Alexandra Mc Carron

Research Interests

Gene and Molecular Therapy Respiratory Diseases Regenerative medicine (incl. stem cells)

Dr Alexandra Mc Carron

Future Making Fellow

Robinson Research Institute

College of Health

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Available For Media Comment.

 

My Research

I am a Future Making Research Fellow within the Robinson Research Institute and lead of the Genetic Therapies Program within the Cystic Fibrosis Airway Research Group (CFARG). Our team is based within the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide, South Australia.

My research is focused on developing novel genetic therapies for cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease, with the goal of treating the underlying cause of the condition rather than simply managing its symptoms. By targeting the genetic defects responsible for CF, these approaches have the potential to restore normal airway function and preserve long-term lung health.

My program has three major areas of pre-clinical therapeutic development:

  • Gene-addition therapy using lentiviral vectors
  • Airway stem cell transplantation for regenerative repair of the airway epithelium
  • Gene editing technologies delivered using lipid nanoparticles

A major challenge facing all airway-directed genetic therapies is achieving efficient and durable delivery to the cells that line the respiratory tract. My research aims to overcome these barriers by developing innovative delivery strategies that improve therapeutic uptake, persistence, and efficacy. Ultimately, this work seeks to accelerate the translation of genetic therapies from the laboratory into clinical practice for people living with CF.

To learn more about our research and the work being undertaken by the Cystic Fibrosis Airway Research Group, watch our short research overview video: https://player.vimeo.com/video/1109289503?app_id=122963

Student Opportunities

I welcome enquiries from prospective Higher Degree by Research students, including those interested in undertaking a PhD, Master of Philosophy (MPhil), Master of Biotechnology, or Master of Research project. I also supervise undergraduate research students completing research courses or internships and provide work experience opportunities for high school students interested in biomedical research.

Students joining the laboratory have the opportunity to develop a broad range of experimental skills, including:

  • Rodent handling and airway gene delivery techniques
  • Tissue collection and processing
  • Histology and immunohistochemistry
  • Cell culture techniques and airway models
  • Flow cytometry
  • Microscopy
  • Molecular assays such as qPCR
  • Data collection, analysis, and interpretation

Date Position Institution name
2025 - ongoing Future Making Fellow Adelaide University

Date Institution name Country Title
2021 The University of Adelaide Australia PhD in Medicine
2015 The University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Health Science (Honours)
2014 The University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Science (Animal Science)

Year Citation
2026 Reyne, N., Boog, B., Cmielewski, P., McCarron, A., Smith, R., Rout-Pitt, N., . . . Donnelley, M. (2026). A longitudinal evaluation of localised chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis rat models. BMC Microbiology, 26(1), 368-1-368-14.
DOI
2025 Rout-Pitt, N., Boog, B., McCarron, A., Reyne, N., Parsons, D., & Donnelley, M. (2025). Insights into epithelial-mesenchymal transition from cystic fibrosis rat models. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, 24(1), 149-156.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4 Europe PMC5
2025 Feizi, S., Cooksley, C. M., Reyne, N., Boog, B., Finnie, J., Shaghayegh, G., . . . Vreugde, S. (2025). An immunocompetent rat model of Mycobacterium abscessus multinodular granulomatous lung infection. Tuberculosis, 152, 102629-1-102629-8.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC1
2025 dos Reis, D. C., Jin, J., Santos, A., Dastoor, P., Muiler, C., Zagoren, E., . . . Ameen, N. A. (2025). CFTR High Expresser BEST41 cells are pH-sensing neuropod cells: new implications for intestinal physiology and cystic fibrosis disease. American Journal of Physiology Cell Physiology, 329(5), C1411-C1428.
DOI
2024 McCarron, A., Surolia, R., & Ruffini, L. (2024). Editorial: Model organisms in respiratory pharmacology 2023. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 15.
DOI Scopus2
2024 Ousingsawat, J., Centeio, R., Reyne, N., McCarron, A., Cmielewski, P., Schreiber, R., . . . Kunzelmann, K. (2024). Inhibition of mucus secretion by niclosamide and benzbromarone in airways and intestine. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 1464-1-1464-12.
DOI Scopus8 WoS8 Europe PMC8
2024 Reyne, N., Cmielewski, P., McCarron, A., Smith, R., Eikelis, N., Pirakalathanan, P., . . . Donnelley, M. (2024). Effect of elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor on nasal potential difference and lung function in Phe508del rats. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 15, 1-7.
DOI Scopus7 WoS10 Europe PMC9
2024 McCarron, A., Ling, K. -M., Montgomery, S. T., Martinovich, K. M., Cmielewski, P., Rout-Pitt, N., . . . Donnelley, M. (2024). Lentiviral vector gene therapy and CFTR modulators show comparable effectiveness in cystic fibrosis rat airway models. Gene Therapy, 31(11-12), 553-559.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC2
2024 Smith, R., Morgan, K. S., McCarron, A., Cmielewski, P., Reyne, N., Parsons, D., & Donnelley, M. (2024). Ultra-fastin-vivodirectional dark-field x-ray imaging for visualising magnetic control of particles for airway gene delivery. Phys Med Biol, 69(10), 105025-1-105025-11.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC3
2024 Reyne, N., Cmielewski, P., McCarron, A., Smith, R., Schneider-Futschik, E., Eikelis, N., . . . Donnelley, M. (2024). Corrigendum: Effect of elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor on nasal potential difference and lung function in Phe508del rats(Front. Pharmacol., (2024), 15, (1362325), 10.3389/fphar.2024.1362325). Frontiers in Pharmacology, 15, 1428213.
DOI Scopus3
2023 Reyne, N., McCarron, A., Cmielewski, P., Parsons, D., & Donnelley, M. (2023). To bead or not to bead: A review of Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection models for cystic fibrosis. FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY, 14, 13 pages.
DOI Scopus30 WoS28 Europe PMC22
2023 Shrestha, N., Rout-Pitt, N., McCarron, A., Jackson, C. A., Bulmer, A. C., McAinch, A. J., . . . Hryciw, D. H. (2023). Changes in Essential Fatty Acids and Ileal Genes Associated with Metabolizing Enzymes and Fatty Acid Transporters in Rodent Models of Cystic Fibrosis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(8), 7194-1-7194-10.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC3
2023 Donnelley, M., Cmielewski, P., Knight, E., Carpentieri, C., McCarron, A., Rout-Pitt, N., . . . Farrow, N. (2023). Repeat or single-dose lentiviral vector administration to mouse lungs? It’s all about the timing. Gene Therapy, 30(9), 1-8.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC5
2023 McCarron, A. (2023). Slow and steady wins the race: Optimizing lentiviral vector production for efficient clinical-scale manufacturing. Molecular Therapy - Methods and Clinical Development, 30, 484-485.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2023 McCarron, A., Cmielewski, P., Drysdale, V., Parsons, D., & Donnelley, M. (2023). Effective viral-mediated lung gene therapy: is airway surface preparation necessary?. Gene Therapy, 30(6), 469-477.
DOI Scopus26 WoS24 Europe PMC24
2022 Donnelley, M., Cmielewski, P., Morgan, K., Delhove, J., Reyne, N., McCarron, A., . . . Parsons, D. (2022). Improved in-vivo airway gene transfer via magnetic-guidance, with protocol development informed by synchrotron imaging. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 9000-1-9000-14.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC2
2022 Drysdale, V., Cmielewski, P., Donnelley, M., Reyne, N., Parsons, D., & McCarron, A. (2022). Comparison of physical perturbation devices for enhancing lentiviral vector-mediated gene transfer to the airway epithelium.. Human Gene Therapy, 33(19-20), 1062-1072.
DOI
2022 Shrestha, N., McCarron, A., Rout-Pitt, N., Donnelley, M., Parsons, D. W., & Hryciw, D. H. (2022). Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency in Cystic Fibrosis Disease Progression: Role of Genotype and Sex. Nutrients, 14(21), 4666.
DOI Scopus9 WoS10 Europe PMC9
2021 Mc Carron, A., Parsons, D., & Donnelley, M. (2021). Animal and cell culture models for cystic fibrosis: which model is right for your application?. American Journal of Pathology, 191(2), 228-242.
DOI Scopus71 WoS66 Europe PMC63
2021 Carpentieri, C. L., Farrow, N. R., Cmielewski, P., Rout-Pitt, N., Mc Carron, A., Knight, E., . . . Donnelley, M. (2021). The effects of conditioning and lentiviral vector pseudotype on short- and long-term airway reporter gene expression in mice.. Human Gene Therapy, 32(15-16), 817-827.
DOI Scopus5 WoS5 Europe PMC6
2021 Mc Carron, A., Farrow, N., Cmielewski, P., Knight, E., Donnelley, M., & Parsons, D. (2021). Breaching the delivery barrier: Chemical and physical airway epithelium disruption strategies for enhancing lentiviral-mediated gene therapy. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12, 669635-1-669635-11.
DOI Scopus8 WoS8 Europe PMC10
2021 Reyne, N., Cmielewski, P., Mc Carron, A., Delhove, J., Parsons, D., & Donnelley, M. (2021). Single-dose lentiviral mediated gene therapy recovers CFTR function in cystic fibrosis knockout rats. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12, 682299-1-682299-8.
DOI Scopus12 WoS11 Europe PMC13
2020 Gardner, M., Parsons, D., Morgan, K. S., McCarron, A., Cmielewski, P., Gradl, R., & Donnelley, M. (2020). Towards automated <i>in vivo</i> tracheal mucociliary transport measurement: detecting and tracking particle movement in synchrotron phase-contrast X-ray images. Physics in Medicine and Biology, 65(14), 145012-1-145012-17.
DOI Scopus7 Europe PMC3
2020 McCarron, A., Cmielewski, P., Reyne, N., McIntyre, C., Finnie, J., Craig, F., . . . Donnelley, M. (2020). Phenotypic characterization and comparison of Phe508del and cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) knockout rat models of cystic fibrosis generated by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. The American Journal of Pathology, 190(5), 977-993.
DOI Scopus38 WoS37 Europe PMC38
2020 Morgan, K. S., Parsons, D., Cmielewski, P., McCarron, A., Gradl, R., Farrow, N., . . . Donnelley, M. (2020). Methods for dynamic synchrotron X-ray respiratory imaging in live animals. Journal of synchrotron radiation, 27(Pt 1), 164-175.
DOI Scopus30 WoS27 Europe PMC19
2019 McCarron, A., Donnelley, M., McIntyre, C., & Parsons, D. (2019). Transient lentiviral vector production using a packed-bed bioreactor system. Human Gene Therapy Methods, 30(3), 93-101.
DOI Scopus24 WoS22 Europe PMC23
2019 Gardner, M. T., McCarron, A., Morgan, K., Parsons, D., & Donnelley, M. (2019). Particle coating alters mucociliary transit in excised rat trachea: A synchrotron X-ray imaging study. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 10983-1-10983-10.
DOI Scopus6 WoS3 Europe PMC3
2018 Rout-Pitt, N. B., McCarron, A., McIntyre, C., Parsons, D., & Donnelley, M. (2018). Large-scale production of lentiviral vectors using multilayer cell factories. Journal of Biological Methods, 5(2), e90-1-e90-9.
DOI Europe PMC23
2018 McCarron, A., Donnelley, M., & Parsons, D. (2018). Airway disease phenotypes in animal models of cystic fibrosis. Respiratory Research, 19(1), 54-1-54-12.
DOI Scopus73 WoS70 Europe PMC67
2017 McCarron, A., Donnelley, M., & Parsons, D. (2017). Scale-up of lentiviral vectors for gene therapy: advances and challenges. Cell and Gene Therapy Insights, 3(9), 719-729.
DOI
2016 McCarron, A., Donnelley, M., McIntyre, C., & Parsons, D. (2016). Challenges of up-scaling lentivirus production and processing. Journal of Biotechnology, 240, 23-30.
DOI Scopus105 WoS94 Europe PMC78

Year Citation
2023 Rout-Pitt, N., Mc Carron, A., Boog, B., Parsons, D., & Donnelley, M. (2023). A twist in the cystic fibrosis story—TGF-β1 treatment affects epithelialmesenchymal transition differentially in two cystic fibrosis rat airway cell models. Poster session presented at the meeting of North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference.

Year Citation
2024 McCarron, A., Ling, K. -M., Montgomery, S., Martinovich, K., Cmielewski, P., Rout-Pitt, N., . . . Donnelley, M. (2024). Lentiviral vector gene therapy and CFTR modulators show comparable effectiveness in cystic fibrosis rat airway models.
DOI

2026 F. Adikusuma, M. Donnelley, A McCarron, B. Thierry, A. Hussain, P. Thomas, C. Zhao, A. Kicic, S. Woods. Cure4CF Foundation . "Cutting-Edge Gene Editing for Cystic Fibrosis: A Universal One Time Therapy", $295,000.

2025 A. McCarron, B. Thierry, A. Hussain. Robinson Research Institute Step Funding. "Breathing new life: Engineering precision mRNA lipid nanoparticles for cystic fibrosis lung disease". $15,000.

2025 A. McCarron, N. Rout-Pitt, N. Reyne, D. M. Donnelley, Cystic Fibrosis Australia Conquer CF Genetic Therapies Grant. “Delivery: the final barrier to overcome for effective cystic fibrosis airway gene therapy”, $80,000.

2025 N. Rout-Pitt, A. McCarron, M. Donnelley, Cystic Fibrosis Australia Conquer CF Genetic Therapies Grant. “Improving CFTR gene therapy by ensuring airway cells exist in an epithelial state”, $80,000.

2024 R. Smith, M.Donnelley, A. McCarron, M. Davis, N. Reyne, D. Parsons, K. Morgan. Robinson Research Institute Step Funding. "Application of Novel X-ray Imaging Methods to Respiratory Research", $40,000.

2024 N. Rout-Pitt, A. McCarron, N. Reyne, D. Parsons. M. Donnelley. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, "Unravelling the Role of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease: Insights, Challenges, and Therapeutic Prospects", $175,000.

2024 P. Asare, C. A Foakwah, B. Ahinkorah, A. McCarron, S. Sterling. Medical Research Future Fund, “Effectiveness of Zinc Supplementation in Respiratory Infections in COPD patients: A randomised control trial”, $990,064.

2024 A. McCarron, R. Smith, K. Morgan, D. Parsons, M. Donnelley. Cystic Fibrosis Geelong Genetic Therapies Innovation Grant, “Harnessing the power of magnets: Improved effectiveness of airway gene therapy for the treatment of cystic fibrosis lung disease”, $80,000.

2023 E. Schneider-Futschik, J. Bourke, D. Parsons, H. Chinnery. J. Taylor-Cousar, P. Middleton, A. McCarron and N. Reyne. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation “Delaying the onset of cystic fibrosis pathologies” $282,000

2023 A. McCarron, N. Reyne. P. Cmielewski, M. Donnelley, D. Parsons. Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation. “Does the presence of lung infection impact the efficacy of cystic fibrosis airway gene therapy?” $40,000.

2022 M. Donnelley, D. Parsons, A. McCarron, C. Christou, T. Goddard. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “Effective delivery of genetic therapeutics for cystic fibrosis airway disease”, $307,512 USD (~$462,000 AUD).

2020 A. McCarron, P. Cmielewski, M. Donnelley, D. Parsons. Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Airway gene correction in neonatal cystic fibrosis rats”, $100,000.

2017 M. Donnelley, N. Farrow, P Cmielewski, A. McCarron, D. Parsons. Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Effective re-dosing protocols for lasting cystic fibrosis lentiviral airway gene therapy”, $75,000.

2017 M. Donnelley, C. McIntyre, N. Rout-Pitt, A. McCarron, D. Parsons. Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation. “Improving the efficiency of cystic fibrosis airway gene therapy”, $75,000.

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2024 Co-Supervisor Developing an effective airway stem cell therapy for the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis lung disease Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Stuti Saini
2024 Co-Supervisor Developing an effective airway stem cell therapy for the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis lung disease Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Stuti Saini
2023 Co-Supervisor Understanding and improving gene vector targeting with lentiviral magnetic nanoparticles Doctor of Philosophy under a Jointly-awarded Degree Agreement with Doctorate Part Time Ms Madison Michelle Davis
2023 Co-Supervisor Understanding and improving gene vector targeting with lentiviral magnetic nanoparticles Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Ms Madison Michelle Davis

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2021 - 2024 Co-Supervisor Novel Tools and Models for In-vivo Assessment of Lung Health in Cystic Fibrosis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Nikki Reyne

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