Dr Karren Plain

Research Fellow
Faculty of Veterinary Science
Ph:+61 2 9036 7737
E:
C01 - J.L. Shute
The University of Sydney
NSW 2570 Australia

Qualifications

1991 BSc
2006 PhD

Career History

1992-2007 University of NSW
2007-present University of Sydney

Research Interests

Karren joined the Farm Animal and Veterinary Public Health group as a Research Fellow in 2007. Her work involves the analysis of differential gene expression in the host/pathogen interaction in Johne’s disease, identification of genetic resistance traits and development of techniques for early diagnose of infection.

Interests include understanding how the immune response is controlled in chronic infectious diseases. Without control, an immune response that is meant to protect may damage the normal tissues in the body. These principles have been applied to the study of Johne’s disease in sheep and cattle, a chronic disease where the infectious organism attempts to evade immune attack. One form of evasion may be by harnessing of immune regulatory mechanisms that have evolved to protect the host.