Jessie Walker

Jessie Walker

Higher Degree by Research Candidate

School of Biomedicine

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Preterm birth is the leading global cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Current therapeutics that aim to prevent preterm birth predominantly target downstream symptoms of underlying inflammatory pathology. My research seeks to understand the upstream mechanisms that underlie inflammatory disorders of pregnancy. Maternal immune adaptations are essential for successful pregnancy. I am particularly interested in the role of the adaptive immune system during pregnancy, and how this may be perturbed in complicated gestations. Applying emerging paradigms of T cell immunology will greatly increase our understanding of the complex maternal immune response to pregnancy.

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2021 - ongoing PhD Candidate Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2022 Award Robinson Research Institute Oral Presentation Award 2022 Australian Society for Medical Research Australia 250
    2022 Award Best early higher degree research presentation Fetal and Neonatal Workshop of Australia and New Zealand 2022 Australia 100
    2021 Award Australian Society for Medical Research South Australian Meeting 2021 Honours Oral Presentation Award Australian Society for Medical Research Australia -
    2020 Scholarship Repromed Reproductive Health Scholarship Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide Australia 5000
    2020 Award Microbiology & Immunology - Derrick Rowley Prize for Honours The University of Adelaide Australia -
    2019 Scholarship Adelaide Summer Research Scholarship University of Adelaide Australia -
    2019 Award The Sir Ronald Fisher Prize for Genetics III Faculty of Sciences, University of Adelaide Australia -
    2019 Award Outstanding Academic Achievement Award Faculty of Sciences, University of Adelaide Australia -
    2018 Award Outstanding Academic Achievement Award Faculty of Sciences, University of Adelaide Australia -
    2017 Award Outstanding Academic Achievement Award Faculty of Sciences, University of Adelaide Australia -

  • Language Competencies
    Language Competency
    English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2021 University of Adelaide Australia PhD in Medicine
    2020 - 2020 University of Adelaide Australia Honours (Molecular and Biomedical Science)
    2016 - 2019 University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Science (Genetics, Microbiology and Immunology)

  • Research Interests
    Fertility and Conception Immunology and Infection Pregnancy and Birth Cell Biology Cell Development, Proliferation and Death Cellular Immunology Cellular Interactions Fertility Immunology Reproductive Biology

  • Committee Memberships
    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2021 - ongoing Member Australian Society for Medical Research South Australian Committee Australian Society for Medical Research Australia

  • Presentation
    Date Topic Presented at Institution Country
    2022 - ongoing Regulatory T cell insufficiency in periconception predisposes mice to late gestation pregnancy pathology Australian Society for Medical Research South Australian Scientific Meeting 2022 Australian Society for Medical Research Australia
    2022 - ongoing Periconception Insufficiency in Regulatory​ T Cells Results in Late Gestation ​ Pregnancy Pathology in the Mouse Fetal and Neonatal Workshop of Australia and New Zealand Perinatal Society of Australia & New Zealand Australia
    2021 - ongoing Proinflammatory phenotypic plasticity of maternal regulatory T cells precedes interleukin 1β-induced preterm birth in mice ESA-SRB-ANZBMS 2021 - SRB Orals: Pregnancy Parturition and Placenta The Society for Reproductive Biology Australia
    2021 - ongoing Regulatory T cell phenotypic changes in interleukin 1 beta-induced preterm birth in mice Adelaide Immunology Retreat 2021 Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology Australia
    2021 - ongoing Maternal immune adaptations in periconception and later susceptibility to immune dysfunction and preterm birth 15th Annual Florey Postgraduate Research Conference University of Adelaide Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences Australia
    2021 - ongoing Lineage stability of maternal regulatory T cells is maintained during physiological parturition and interleukin 1β-induced preterm labour in mice SA ASMR 2021 Scientific Meeting ASMR Australia
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