Professor Paul Young

Professor, Research Development

Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)

Affiliate Professor

Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
p.young@uq.edu.au
+61 7 336 59044

Overview

Molecular virology.

My group's research interests encompass the molecular biology and immunopathology of medically important viral infections including Ebola. Current studies are focussed on two different viruses; dengue virus, a serious mosquito-borne disease in many tropical countries, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), a major cause of hospitalization of children with respiratory infections.

The primary goals of our research are the development of vaccine and anti-viral strategies for the control of infections as well as a clearer understanding of the pathogenesis of severe disease.

Current projects in my laboratory include:

  • Structural biology based studies on the dengue virus proteins, NS3 (the viral protease) and E (a virion surface protein involved in cell binding and entry) and the RSV protein F (the viral fusion protein) as targets for antiviral drug design
  • Sub-unit and DNA based vaccines for the dengue viruses
  • Molecular pathogenesis of severe dengue disease (in particular, the consequences of dengue virus infection of host macrophages and the induction of mediators of vascular leak)
  • Design and delivery of ribozymes (catalytic RNAs) to the respiratory tract as an antiviral strategy for RSV infections

These projects involve the application of a range of techniques covering a number of disciplines including molecular biology, immunology, biotechnology, molecular cell biology, protein biochemistry and structural biology.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy of Virology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
  • Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), The University of Queensland

Publications

  • McMillan, Christopher L. D., Wijesundara, Danushka K., Choo, Jovin J. Y., Amarilla, Alberto A., Modhiran, Naphak, Fernando, Germain J. P., Khromykh, Alexander A., Watterson, Daniel, Young, Paul R. and Muller, David A. (2024). Enhancement of cellular immunity following needle-free vaccination of mice with SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Journal of General Virology, 105 (1), 1-6. doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.001947

  • Wijesundara, Danushka K., Yeow, Arthur, McMillan, Christopher L.D., Choo, Jovin J.Y., Todorovic, Aleksandra, Mekonnen, Zelalem A., Masavuli, Makutiro G., Young, Paul R., Gowans, Eric J., Grubor-Bauk, Branka and Muller, David A. (2023). Superior efficacy of a skin-applied microprojection device for delivering a novel Zika DNA vaccine. Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids, 34 102056, 102056. doi: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.102056

  • Pegg, Cassandra L., Modhiran, Naphak, Parry, Rhys H., Liang, Benjamin, Amarilla, Alberto A., Khromykh, Alexander A., Burr, Lucy, Young, Paul R., Chappell, Keith, Schulz, Benjamin L. and Watterson, Daniel (2023). The role of N-glycosylation in spike antigenicity for the SARS-CoV-2 gamma variant. Glycobiology cwad097, 1-13. doi: 10.1093/glycob/cwad097

View all Publications

Publications

Book Chapter

  • Young, Paul R. (2023). Arbovirus Infections. Manson's tropical diseases. (pp. 172-201) Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-7020-7959-7.00020-8

  • Young, Paul R. (2018). Arboviruses: a family on the move. Dengue and Zika: Control and Antiviral Treatment Strategies. (pp. 1-10) edited by Rolf Hilgenfeld and Subhash G. Vasudevan. Singapore, Singapore: Springer Nature. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-8727-1_1

  • Watterson, Daniel, Modhiran, Naphak, Muller, David A., Stacey, Katryn J. and Young, Paul R. (2018). Plugging the leak in Dengue shock. Dengue and Zika: Control and Antiviral Treatment Strategies. (pp. 89-106) edited by Rolf Hilgenfeld and Subhash G. Vasudevan. Singapore, Singapore: Springer Nature. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-8727-1_7

  • de Silva, Aravinda M., Rey, Félix A., Young, Paul R., Hilgenfeld, Rolf and Vasudevan, Subhash G. (2018). Viral entry and NS1 as potential antiviral drug targets. (pp. 107-113) Singapore, Singapore: Springer Nature. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-8727-1_8

  • Depelsenaire, A. C. I., Kendall, M. A. F., Young, P. R. and Muller, D. A. (2017). Introduction to vaccines and vaccination. Micro and nanotechnology in vaccine development. (pp. 47-62) edited by Mariusz Skwarczynski and Istvan Toth. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-323-39981-4.00003-8

  • Chappell, Keith J. and Young, Paul R. (2014). The nonstructural proteins of dengue virus. Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever: Second Edition. (pp. 377-405) edited by D. J. Gubler, Eng Eong Ooi, Subhash Vasudevan and Jeremy Farrar. Oxfordshire, United Kingdom: CABI International. doi: 10.1079/9781845939649.0377

  • Young, Paul R., Ng, Lisa F.P., Hall, Roy A., Smith, David W. and Johansen, Cheryl A. (2013). Arbovirus Infections. Manson's Tropical Diseases: Twenty-Third Edition. (pp. 129-161) edited by Jeremy Farrar. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-7020-5101-2.00015-7

  • Muller, David and Young, Paul R. (2012). The many faces of the flavivirus non-structural glycoprotein NS1. Molecular virology and control of flaviviruses. (pp. 51-75) edited by Pei-Yong Shi. Norfolk, United Kingdom: Caister Academic Press.

  • Hans, Dhiraj, Young, Paul R. and Fairlie, David P. (2009). Tumor-associated antigenic peptides as vaccine candidates. Tumor-associated antigens. (pp. 303-316) edited by Olivier Gires and Barbara Seliger. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley - VCH Verlag. doi: 10.1002/9783527625970.ch17

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

Completed Supervision