
PhB Science; Hons (1st Class); PhD
Etienne is a Research Officer (postdoctoral scientist) at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, and a Conjoint Lecturer at St Vincent's School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health.
Etienne completed Hons (First Class) with A/Prof Anselm Enders and Prof Stefan Broer at the John Curtin School of Medical Research (ANU, Canberra) and completed his PhD (awarded the UNSW Dean's Award for Outstanding PhD Thesis) with Prof Chris Goodnow and A/Prof Joanne Reed at the Garvan Institute. Etienne currently leads several projects relating to multi-omic study of mutant leukocytes driving autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, in his postdoctoral role with A/Prof Owen Siggs and Prof Chris Goodnow at the Garvan Institute.
2018-2022: Philanthropic support (Inclusion Body Myositis).
2021: Millenium Science Spatial Pioneers Fellowship.
2022: ICIS-Pfizer Junior Investigator Award (USD$1250); Travel Award for the B cell-T cell Keystone 2022, Hannover, Germany (USD$1200).
2021: Dean’s Award for Outstanding Thesis, UNSW, Sydney; Oral Presentation Prize, Federation of Immunological Societies of Asia-Oceania (FIMSA), FIMSA Annual Meeting, Seoul, Korea; Travel Award, FIMSA Annual Meeting 2021, Seoul, Korea (USD$150); Best Postdoc Oral Presentation, St Vincent’s Campus Postdoc Symposium, Sydney, Australia.
2020: Best Student Oral Presentation, St Vincent’s Campus Research Symposium, Sydney, Australia.
2019: Travel Award, 2nd Human & Translational Immunology Conference, Kos Island, Greece (EUR€1000); Travel Award, 2019 ThymE Conference, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel (EUR€750); Travel Award, World Congress on Inflammation, Sydney, Australia (AUD$495).
2018: Stuart Furler Travel Award, Garvan Institute of Medical Research (AUD$5,000); Travel Award, Australian and New Zealand Society of Immunology (ASI) Annual Scientific Meeting ($AUD750).
2017: Shortlist for 2017 Writing NSW Writer & Scientist Grant, “Is winter coming? Immunology as a game of thrones”; 3rd place, 3 Minute Thesis (3MT), Garvan Institute of Medical Research.
2016: Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) scholarship, for full duration of PhD undertaken at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research; Chancellor’s Letter of Commendation for Outstanding Academic Performance in 2015, Australian National University, Canberra.
2015: Awarded the Alexander McTaggart Memorial Scholarship, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
2011: French Baccalauréat Mention Très Bien (equivalent ATAR: 98).
2009: "Dux" of Telopea Park School, Canberra, Australia: Best Overall Academic Performance over the course of Secondary Education.
Etienne studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which germline and particularly somatic (acquired) mutations drive immune-mediated diseases, with a specific focus on autoimmune disease and autoinflammatory diseases. This research is primarily performed directly on blood and affected tissue samples from patients, with the aim to identify gene, protein and cellular pathways driving clinical pathology and that can be therapeutically targeted to benefit patients.
Specific projects include: rheumatoid arthritis, inclusion body myositis, clonal hematopoiesis, sporadic adult-onset autoinflammation or autoimmunity.
Student applications are welcome.