, Michael P. (2020). All major cholesterol-dependent cytolysins use glycans as cellular receptors. Science Advances, 6 (21) EAAZ4926, eaaz4926. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz4926
Scarlet fever changes its spots
Brouwer, Stephan, Lacey, Jake A., You, Yuanhai, Davies, Mark R. and Walker, Mark J. (2019). Scarlet fever changes its spots. Lancet Infectious Diseases, 19 (11), 1154-1155. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30494-3
Human glycan expression patterns influence Group A streptococcal colonization of epithelial cells
De Oliveira, David M. P., Everest-Dass, Arun, Hartley-Tassell, Lauren, Day, Christopher J., Indraratna, Anuk, Brouwer, Stephan, Cleary, Ailish, Kautto, Liisa, Gorman, Jody, Packer, Nicolle H., Jennings, Michael P., Walker, Mark J. and Sanderson-Smith, Martina L. (2019). Human glycan expression patterns influence Group A streptococcal colonization of epithelial cells. FASEB Journal, 33 (10), 10808-10818. doi: 10.1096/fj.201900559R
Brouwer, Stephan and Walker, Mark J. (2019). The serotype-specific role of regulator of cov polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of invasive group a streptococcal infections. American Journal of Pathology, 189 (10), 1913-1915. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2019.07.005
Detection of epidemic scarlet fever group A Streptococcus in Australia
Walker, Mark J., Brouwer, Stephan, Forde, Brian M., Worthing, Kate A., McIntyre, Liam, Sundac, Lana, Maloney, Sam, Roberts, Leah W., Barnett, Timothy C., Richter, Johanna, Cork, Amanda J., Irwin, Adam D., You, Yuanhai, Zhang, Jianzhong, Dougan, Gordon, Yuen, K. Y., Nizet, Victor, Beatson, Scott A., Grimwood, Keith and Davies, Mark R. (2019). Detection of epidemic scarlet fever group A Streptococcus in Australia. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 69 (7), 1232-1234. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciz099
Scarlet fever makes a comeback
Walker, Mark J. and Brouwer, Stephan (2018). Scarlet fever makes a comeback. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 18 (2), 128-129. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(17)30694-1
Brouwer, Stephan, Cork, Amanda J., Ong, Cheryl-Lynn Y., Barnett, Timothy C., West, Nicholas P., McIver, Kevin S. and Walker, Mark J. (2018). The endopeptidase PepO regulates the SpeB cysteine protease and is essential for the virulence of invasive M1T1 Streptococcus pyogenes. Journal of Bacteriology, 200 (8) e00654-17, e00654-17. doi: 10.1128/JB.00654-17
Streptococcus pyogenes adhesion and colonization
Brouwer, Stephan, Barnett, Timothy C., Rivera-Hernandez, Tania, Rohde, Manfred and Walker, Mark J. (2016). Streptococcus pyogenes adhesion and colonization. FEBS Letters, 590 (21), 3739-3757. doi: 10.1002/1873-3468.12254
Brouwer, Stephan, Pustelny, Christian, Ritter, Christiane, Klinkert, Birgit, Narberhaus, Franz and Häussler, Susanne (2014). The PqsR and RhlR transcriptional regulators determine the level of Pseudomonas quinolone signal synthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by producing two different pqsABCDE mRNA isoforms. Journal of Bacteriology, 196 (23), 4163-4171. doi: 10.1128/JB.02000-14
Studying the synergistic effects of streptococcal SLO and NADase on toxification of the host redox metabolism
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
The contribution of superantigens to the pathogenesis of Streptococcus pyogenes M1UK
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Deploying ex vivo intranasal and tonsillar epithelial models to investigate Streptococcus pyogenes colonisation
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors: