Irina Caminschi
- Associate Professor
- 2016
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University
- PhD
Dr Caminschi received her PhD from the University of Western Australia, investigating ways of eliciting immune responses against cancer. Her interest in harnessing the immune system to combat disease lead to post-doctoral studies at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. Her special interest was related to speci c cells that are the sentinels of the immune system (dendritic cells); they scan for foreign intruders and then actively control the immune response that protects the body.
Dr Caminschi studied the di erent types of these important cells, their role in immunity, and identi ed new genes that explained some of the specialized functions these sub-populations of cells could perform. The discovery of novel dendritic cell molecules have not only provided a greater understanding of these cells, but also provided new targets for immunotherapy including the prospect of harnessing the immune system to fi ght cancer.