
2009 – PhD, Flinders University of South Australia - Australia
2004 – Bachelor of Biotechnology (Honours – First Class), Flinders University of South Australia - Australia
Joanne’s research focuses on autoimmune diseases, particularly the origin and role of autoantibodies. Joanne completed her PhD at Flinders University, investigating antigen expression and autoantibody specificity in Sjogren’s syndrome and lupus.
Upon completion of her PhD she received an NHMRC Fellowship to undertake postdoctoral training at New York University. At NYU, Joanne studied how autoantibodies mediate tissue injury in neonatal lupus.
In 2013 Joanne returned to Australia and joined Prof Christopher Goodnow’s group at the Australian National University, with the goal of developing new genomic approaches to study autoimmune disease. She then moved with Prof Goodnow in 2015 to establish an Immunogenomics lab at the Garvan Institute.
Joanne's current research uses next generation sequencing and single cell transcriptomics to study antibody repertoires and genetic variants in patients with autoimmune disease.
2017 - Lupus Travel Grant and Scientific Presentation Award
2017 - Young Garvan Award
2011 – Sjogren’s syndrome Foundation of America Outstanding Abstract Award
2009 – Australian Rheumatology Association New Investigator Award
2008/7/6 – Australian Rheumatology Association Philip Alper’s Prize and Travel Grant
2004 – Amgen Prize for best honours thesis in South Australia
2004 – Australian Biotechnology Association honours thesis prize
2004 – University Medal
2018 - NHMRC New Investigator Project Grant - Rogue B cell Clones in Patients with Autoimmune Disease
2018 - Rebecca L Cooper Project Grant - Targeting Rogue Clones in Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases
2017 - NSW Health Early to Mid Career Fellowship - Improving diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune disease by deep sequencing antibody repertoires
2016 - Arthritis Australia SA LSS Support Group Grant - Self-reactive immunoglobulin repertoires in Sjogren's syndrome and Lupus
2013 - Arthritis Foundation America Postdoctoral Fellowship - Role of IRF5 in mediating antibody induced tissue injury
2012 - American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship - A protective role for beta2-glycoprotein I in anti-Ro60 and ssRNA mediated inflammation in congenital heart block
2010 - NHMRC CJ Martin Overseas Training Fellowship - Mechanisms of autoantibody-mediated tissue injury in congenital heart block