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Dr Erica Stewart

Dr Erica Stewart

Post-Doc Fellow

2019-2023 Doctor of Philosophy, Medicine; University of Sydney

2015-2018 Bachelor of Science, Advanced; University of Sydney

 

Medicine & Health
School of Biomedical Sciences

Erica is an early career researcher driven by the need for more effective vaccines. Erica completed her PhD at the University of Sydney studying the immune correlates of protection of novel respiratory vaccines to tuberculosis and COVID-19. Her research focused on understanding the mechanism of action of mucosal adjuvants when delivered to the lungs, and how they produce protective immune responses against these pathogens. 

After completing her PhD in 2023, Erica worked as a postdoctoral research officer at the Centenary Institute, developing a novel intranasal COVID-19 subunit vaccine until the end of 2024. Currently, Erica is employed in the lab of Dr Deborah Burnett as a postdoctoral research fellow at the UNSW School of Biomedical Sciences, now focused on developing a novel mRNA vaccine for urinary tract infections.
Phone
+61435351539
E-mail
erica.stewart@unsw.edu.au
Location
Wallace Wurth Building
  • Journal articles | 2025
    Stewart EL; Burnett DL, 2025, 'IL-9 and ZBTB18 are germinal center memory makers', Immunity, 58, pp. 773 - 775, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2025.03.010
    Journal articles | 2025
    Stewart EL; Stockdale S; Johansen MD; Smith L; Alca S; Maxwell JWC; Nguyen DH; Miemczyk S; Zhao G; Turville S; Triccas JA; Steain M; Byrne SN; Hansbro PM; Payne RJ; Britton WJ; Ashhurst AS, 2025, 'Upper respiratory tract immunization with Pam2Cys-adjuvanted spike protein vaccine achieves sterilizing protection against SARS-CoV-2', Frontiers in Immunology, 16, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1654126
    Journal articles | 2024
    Ferrell KC; Stewart EL; Counoupas C; Triccas JA, 2024, 'Colony morphotype governs innate and adaptive pulmonary immune responses to Mycobacterium abscessus infection in C3HeB/FeJ mice', European Journal of Immunology, 54, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eji.202350610
    Journal articles | 2024
    Maxwell JWC; Stockdale S; Stewart EL; Ashley CL; Smith LJ; Steain M; Triccas JA; Byrne SN; Britton WJ; Ashhurst AS; Payne RJ, 2024, 'Intranasal Self-Adjuvanted Lipopeptide Vaccines Elicit High Antibody Titers and Strong Cellular Responses against SARS-CoV-2', ACS Infectious Diseases, 10, pp. 3419 - 3429, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00544
    Journal articles | 2024
    Stewart EL; Counoupas C; Quan DH; Wang T; Petrovsky N; Britton WJ; Triccas JA, 2024, 'Lung IL-17A-Producing CD4+ T Cells Correlate with Protection after Intrapulmonary Vaccination with Differentially Adjuvanted Tuberculosis Vaccines', Vaccines, 12, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12020128
    Journal articles | 2024
    Stewart EL; Counoupas C; Steain M; Ashley C; Alca S; Hartley-Tassell L; von Itzstein M; Britton WJ; Petrovsky N; Triccas JA, 2024, 'Dendritic cell–specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN) is a cellular receptor for delta inulin adjuvant', Immunology and Cell Biology, 102, pp. 593 - 604, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/imcb.12774
    Journal articles | 2023
    Stewart E; Ashhurst A; Britton WJ, 2023, 'Arming the airways: an update on the clinical status of intranasal vaccines & the role of mucosal adjuvants', Vaccine Insights, 02, pp. 213 - 228, http://dx.doi.org/10.18609/vac.2023.033
    Journal articles | 2022
    Stewart E; Triccas JA; Petrovsky N, 2022, 'Adjuvant strategies for more effective tuberculosis vaccine immunity', Microorganisms, 7, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms7080255
    Journal articles | 2022
    Stewart E; Triccas JA; Petrovsky N, 2022, 'Correction: Stewart et al. Adjuvant Strategies for More Effective Tuberculosis Vaccine Immunity. (Microorganisms 2019, 7, 255)', Microorganisms, 10, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10040757
    Journal articles | 2022
    Stewart EL; Counoupas C; Johansen MD; Nguyen DH; Miemczyk S; Hansbro NG; Ferrell KC; Ashhurst A; Alca S; Ashley C; Steain M; Britton WJ; Hansbro PM; Petrovsky N; Triccas JA, 2022, 'Mucosal immunization with a delta-inulin adjuvanted recombinant spike vaccine elicits lung-resident immune memory and protects mice against SARS-CoV-2', Mucosal Immunology, 15, pp. 1405 - 1415, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41385-022-00578-9
    Journal articles | 2021
    Counoupas C; Johansen MD; Stella AO; Nguyen DH; Ferguson AL; Aggarwal A; Bhattacharyya ND; Grey A; Hutchings O; Patel K; Siddiquee R; Stewart EL; Feng CG; Hansbro NG; Palendira U; Steain MC; Saunders BM; Low JKK; Mackay JP; Kelleher AD; Britton WJ; Turville SG; Hansbro PM; Triccas JA, 2021, 'A single dose, BCG-adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine provides sterilising immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection', Npj Vaccines, 6, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41541-021-00406-4
    Journal articles | 2021
    Enriquez AB; Izzo A; Miller SM; Stewart EL; Mahon RN; Frank DJ; Evans JT; Rengarajan J; Triccas JA, 2021, 'Advancing Adjuvants for Mycobacterium tuberculosis Therapeutics', Frontiers in Immunology, 12, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.740117
    Journal articles | 2021
    Ferrell KC; Stewart EL; Counoupas C; Ashhurst TM; Britton WJ; Petrovsky N; Triccas JA, 2021, 'Intrapulmonary vaccination with delta-inulin adjuvant stimulates non-polarised chemotactic signalling and diverse cellular interaction', Mucosal Immunology, 14, pp. 762 - 773, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41385-021-00379-6
    Journal articles | 2020
    Counoupas C; Ferrell KC; Ashhurst A; Bhattacharyya ND; Nagalingam G; Stewart EL; Feng CG; Petrovsky N; Britton WJ; Triccas JA, 2020, 'Mucosal delivery of a multistage subunit vaccine promotes development of lung-resident memory T cells and affords interleukin-17-dependent protection against pulmonary tuberculosis', Npj Vaccines, 5, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41541-020-00255-7
  • Conference Papers | 2024
    Ferrell K; Stewart E; Counoupas C; Triccas J, 2024, 'Colony morphotype governs innate and adaptive pulmonary immune responses to Mycobacterium abscessus infection in C3HeB/FeJ mice', in EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, WILEY, IRELAND, Dublin, pp. 657 - 657, presented at 7th European Conference of Immunology, IRELAND, Dublin, 01 September 2024 - 04 September 2024
    Conference Papers | 2024
    Stewart E; Counoupas C; Ferrell K; Cootes T; Armitage E; Johansen M; Das S; Hansbro P; Petrovsky N; Britton W; Triccas J, 2024, 'The safety, early lung transcriptional responses and efficacy of differently adjuvanted subunit tuberculosis vaccines after intrapulmonary delivery', in EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, WILEY, pp. 1635 - 1635
    Preprints | 2020
    Counoupas C; Johansen M; Stella A; Nguyen D; Ferguson A; Aggarwal A; Bhattacharyya N; Grey A; Patel K; Siddiquee R; Stewart E; Feng C; Hansbro N; Palendira U; Steain M; Saunders B; Low J; Mackay J; Kelleher A; Britton W; Turville S; Hansbro P; Triccas J, 2020, A single dose, BCG-adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine provides sterilizing immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice, http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2020.12.10.419044
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Edwards M; Stewart E; Palermo R; Lah S, 2017, 'FACIAL EMOTION PERCEPTION IN PEOPLE WITH EPILEPSY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WITH META-ANALYSIS', in EPILEPSIA, WILEY, SPAIN, Barcelona, pp. S50 - S50, presented at 32nd International Epilepsy Congress, SPAIN, Barcelona, 02 September 2017 - 06 September 2017, https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000417566600137&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1

 

2025

  • 10X Genomics Millenium Science Fellowship Awardee

2024

  • Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology (ASI) travel grant valued at $2000 to attend the European Congress of Immunology (ECI) in Dublin, Ireland in September 2024.
  • Centenary Institute travel award valued at $3000 to attend ECI conference in Dublin, Ireland.
  • Travel grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Collaboration for TB Vaccine Discovery to attend their annual meeting and ECR career development course to be held in Seattle in June 2024. Business class flights and accommodation paid.

2023

  • Centenary Institute travel award valued at $3000 to attend the Annual Scientific Meeting of ASI held in Auckland, New Zealand.

2022

  • ASI Annual Meeting Travel Bursary Award.

2020

  • 8th Australasian Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics Development (AVID) Meeting 2020 Award for best EMCR short talk valued at $250.

Erica's research focuses on studying the mechanisms behind protective immunity induced by vaccines. In the course of her research, this has led her to primarily characterize CD4+ T cell responses, both systemic and in mucosal tissues. She is also experienced in characterizing and assessing humoral immune responses such as binding antibody responses and neutralizing antibody titres.