Dr Damian Oyong
Senior Research Officer
Working groups
Background
Damian completed his PhD from Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University in 2020 under the supervision of Dr Michelle Boyle. His PhD project focused on profiling functional antibody response and complement pathogenesis in malaria.
In 2020, he joined the Stuart Lab at Seattle Children’s Research Institute to work on malaria vaccine and immunology projects. His work include utilizing systems immunology to profile vaccine-induced immune response and characterising malaria parasite-specific T cell response in malaria vaccine trials.
Damian returned to Australia in 2023 and re-joined the Boyle lab to embark on projects involving mapping immune response to malaria in lymphoid organs and in clinical trial settings.
Positions
- 2023–present: Senior Research Officer, Burnet Institute
- 2023: Research Officer, Burnet Institute
- 2020–2023: Postdoctoral Fellow, Seattle Children’s Research Institute
- 2016–2019: Research Assistant, Menzies School of Health Research
- 2013–2015: Site Laboratory Supervisor, Eijkman Institute, Eijkman‐Oxford Clinical Research Unit
Qualifications
- 2016–2020: PhD (Award July 2020), Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University. Supervisor: Dr Michelle Boyle
- 2012–2013: Honours in Biology, Monash University
- 2009–2012: Bachelor of Medical Bioscience, Monash University
Awards
- 2025: Conference Travel Award, Australian & New Zealand Society for Immunology
- 2025: FREDA grant (A$30,000), Burnet Institute
- 2025: Early Career Development Award, Lorne Infection and Immunity
- 2024: InnoVate grant (A$5,000), Burnet Institute
- 2023: Shark Tank grant (A$5,000), Burnet Institute
- 2019: Research Training Award, Australian Centre of Research Excellence in Malaria Elimination
- 2018: International Student Development Grant, Northern Territory Government
- 2017: Travel Award, International Conference of Research on Plasmodium vivax
- 2016: Menzies Enhanced Living Scholarship
- 2016: Charles Darwin University Postgraduate Scholarship
- 2015: Travel Award, United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Burnet publications
View 3 moreTfh2 and a subset of Tfh1 cells associate with antibody-mediated immunity to malaria
JCI Insight
Megan S. F. Soon et al
Cytotoxic Vδ2+T cell subsets expand in response to malaria in human tonsil and spleen organoids
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Kathleen D. Press et al
Plasmodium cynomolgi Infections Not Found in Microscopy-Diagnosed Malaria Cases across Sabah, Malaysia
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Lydia S. Murdiyarso et al
Reports and other work
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Damian Oyong could save millions of lives. We almost lost him to the US
Paywall. Published in The Australian Financial Review.
Damian Oyong could save millions of lives. We almost lost him to the US
Current projects
Malaria Synergy Program
The program brings together experts to achieve the goals of malaria elimination in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.
MASTER-MAP: modern acceleration strategies for eradication of malaria in the Asia Pacific
We're developing novel solutions and high-quality evidence to inform policies and practices that address the major barriers in malaria elimination.
Host directed therapy to boost protective immunity to malaria
Understanding immune development in this unique clinical trial will help us develop approaches to boost protective immunity to malaria, leading to novel therapeutics.
