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Dr Anouschka Akerman
Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr Anouschka Akerman

Bachelor of Science, First Class Honours (2014), UNSW

PhD in cancer therapeutics and stromal cell metabolism (2019), UNSW

Medicine & Health
The Kirby Institute

Nush completed her PhD at UNSW in 2019 which focused on understanding and therapeutically targeting tumour-stromal interactions in pancreatic cancer. She then worked as part of the Medicine Research Infrastructure and Operational Services team across the Upper Campus Biomedical Precinct between 2020 and 2021. She was recruited to the Viral Pathogenesis and Vector Laboratory as part of the Immunovirology and Pathogenesis Program within The Kirby Institute in 2021, where she has been managing several projects on SARS-CoV-2 and Mpox. 
Phone
+61-2-9348 0687
E-mail
aakerman@kirby.unsw.edu.au
  • Journal articles | 2022
    Aggarwal A; Akerman A; Milogiannakis V; Silva MR; Walker G; Stella AO; Kindinger A; Angelovich T; Waring E; Amatayakul-Chantler S; Roth N; Manni S; Hauser T; Barnes T; Condylios A; Yeang M; Wong M; Jean T; Foster CSP; Christ D; Hoppe AC; Munier ML; Darley D; Churchill M; Stark DJ; Matthews G; Rawlinson WD; Kelleher AD; Turville SG, 2022, 'SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.5: Evolving tropism and evasion of potent humoral responses and resistance to clinical immunotherapeutics relative to viral variants of concern', eBioMedicine, 84, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104270
    Journal articles | 2022
    Aggarwal A; Stella AO; Walker G; Akerman A; Esneau C; Milogiannakis V; Burnett DL; McAllery S; Silva MR; Lu Y; Foster CSP; Brilot F; Pillay A; Van Hal S; Mathivanan V; Fichter C; Kindinger A; Hoppe AC; Munier ML; Amatayakul-Chantler S; Roth N; Coppola G; Symonds GP; Schofield P; Jackson J; Lenthall H; Henry JY; Mazigi O; Jäck HM; Davenport MP; Darley DR; Matthews GV; Khoury DS; Cromer D; Goodnow CC; Christ D; Robosa R; Starck DJ; Bartlett NW; Rawlinson WD; Kelleher AD; Turville SG, 2022, 'Platform for isolation and characterization of SARS-CoV-2 variants enables rapid characterization of Omicron in Australia', Nature Microbiology, 7, pp. 896 - 908, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41564-022-01135-7
    Journal articles | 2022
    Phetsouphanh C; Khoo WH; Jackson K; Klemm V; Howe A; Aggarwal A; Akerman A; Milogiannakis V; Stella AO; Rouet R; Schofield P; Faulks ML; Law H; Danwilai T; Starr M; Munier CML; Christ D; Singh M; Croucher PI; Brilot-Turville F; Turville S; Phan TG; Dore GJ; Darley D; Cunningham P; Matthews GV; Kelleher AD; Zaunders JJ, 2022, 'High titre neutralizing antibodies in response to SARS–CoV–2 infection require RBD–specific CD4 T cells that include proliferative memory cells', Frontiers in Immunology, 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1032911
    Journal articles | 2022
    Shen Y; Freeman JA; Holland J; Naidu K; Solterbeck A; Van Bilsen N; Downe P; Kerridge I; Wallman L; Akerman A; Aggarwal A; Milogiannakis V; Martins Costa Gomes G; Doyle CM; Sandgren KJ; Turville S; Cunningham AL; Mulligan SP, 2022, 'Multiple COVID-19 vaccine doses in CLL and MBL improve immune responses with progressive and high seroconversion', Blood, 140, pp. 2709 - 2721, http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood.2022017814
    Journal articles | 2022
    Shen Y; Freeman JA; Holland J; Solterbeck A; Naidu K; Soosapilla A; Downe P; Tang C; Kerridge I; Wallman L; Van Bilsen N; Milogiannakis V; Akerman A; Martins Costa Gomes G; Sandgren K; Cunningham A; Turville S; Mulligan SP, 2022, 'COVID-19 vaccine failure in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and monoclonal B-lymphocytosis; humoural and cellular immunity', British Journal of Haematology, 197, pp. 41 - 51, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bjh.18014
  • Preprints | 2021
    Shen Y; Freeman JA; Holland J; Solterbeck A; Naidu K; Soosapilla A; Downe P; Tang C; Kerridge I; Wallman L; Van Bilsen N; Milogiannakis V; Akerman A; Martins Costa Gomes G; Sandgren K; Cunningham AL; Turville S; Mulligan SP, 2021, COVID-19 Vaccine Failure in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Monoclonal B-Lymphocytosis; Humoral and Cellular Immunity, , http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.28.21265549

Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) grant (2023)

This grant was awarded to the Kirby Institute LEAF team to establish a soft plastics recycling stream within the PC2 laboratory.

School of Medical Science (SoMS) Award for Safety Culture (MEDRIOS Team) (2020)

Nomination for UNSW Dean’s Award for Outstanding PhD Theses (2019)

Translational Cancer Research Network, PhD Scholarship Top-up Award (2018 – 2019)

European Pancreas Club Jubilee Meeting Travel Scholarship (2018)

Postgraduate Research Student Support Scheme (2018)

Prince of Wales Clinical School Travel Award (2018)

Campion-Ma-Playoust Memorial Award (Best Oral Presentation) Australian Society for Medical Research National Scientific Conference (2017)

Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) Scholarship (2015 – 2018)

The focus of Nush's PhD (2015-2019) was understanding the metabolic changes that occur in pancreatic tumour cells and tumour-associated stromal cells, as these changes represent vulnerabilities that can be therapeutically targeted. Her PhD focused specifically on inhibiting various nutrient transporters, that are over-expressed in both cell types, using pharmacological inhibitors or gene therapy (nanoparticles coupled with siRNA). 

In 2021, Nush joined the Viral Pathogenesis and Vector Lab (VPVL) within the Immunovirology and Pathogenesis Program (IVPP) where she is involved in:

  • Collaborative testing of sera samples from convalescent or vaccinated donors
  • Screening of new antiviral SARS-CoV-2 drugs
  • Investigating SARS-CoV-2 viral tropism
  • Establishing platforms for testing Mpox