Co-Head, Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease Group; Microbiology Lead, Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines & Infectious Diseases
PhD
Associate Professor Lea-Ann Kirkham is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia and an Honorary Fellow at the Telethon Kids Institute. A/Prof Kirkham performed the role of Co-director of the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases from 2019 to 2022, and she continues to lead Microbiology research within the Centre. A/Prof Kirkham's vision is to develop improved therapies, including vaccines and vaccine schedules, to significantly reduce the global burden of childhood ear and lung diseases.
A/Prof Kirkham currently leads a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)-funded project to develop a probiotic to prevent ear and lung infections. She is also co-investigator on an NHMRC-funded clinical trial in Papua New Guinea comparing different vaccines and combinations of vaccines to find the best approach to protect infants from pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis in PNG. Data from this study will guide vaccine policy for low-income countries.
A/Prof Kirkham’s PhD research at Glasgow University led to development of a vaccine antigen to prevent pneumonia and meningitis. Her research on the rise in febrile convulsions after the seasonal influenza vaccine in 2010 contributed to nationwide cessation of a particular ‘flu vaccine for all children under 5 years of age. Her team’s research on identifying the predominant cause of ear infections in Australian children contributed to introduction of a new vaccine onto the National Immunisation Program. This vaccine has recently been shown to reduce ear infection rates in Indigenous Australian children.
-
Projects
-
Publications
May 2023
Histo-blood group antigen profile of Australian Aboriginal children and seropositivity following oral rotavirus vaccination
Histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) may influence immune responses to rotavirus vaccination.
Published research Immunisation Aboriginal Health Infectious Diseases Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupJuly 2023Pneumococcal carriage, serotype distribution, and antimicrobial susceptibility in Papua New Guinean children vaccinated with PCV10 or PCV13 in a head-to-head trial
Children in Papua New Guinea (PNG) are at high risk of pneumococcal infections. We investigated pneumococcal carriage rates, serotype distribution, and antimicrobial susceptibility in PNG children after vaccination with 10-valent or 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV10; PCV13).
Published research Infectious Diseases Child Disability Ear Health Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupMarch 2023among children with pneumonia using a causal Bayesian network
Pneumonia remains a leading cause of hospitalization and death among young children worldwide, and the diagnostic challenge of differentiating bacterial from non-bacterial pneumonia is the main driver of antibiotic use for treating pneumonia in children. Causal Bayesian networks (BNs) serve as powerful tools for this problem as they provide clear maps of probabilistic relationships between variables and produce results in an explainable way by incorporating both domain expert knowledge and numerical data.
Infectious Disease Implementation Research Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupDecember 2014Molecular tools for differentiation of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae from Haemophilus haemolyticus
The molecular approaches that have been developed for differentiation of NTHi from H. haemolyticus, with the advantages and disadvantages of each target
Published research Infectious Diseases Vaccine Trials GroupDecember 2014A PCR-high-resolution melt assay for rapid differentiation of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae and Haemophilus haemolyticus
We have developed a PCR-high-resolution melt (PCR-HRM) assay to discriminate nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) colonies from Haemophilus haemolyticus
Published research Influenza Infectious Diseases Vaccine Trials GroupFebruary 2014Diversity of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae strains colonizing Australian Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children
Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI) strains are responsible for respiratory-related infections which cause a significant burden of disease in...
Published research Aboriginal Health Ear Health Vaccine Trials GroupFebruary 2013High pneumococcal serotype specific IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 levels in serum and the middle ear of children with recurrent acute otitis media
Recurrent acute otitis media (AOM), frequently caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, is a major paediatric health problem.
Published research Ear Infections Infectious Diseases Vaccine Trials GroupJanuary 2013Neutrophil Extracellular Traps and Bacterial Biofilms in Middle Ear Effusion of Children with Recurrent Acute Otitis Media
Bacteria persist within biofilms on the middle ear mucosa of children with recurrent and chronic otitis media however the mechanisms by which these...
Published research Ear Infections Vaccine Trials GroupApril 2012Children with otitis media mount a pneumococcal serotype specific serum IgG and IgA response comparable to healthy controls after pneumococcal conjugate vaccination
We investigated the suggestion that otitis-prone children have an impaired antibody response in the context of pneumococcal vaccination.
Published research Ear Infections Immunisation Vaccine Trials GroupNovember 2010Are you listening? The inaugural OMOZ Workshop - towards a better understanding of otitis media
Are you listening? The inaugural OMOZ Workshop - towards a better understanding of otitis media
Published research Ear Infections Ear Health Vaccine Trials GroupFebruary 2022Sleep Disordered Breathing and Recurrent Tonsillitis Are Associated With Polymicrobial Bacterial Biofilm Infections Suggesting a Role for Anti-Biofilm Therapies
The underlying pathogenesis of pediatric obstructive sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and recurrent tonsillitis (RT) are poorly understood but need to be elucidated to develop less invasive treatment and prevention strategies.
Published research Vaccine Trials Group Airway Epithelial Research Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupJanuary 2022An eight-plex immunoassay for Group A streptococcus serology and vaccine development
Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a major human pathogen responsible for superficial infections through to life-threatening invasive disease and the autoimmune sequelae acute rheumatic fever (ARF). Despite a significant global economic and health burden, there is no licensed vaccine available to prevent GAS disease. Several pre-clinical vaccines that target conserved GAS antigens are in development.
Published research Immunisation Infectious Diseases Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease Group Invasive Streptococcus A DiseaseOctober 2022Evidence of maternal transfer of antigen-specific antibodies in serum and breast milk to infants at high-risk of S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae disease
Children in low-mid income countries, and First Nations children in high-income countries, experience disproportionately high rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae infections and diseases including pneumonia and otitis media.
Published research Breastfeeding Ear Infections Influenza Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupApril 2022Australian Aboriginal Otitis-Prone Children Produce High-Quality Serum IgG to Putative Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Vaccine Antigens at Lower Titres Compared to Non-Aboriginal Children
Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is the most common bacterial otopathogen associated with otitis media (OM). NTHi persists in biofilms within the middle ears of children with chronic and recurrent OM. Australian Aboriginal children suffer exceptionally high rates of chronic and recurrent OM compared to non-Aboriginal children.
Published research Ear Infections Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupAugust 2021Lack of effectiveness of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination against pneumococcal carriage density in Papua New Guinean infants
Papua New Guinea (PNG) introduced the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in 2014, with administration at 1, 2, and 3 months of age. PCV13 has reduced or eliminated carriage of vaccine types in populations with low pneumococcal carriage prevalence, carriage density and serotype diversity.
Published research Immunisation Infectious Diseases Ear Health Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Subsite: END RHDAugust 2021Differences in Pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenzae Natural Antibody Development in Papua New Guinean Children in the First Year of Life
Development of vaccines to prevent disease and death from Streptococcus pneumoniae, and nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), the main pathogens that cause otitis media, pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis, are a global priority.
Published research Infectious Diseases Ear Health Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupJune 2021PCV10 elicits Protein D IgG responses in Papua New Guinean children but has no impact on NTHi carriage in the first two years of life
Nasopharyngeal colonisation with nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is associated with development of infections including pneumonia and otitis media. The 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) uses NTHi Protein D (PD) as a carrier. Papua New Guinean children have exceptionally early and dense NTHi carriage, and high rates of NTHi-associated disease.
Published research Immunisation Influenza Child Disability Ear Health Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupJune 2021Targeting host-microbial interactions to develop otitis media therapies
Otitis media (OM; middle ear infection) is the most common reason for pre-school children to visit a doctor, be prescribed antimicrobials, or undergo surgery. Recent Cochrane reviews of clinical trials have identified that antibiotics and grommet surgery are only moderately effective in treating OM, with recurrent or persistent infection observed in one-third of children. Research efforts are focusing on developing improved therapies to treat OM and prevent disease recurrence.
Published research Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupOctober 2020Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine primes mucosal immune responses to pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine booster in Papua New Guinean children
Invasive pneumococcal disease remains a major cause of hospitalization and death in Papua New Guinean (PNG) children. We assessed mucosal IgA and IgG responses in PNG infants vaccinated with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) followed by a pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) booster.
Published research Immunisation Infectious Diseases Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesMarch 2020Panel 8: Vaccines and immunology
Review and highlight of the significant advances made towards vaccine development and understanding of the immunology of otitis media
Published research Infectious Diseases Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupMarch 2020Panel 4: Recent advances in understanding the natural history of the otitis media microbiome and its response to environmental pressures
Advances in understanding bacterial dynamics in the upper airway microbiome are driving development of microbiota-modifying therapies to prevent or treat disease
Published research Ear Infections Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupMarch 2020Nasal delivery of a commensal Pasteurellaceae species inhibits nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae colonisation and delays onset of otitis media in mice
We have demonstrated that a single dose of a closely related commensal can delay onset of NTHi otitis media in vivo
Published research Ear Infections Infectious Diseases Pregnancy and Early Life Immunology Vaccine Trials Group Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease Group Healthy Skin and ARF PreventionFebruary 2020Bacterial Reservoirs in the Middle Ear of Otitis-prone Children Are Associated With Repeat Ventilation Tube Insertion
Presence of bacterial otopathogen in the middle ear during ventilation tube insertion was a predictor of children at-risk of repeat ventilation tube insertion
Published research Ear Infections Vaccine Trials Group Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupMarch 2019The contribution of viruses and bacteria to community-acquired pneumonia in vaccinated children: A case - Control study
Respiratory viruses, particularly respiratory syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus, are major contributors to pneumonia in Australian children
Published research Infectious Diseases Infectious Disease Implementation Research Vaccine Trials Group Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupDecember 2019High concentrations of middle ear antimicrobial peptides and proteins are associated with detection of middle ear pathogens in children with recurrent acute otitis media
Elevated antimicrobial proteins and peptides and cytokines in middle ear effusion are a marker of inflammation and bacterial persistence
Published research Ear Infections Vaccine Trials Group Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupFebruary 2019Immunogenicity and Immune Memory after a Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine Booster in a High-Risk Population Primed with Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine
PPV is immunogenic in 9-month-old children at high risk of pneumococcal infections and does not affect the capacity to produce protective immune responses
Published research Academic Biostatistics Immunisation Infectious Diseases Ear Health Vaccine Trials Group Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupJanuary 2019Pcv7-and pcv10-vaccinated otitis-prone children in new zealand have similar pneumococcal and haemophilus influenzae densities in their nasopharynx and middle ear
PCV10 did not reduce NTHi density in the nasopharynx or middle ear, and was associated with increased pneumococcal nasopharyngeal density
Published research Ear Infections Immunisation Infectious Diseases Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupJuly 2019The Contribution of Geogenic Particulate Matter to Lung Disease in Indigenous Children
The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between dust levels and health in Indigenous children in Western Australia
Published research Aboriginal Health & Wellbeing Human Development and Community Wellbeing Airway Epithelial Research Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupApril 2019Combination of clinical symptoms and blood biomarkers can improve discrimination between bacterial or viral community-acquired pneumonia in children
Combining elevated CRP with the presence or absence of clinical signs/ symptoms differentiates definite bacterial from presumed viral pneumonia better than CRP alone
Published research Infectious Diseases Infectious Disease Implementation Research Vaccine Trials Group Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupApril 2019Production of IgG2 Antibodies to Pneumococcal Polysaccharides After Vaccination of Treated HIV Patients May Be Augmented by IL-7Rα Signaling in ICOS + Circulating T-Cells
Our findings suggest that utilization of IL-7 by cTFH cells affects production of IgG2 antibodies to PPV23 antigens in some HIV patients
Published research Infectious Diseases Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupApril 2019Safety and immunogenicity of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in a high-risk population: a randomised controlled trial of PCV in Papua New Guinean infants
Infant vaccination with 3 doses of PCV10 or PCV13 is safe and immunogenic in a highly endemic setting
Published research Immunisation Infectious Diseases Ear Health Vaccine Trials Group Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupNovember 2018Moraxella catarrhalis Restriction-Modification Systems Are Associated with Phylogenetic Lineage and Disease
We observed an association between Type III DNA methyltransferase presence and Otitis Media-associated middle ear isolates
Published research Ear Health Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupApril 2018Evidence of functional cell-mediated immune responses to nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae in otitis-prone children
These data provide evidence that otitis-prone children do not have impaired functional cell mediated immunity
Published research Ear Infections Vaccine Trials Group Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupMarch 2018Bacillus licheniformis in geogenic dust induces inflammation in respiratory epithelium
We have previously demonstrated that mice exposed to geogenic dust PM10 experienced an exacerbation of inflammatory responses to influenza A virus.
Published research Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupMarch 2018Role of viral and bacterial pathogens in causing pneumonia among Western Australian children: A case-control study protocol
Pneumonia is the leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality globally.
Published research Vaccine Trials Group Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupJanuary 2017No evidence for impaired humoral immunity to pneumococcal proteins in Australian Aboriginal children with otitis media
Conserved vaccine candidate proteins from S.pneumoniae induce serum and salivary antibody responses in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children with history of OM
Published research Ear Infections Aboriginal Health Vaccine Trials GroupMarch 2017Otitis-prone children produce functional antibodies to pneumolysin and pneumococcal polysaccharides
The production of functional antipneumococcal antibodies in otitisprone children demonstrates that they respond to the current pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)and are likely to respond to pneumolysin-based vaccines as effectively as healthy children.
Published research Ear Infections Immunisation Infectious Diseases Ear Health Vaccine Trials GroupApril 2017Australian Aboriginal children with otitis media have reduced antibody titers to specific nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae vaccine antigens
decreased serum IgG responses to NTHi outer membrane proteins may contribute to the development of chronic and severe OM in Australian Aboriginal children
Published research Ear Infections Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupMay 2017Production of IgG antibodies to pneumococcal polysaccharides is associated with expansion of ICOS+ circulating memory T follicular-helper cells which is impaired by HIV infection
Dysfunction of T follicular-helper cells is a possible cause of impaired germinal centre and IgG antibody responses in individuals with HIV
Published research Immunisation Infectious Diseases Ear HealthJune 2017Increased CTLA-4+ T cells may contribute to impaired T helper type 1 immune responses in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic inflammation may expand sub-populations of T cells expressing CTLA-4 in COPD patients and therefore impair T-cell function
Published research Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupNovember 2017Understanding the aetiology and resolution of chronic otitis media from animal and human studies
This Clinical Puzzle article describes our current knowledge of chronic otitis media and the existing research models for this condition
Published research Ear Infections Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupDecember 2017Rationale and methods of a randomized controlled trial of immunogenicity, safety and impact on carriage of pneumococcal conjugate and polysaccharide vaccines in infants in Papua New Guinea
Vaccination trials in high endemicity areas are needed to provide evidence and guidance on idea strategies to protect children in these areas against infections
Published research Ear Health Vaccine Trials Group Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease GroupSeptember 2016Duplex quantitative PCR assay for detection of haemophilus influenzae that distinguishes fucose-and protein d-negative strains
Developed a specific Haemophilus influenzae quantitative PCR (qPCR) that also identifies fucose-negative and protein D-negative strains
Published research Infectious Diseases Vaccine Trials GroupApril 2016Chronic HIV-1 infection induces B-cell dysfunction that is incompletely resolved by long-term antiretroviral therapy
B-cell dysfunction persists in patients with HIV receiving long-term antiretroviral therapy. the causes and consequences of this require further investigation.
Published research Infectious Diseases Vaccine Trials Group -
Awards/Honours
-
Education and Qualifications