Adrian Abdo

Dr Adrian Abdo

NHMRC Grant-Funded Postdoctoral Research Fellow

School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences

College of Health

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Throughout my PhD, I gained extensive knowledge in cell biochemistry and physiology, particularly in redox signaling and endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity. After my PhD (University of Sydney, 2018), I moved to the University of Adelaide to investigate zinc signaling in vascular cells, publishing my findings on which Zinc transport proteins in endothelial and smooth muscle cells respond to changing Zinc status. These results led to an observational study investigating whether polymorphisms in the zinc transport protein, ZIP2, is linked to cardiovascular disease outcomes in cardiology patients that have undergone coronary artery angiography.

I am now a grant-funded postdoctoral scientist in researching alternative antimicrobial therapies against common healthcare-associated microbes.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are an imminent threat to our health, causing 1.3 million deaths every year. Bacteria reside in biofilms; gregarious mono- or multi-species communities protected from the external environment by a secreted extracellular polymeric substance. This sheltered lifestyle chemically and physically protects bacteria from therapies and promotes resistance. Because of this, the effectiveness of best-medical care is hampered, and even simple infections are now a serious risk due to MDR bacteria and biofilms. Therefore, more effective treatments are urgently needed.

My main interests are to contribute from basic research to translatable non-antibiotic antimicrobial therapies. In partnership with Plasmatreat (Germany), we have investigated plasma-activated water (PAW), where cold plasma is discharged into water to generate reactive oxidant species and increase acidity to form a potent, innovative antimicrobial solution to treat MDR and biofilm infections. With funding from the Medical Researcher Future Fund, we are now using small and large animal models to test the efficacy of PAW in wound healing and treating infection to inform first-in-human trials to bring PAW into the clinic.

We also collaborate with veterinary researchers to use PAW for food contamination, better animal care and safer, more sustainable food production.

Date Position Institution name
2021 - ongoing Postdoctoral Researcher University of Adelaide
2018 - 2020 Research Officer University of Adelaide

Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
2013 Distinction Dean's Merit Award UTS Australia -

Date Institution name Country Title
2014 - 2018 University of Sydney Australia PhD
2013 - 2013 UTS Australia First Class Honours in Medical Science
2010 - 2012 UTS Australia Bachelor of Medical Science

Year Citation
2025 Abdo, A. I., Nguyen, H. T., Kaul, L. D., Schmitt-John, T., Kopecki, Z., Ogunniyi, A. D., & Richter, K. (2025). Plasma-activated water accelerates wound healing and reduces Staphylococcus aureus infection in vivo. Biofilm, 10(100308), 100308.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC1
2024 Abdo, A. I., & Kopecki, Z. (2024). Comparing Redox and Intracellular Signalling Responses to Cold Plasma in Wound Healing and Cancer. Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 46(5), 4885-4923.
DOI Scopus14 WoS13 Europe PMC5
2023 Kaul, L., Abdo, A. I., Coenye, T., Swift, S., Zannettino, A., Süss, R., & Richter, K. (2023). In vitro and in vivo evaluation of diethyldithiocarbamate with copper ions and its liposomal formulation for the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms. Biofilms, 5, 100130-1-100130-10.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC2
2023 Abdo, A., McWhorter, A., Hasse, D., Schmitt-John, T., & Richter, K. (2023). Efficacy of Plasma-Treated Water against Salmonella Typhimurium: Antibacterial Activity, Inhibition of Invasion, and Biofilm Disruption. Antibiotics, 12(9), 1371-1-1371-13.
DOI Scopus8 WoS6 Europe PMC2
2022 Tran, H. B., Jakobczak, R., Abdo, A., Asare, P., Reynolds, P., Beltrame, J., . . . Zalewski, P. (2022). Immunolocalization of zinc transporters and metallothioneins reveals links to microvascular morphology and functions. Histochemistry and Cell Biology, 158(5), 485-496.
DOI Scopus9 WoS8 Europe PMC8
2022 Kaul, L., Abdo, A. I., Coenye, T., Krom, B. P., Hoogenkamp, M. A., Zannettino, A. C. W., . . . Richter, K. (2022). The combination of diethyldithiocarbamate and copper ions is active against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms in vitro and in vivo. Frontiers in Microbiology, 13, 1-15.
DOI Scopus15 WoS15 Europe PMC12
2021 Abdo, A. I., Tran, H. B., Hodge, S., Beltrame, J. F., & Zalewski, P. D. (2021). Zinc homeostasis alters zinc transporter protein expression in vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Biological Trace Element Research, 199(6), 1-14.
DOI Scopus22 WoS19 Europe PMC20
2021 Zalewski, P. D., Tvorogova, Z., Abdo, A., Wawer, A. A., Hodge, S., Murgia, C., . . . Beltrame, J. F. (2021). Harvesting endothelial cells during routine invasive coronary procedures. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 77(24), 3136-3138.
DOI
2020 Tran, H. B., Macowan, M. G., Abdo, A., Donnelley, M., Parsons, D., & Hodge, S. (2020). Enhanced inflammasome activation and reduced sphingosine-1 phosphate S1P signalling in a respiratory mucoobstructive disease model. Journal of Inflammation (United Kingdom), 17(1), 16.
DOI Scopus8 WoS8 Europe PMC8
2019 Vallejo, A., Chami, B., Dennis, J. M., Simone, M., Ahmad, G., Abdo, A. I., . . . Witting, P. K. (2019). NFκB inhibition mitigates serum amyloid a-induced pro-atherogenic responses in endothelial cells and leukocyte adhesion and adverse changes to endothelium function in isolated aorta. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(1), 18.
DOI Scopus12 WoS11 Europe PMC11
2018 Zalewski, P. D., Beltrame, J. F., Wawer, A. A., Abdo, A. I., & Murgia, C. (2018). Roles for endothelial zinc homeostasis in vascular physiology and coronary artery disease. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 59(21), 3511-3525.
DOI Scopus41 WoS37 Europe PMC30
2017 Abdo, A. I., Rayner, B. S., van Reyk, D. M., & Hawkins, C. L. (2017). Low-density lipoprotein modified by myeloperoxidase oxidants induces endothelial dysfunction. Redox Biology, 13, 623-632.
DOI Scopus46 WoS41 Europe PMC34

Year Citation
2022 Abdo, A., Schmitt-John, T., & Richter, K. (2022). Cold Plasma Therapy as a Physical Antibiofilm Approach. In K. Richter, & K. Kragh (Eds.), Antibiofilm Strategies (Vol. 11, pp. 225-261). Springer Nature.
DOI

Year Citation
2025 Antipov, A., Kennewell, T., Abdo, A., Haidari, H., & Kopecki, Z. (2025). Validation of safety and efficacy of the antimicrobial hydrogel for rapid elimination of bacterial infection in murine and porcine infected wounds. In JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY Vol. 145 (pp. S172). ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC.

Year Citation
2021 Abdo, A., Schmitt-John, T., & Richter, K. (2021). Plasma-activated water as a new weapon against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the 31st annual European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2021), as published in EMJ Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. virtual online: European Medical Group.
2020 Tran, H., Abdo, A., Jaghoori, A., Jakobczak, R., Beltrame, J., Hodge, S., & Zalewski, P. (2020). ZINC SIGNALLING MAY BE INVOLVED IN PULMONARY HYPERTENSION VIA CO-REGULATION OF NO-INDUCED VASODILATION AND ENDOTHELIN-1-INDUCED VASOCONSTRICTION. Poster session presented at the meeting of RESPIROLOGY. WILEY.
2019 Tran, H., Maiolo, S., Abdo, A., Jacobczak, R., Beltrame, J., Reynolds, P., . . . Hodge, S. (2019). Hypoxia-induced reduction in no signalling as well as increased oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with dysregulated zinc homeostasis in endothelial cells. Poster session presented at the meeting of Respirology. Broadbeach, Qld.: Wiley.
2019 Tran, H. B., Macowan, M., Abdo, A., Donnelley, M., Parsons, D., & Hodge, S. (2019). Airway inflammasome activation and dysregulated S1P signalling associated with mucus obstruction in a cystic fibrosis-like mouse model.. Poster session presented at the meeting of Respirology. Wiley.
2019 Hai, B. T., Abdo, A., Jaghoori, A., Jakobczak, R., Beltrame, J. F., Hodge, S., & Zalewski, P. D. (2019). IS ZINC A NOVEL VASCULAR SIGNALING MESSENGER AND TARGET IN PULMONARY HYPERTENSION?. Poster session presented at the meeting of RESPIROLOGY. WILEY.
DOI
2016 Abdo, A. I., Rayner, B. S., van Reyk, D. M., & Hawkins, C. L. (2016). Modification of Low-Density Lipoprotein by Myeloperoxidase Oxidants - a Pathway to Endothelial Dysfunction in Atherosclerosis?. Poster session presented at the meeting of FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE. ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC.
DOI

Year Citation
2026 Vyas, H. K. N., Abdo, A. I., Kolbe, B. H., Boahen, A., Jia, S., McWhorter, A. R., . . . Richter, K. (2026). Plasma-Activated Water: An Emerging Technology for the Control of Eggshell-Associated Biofilms.
DOI
2024 Abdo, A., & Kopecki, Z. (2024). Comparing Redox and Intracellular Signalling Responses to Cold Plasma in Wound Healing and Cancer.
DOI
  • CIB of MRFF 2021 Early- to Mid-Career Researchers - $758,438 (2023-2026)
  • Co-investigator of European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) research grant - $30,000 (2022)
  • Associate Investigator of Women's and Children's Foundation Research Project Grant - $100,000 (2020)
  • National Heart Foundation of Australia - Tom Simpson Trust Fund - Equipment Grant - $15,750 (2019)

Bachelor of Health and Medical Sciences:

  • Supervisor/demonstrator for HLTH SC 3009 Research Placement (2021-present) - 4 students
  • Supervisor for summer school research program (2021-present) - 3 students

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2025 Co-Supervisor CSI Superbugs: Unveiling unique fingerprints of antibiotic-resistant microbes through light Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Harriet Jane Cooling
2025 Co-Supervisor Nebulised plasma-activated water as an antimicrobial treatment of foodborne and clinical pathogens Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Shizuku Inomata
2025 Co-Supervisor Defying Gravity: Cold Plasma Technology to Defeat Superbugs in Microgravity Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Georgina Monica Neville
2025 Co-Supervisor CSI Superbugs: Unveiling unique fingerprints of antibiotic-resistant microbes through light Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Harriet Jane Cooling
2025 Co-Supervisor Nebulised plasma-activated water as an antimicrobial treatment of foodborne and clinical pathogens Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Shizuku Inomata
2025 Co-Supervisor Defying Gravity: Cold Plasma Technology to Defeat Superbugs in Microgravity Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Georgina Monica Neville
2024 Co-Supervisor Cold plasma technology for antibiotic-free treatment of multidrug resistant pathogens and biofilms in diabetic wounds Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Angela Boahen
2024 Co-Supervisor Cold plasma technology for antibiotic-free treatment of multidrug resistant pathogens and biofilms in diabetic wounds Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Angela Boahen

Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
2024 - ongoing Co-Supervisor Cold plasma technology to fight multispecies biofilms University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Georgina Neville
2020 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Novel treatment to prevent cardiovascular disease in Type 2 diabetes Basil Hetzel Institute - Honours Full Time Emily Kovacev

Date Role Committee Institution Country
2025 - ongoing Member BHI Management Committee Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research Australia
2025 - ongoing Member The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Institutional Biosafety Committe The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Australia
2020 - ongoing Member Organising Committee for TQEH Research Expo The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Australia

Date Title Engagement Type Institution Country
2019 - ongoing Science Alive! Public Community Engagement Basil Hetzel Institute Australia

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