Professor Mark Douglas
People_

Professor Mark Douglas

Professor of Infectious Diseases and Hepatic Medicine
The University of Sydney Westmead Clinical School
Faculty of Medicine and Health
The Westmead Institute for Medical Research
Professor Mark Douglas

Professor Mark Douglas is an Infectious Diseases physician and molecular virologist, with a strong research interest in viral hepatitis. He heads the Viral Hepatitis Pathogenesis group at the Storr Liver Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research. He is involved in a broad array of projects, ranging from basic molecular pathogenesis to translational and clinical research. He runs liver clinics for patients with Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, and also treats patients at Westmead Hospital with HIV and a range of Infectious Diseases.

The overall aim of his research is to improve the health and well being of people with chronic viral infections.

Professor Douglas undertakes basic and translational research on hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV) pathogenesis. His research investigates interactions between hepatitis viruses and their host, focusing on metabolic pathways, cell signalling, innate immunity and induction of liver cancer. He uses novel cellular models to study how virus-host interactions affect virus replication, liver inflammation, liver fibrosis and development of liver cancer.

The aims of his research are to develop new treatments to combat viral hepatitis and use personalised medicine approaches to improve response to current antiviral therapies.

Research Academic Director - Clinical Sciences.

Postgraduate Research Supervisor

Current research projects include:

  1. Developing a cure for HBV by targeting key host cellular proteins
  2. Developing new clinical pathways to guide personalised treatment for patients with hepatitis B, using novel diagnostic techniques developed in our laboratory.
  3. Exploring the HBV replication cycle, with a focus on secretion of HBsAg and infectious virus particles.
  4. Developing surveillance systems to monitor for HCV antiviral resistance in against new direct acting antivirals (DAAs)
  5. Interactions between hepatitis D virus (HDV) and HBV, including effect of HBV genotype and mutations.
  6. Interactions between HBV or HCV and cellular metabolism, including effects on mitochondrial function and cellular lipids.

Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians

Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID) - Former Chair, Viral Hepatitis Special Interest Group

Australian Centre for Hepatitis Virology (ACHV)

Australian Society for HIV and Hepatitis Medicine (ASHM) - Viral Hepatitis Clinical Oversight Committee

European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL)

NHMRC CJ Martin Fellowship 2005

Obesity, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease, Infection and Immunological Conditions, Healthy Ageing
Project titleResearch student
Targeting and Monitoring Hepatitis B Surface Antigen: The Path Towards a Chronic Hepatitis B CureHarout AJOYAN
Development of Diagnostic Assays to Measure Hepatitis B Virus Covalently Closed Circular (ccc)DNADelgerbat BOLDBAATAR
Understanding the persistence of Hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNAHenrik ZHANG

Publications

Books

  • Douglas, M. (2008). Retrograde Cellular Transport of Herpes Simplex Virus: Interactions between Viral and Motor Proteins - a Gene Therapy Vector for Spinal Cord Disease?. Germany: VDM Verlag Dr Muller.

Book Chapters

  • Read, S., Douglas, M. (2012). Hepatitis C Virus Genotypes. In Geoffrey W. McCaughan, John G. McHutchison, Jean-Michel Pawlotsky (Eds.), Advanced Therapy for Hepatitis C, (pp. 12-16). Chichester, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. [More Information]

Journals

  • Messina, N., Croda, M., Dalcolmo, M., de Almeida e Val, F., de Oliveira, R., Dos Santos, G., Douglas, M., Gardiner, K., Gwee, A., Jardim, B., et al (2024). BCG vaccination of healthcare workers for protection against COVID-19: 12-month outcomes from an international randomised controlled trial. Journal of Infection, 89(4), 106245. [More Information]
  • Tang, Y., Jiang, X., Zhu, C., Audsley, J., Tangkijvanich, P., Avihingsanon, A., Song, S., Liu, S., Lewin, S., George, J., Douglas, M., et al (2024). Circulating capsid-antibody-complexes (CACs) drive intrahepatic complement deposition and inform subclinical liver inflammation in chronic hepatitis B. Antiviral Research, 231, 106017. [More Information]
  • Tu, T., Eslam, M., Berg, T., Chan, H., George, J., Douglas, M., Ajoyan, H., Nur Umami, R., Veeraraghavan, V., Boldbaatar, D., et al (2024). Inhibition of Cellular Factor TM6SF2 Suppresses Secretion Pathways of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Hepatitis D Viruses. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 230(4), 970-981. [More Information]

2024

  • Messina, N., Croda, M., Dalcolmo, M., de Almeida e Val, F., de Oliveira, R., Dos Santos, G., Douglas, M., Gardiner, K., Gwee, A., Jardim, B., et al (2024). BCG vaccination of healthcare workers for protection against COVID-19: 12-month outcomes from an international randomised controlled trial. Journal of Infection, 89(4), 106245. [More Information]
  • Tang, Y., Jiang, X., Zhu, C., Audsley, J., Tangkijvanich, P., Avihingsanon, A., Song, S., Liu, S., Lewin, S., George, J., Douglas, M., et al (2024). Circulating capsid-antibody-complexes (CACs) drive intrahepatic complement deposition and inform subclinical liver inflammation in chronic hepatitis B. Antiviral Research, 231, 106017. [More Information]
  • Tu, T., Eslam, M., Berg, T., Chan, H., George, J., Douglas, M., Ajoyan, H., Nur Umami, R., Veeraraghavan, V., Boldbaatar, D., et al (2024). Inhibition of Cellular Factor TM6SF2 Suppresses Secretion Pathways of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Hepatitis D Viruses. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 230(4), 970-981. [More Information]

2023

  • Pittet, L., Moore, C., McDonald, E., Barry, S., Bonten, M., Campbell, J., Croda, J., Dalcolmo, M., Davidson, A., Douglas, M., Wood, N., et al (2023). Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination for protection against recurrent herpes labialis: a nested randomised controlled trial. EClinicalMedicine, 64. [More Information]
  • Rauff, B., Ramezani-Moghadam, M., Tay, E., George, J., Douglas, M. (2023). Development of an in vitro model to study hepatitis C virus-induced fibrosis. Future Virology, 18(12), 757-766. [More Information]
  • Abomughaid, M., Tay, E., Pickford, R., Malladi, C., Read, S., Coorssen, J., Gloss, B., George, J., Douglas, M. (2023). PEMT Mediates Hepatitis C Virus-Induced Steatosis, Explains Genotype-Specific Phenotypes and Supports Virus Replication. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(10). [More Information]

2022

  • Howe, A., Rodrigo, C., Cunningham, E., Douglas, M., Dietz, J., Grebely, J., Popping, S., Sfalcin, J., Parczewski, M., Sarrazin, C., et al (2022). Characteristics of hepatitis C virus resistance in an international cohort after a decade of direct-acting antivirals. JHEP Reports, 4(5), 100462. [More Information]
  • Jefferies, M., Rashid, H., Graham, R., Read, S., Banik, G., Lam, T., Njiomegnie, G., Eslam, M., Zhao, X., Ahmed, N., Douglas, M., George, J. (2022). COVID-19 Impact on Australian Patients with Substance Use Disorders: Emergency Department Admissions in Western Sydney before Vaccine Roll Out. Vaccines, 10(6). [More Information]
  • Tu, T., Zehnder, B., Wettengel, J., Zhang, H., Coulter, S., Ho, V., Douglas, M., Protzer, U., George, J., Urban, S. (2022). Mitosis of hepatitis B virus-infected cells in vitro results in uninfected daughter cells. JHEP Reports, 4(9). [More Information]

2021

  • Wijaya, R., Read, S., Schibeci, S., Han, S., Azardaryany, M., van der Poorten, D., Lin, R., Yuen, L., Lam, V., Douglas, M., George, J., Ahlenstiel, G. (2021). Expansion of dysfunctional CD56-CD16+ NK cells in chronic hepatitis B patients. Liver International, 41(5), 969-981. [More Information]
  • Wijaya, R., Read, S., Truong, N., Han, S., Chen, D., Shahidipour, H., Fewings, N., Schibeci, S., Azardaryany, M., Parnell, G., Booth, D., van der Poorten, D., Lin, R., George, J., Douglas, M., Ahlenstiel, G. (2021). HBV vaccination and HBV infection induces HBV-specific natural killer cell memory. Gut, 70(2), 357-369. [More Information]
  • Wijaya, R., Read, S., Selvamani, S., Schibeci, S., Azardaryany, M., Ong, A., van der Poorten, D., Lin, R., Douglas, M., George, J., Ahlenstiel, G. (2021). Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Eradication With Interferon-Free Direct-Acting Antiviral-Based Therapy Results in KLRG1+ HCV-Specific Memory Natural Killer Cells. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 223(7), 1183-1195. [More Information]

2020

  • Zhand, S., Jazi, M., Mohammadi, S., Rasekhi, R., Rostamian, G., Kalani, M., Rostamian, A., George, J., Douglas, M. (2020). Covid-19: The immune responses and clinical therapy candidates. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(15), 1-34. [More Information]
  • Fan, J., Liu, X., Pan, W., Douglas, M., Bao, S. (2020). Epidemiology of coronavirus disease in Gansu Province, China, 2020. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26(6), 1257-1265. [More Information]
  • Tu, T., Douglas, M. (2020). Hepatitis B Virus Infection: From Diagnostics to Treatments. Viruses, 12(12), 1366. [More Information]

2019

  • El Sharkawy, R., Bayoumi, A., Metwally, M., Mangia, A., Berg, T., Romero-Gomez, M., Abate, M., Irving, W., Sheridan, D., Dore, G., Latchoumanin, O., Thabet, K., Najim, M., Douglas, M., Liddle, C., Qiao, L., George, J., Eslam, M., et al (2019). A variant in the MICA gene is associated with liver fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis C through TGF-β1 dependent mechanisms. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 1-10. [More Information]
  • Douglas, M., Tay, E., Eden, J., George, J. (2019). Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 8 - successful treatment with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 220(4), 720-722. [More Information]
  • Wijaya, R., Read, S., Schibeci, S., Eslam, M., Azardaryany, M., El-Khobar, K., van der Poorten, D., Lin, R., Yuen, L., Lam, V., George, J., Douglas, M., Ahlenstiel, G. (2019). KLRG1+ natural killer cells exert a novel antifibrotic function in chronic hepatitis B. Journal of Hepatology, 71(2), 252-264. [More Information]

2018

  • El Sharkawy, R., Thabet, K., Lampertico, P., Petta, S., Mangia, A., Berg, T., Metwally, M., Bayoumi, A., Douglas, M., Khan, A., et al (2018). A STAT4 variant increases liver fibrosis risk in Caucasian patients with chronic hepatitis B. Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 48(5), 564-573. [More Information]
  • Sublette, V., Smith, S., George, J., McCaffery, K., Douglas, M. (2018). Listening to both sides: A qualitative comparison between patients with hepatitis C and their healthcare professionals' perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to hepatitis C treatment adherence and completion. Journal of Health Psychology, 23(13), 1720-1731. [More Information]
  • Laursen, T., Siggard, C., Kazankov, K., Sandahl, T., Moller, H., Ong, A., Douglas, M., George, J., Tarp, B., Kristensen, L., et al (2018). Rapid and persistent decline in soluble CD163 with successful direct-acting antiviral therapy and associations with chronic hepatitis C histology. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 53(8), 986-993. [More Information]

2017

  • Eslam, M., McLeod, D., Kelaeng, K., Mangia, A., Berg, T., Thabet, K., Irving, W., Dore, G., Sheridan, D., Gronbaek, H., Booth, D., Weltman, M., Douglas, M., Liddle, C., George, J., et al (2017). IFN-(lambda)3, not IFN-(lambda)4, likely mediates IFNL3-IFNL4 haplotype-dependent hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. Nature Genetics, 49(5), 795-800. [More Information]
  • Sublette, V., Smith, S., George, J., McCaffery, K., Douglas, M. (2017). Listening to both sides: A qualitative comparison between patients with hepatitis C and their healthcare professionals' perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to hepatitis C treatment adherence and completion. Journal of Health Psychology, 22(10), 1300-1311. [More Information]
  • Bartlett, S., Grebely, J., Eltahla, A., Reeves, J., Howe, A., Miller, V., Ceccherini-Silberstein, F., Bull, R., Douglas, M., Dore, G., et al (2017). Sequencing of Hepatitis C Virus for Detection of Resistance to Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy: A Systematic Review. Hepatology Communications, 1(5), 379-390. [More Information]

2016

  • Awan, Z., Tay, E., Eyre, N., Wu, L., Beard, M., Boo, I., Drummer, H., George, J., Douglas, M. (2016). Calsyntenin-1 mediates hepatitis C virus replication. Journal of General Virology, 97(8), 1877-1887. [More Information]
  • Eslam, M., Mangia, A., Berg, T., Chan, H., Irving, W., Dore, G., Abate, M., Bugianesi, E., Adams, L., Najim, M., Weltman, M., Rahme, A., Booth, D., Liddle, C., Douglas, M., van der Poorten, D., George, J., White, R., Leung, R., et al (2016). Diverse impacts of the rs58542926 E167K variant in TM6SF2 on viral and metabolic liver disease phenotypes. Hepatology, 64(1), 34-46. [More Information]
  • Eslam, M., Hashem, A., Romero-Gomez, M., Berg, T., Dore, G., Mangia, A., Chan, H., Irving, W., Sheridan, D., Abate, M., Weltman, M., Kelaeng, K., Ahlenstiel, G., Liddle, C., Douglas, M., Booth, D., George, J., et al (2016). FibroGENE: A gene-based model for staging liver fibrosis. Journal of Hepatology, 64(2), 390-398. [More Information]

2015

  • Swaminathan, S., Dunckley, H., Ojaimi, S., Ling, M., Fulcher, D., Young, S., Kok, J., Douglas, M. (2015). Author reply: To PMID 25041771. Internal Medicine Journal, 45(2), 234-235. [More Information]
  • Read, S., Tay, E., Shahidi, M., O'Connor, K., Booth, D., George, J., Douglas, M. (2015). Hepatitis C Virus Driven AXL Expression Suppresses the Hepatic Type I Interferon Response. PloS One, 10(8), 1-16. [More Information]
  • Sublette, V., Hopwood, M., George, J., Smith, S., Perry, K., McCaffery, K., Douglas, M. (2015). Instrumental support to facilitate hepatitis C treatment adherence: Working around shortfalls in shared-care. Psychology, Health and Medicine, 20(2), 186-197. [More Information]

2014

  • Douglas, M., Esmaili, S., George, J. (2014). A new role for IKK-alpha in Hepatitis C virus induced lipogenesis. Hepatology, 59(5), 2046-2049. [More Information]
  • Beard, M., Ffrench, R., Gowans, E., Helbig, K., Eyre, N., Douglas, M., Grebely, J., Ahlenstiel, G., Locarnini, S., George, J., et al (2014). A Summary of the 20(th) International Symposium on Hepatitis C Virus and Related Viruses. Gastroenterology, 147(1), e1-e4. [More Information]
  • Eltahla, A., Tay, E., Douglas, M., White, P. (2014). Cross-genotypic examination of hepatitis C virus polymerase inhibitors reveals a novel mechanism of action for thumb binders. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 58(12), 7215-7224. [More Information]

2013

  • Fahrtash, F., Kariyawasam, V., Gray, T., Byth Wilson, K., George, J., Douglas, M. (2013). Australian tertiary care outcomes of entecavir monotherapy in treatment naive patients with chronic hepatitis B. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 19(5), 721-726. [More Information]
  • Sublette, V., Douglas, M., McCaffery, K., George, J., Nicholson Perry, K. (2013). Psychological, lifestyle and social predictors of hepatitis c treatment response: a systematic review. Liver International, 33(6), 894-903. [More Information]

2012

  • Read, S., Douglas, M. (2012). Hepatitis C Virus Genotypes. In Geoffrey W. McCaughan, John G. McHutchison, Jean-Michel Pawlotsky (Eds.), Advanced Therapy for Hepatitis C, (pp. 12-16). Chichester, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. [More Information]

2011

  • Pattullo, V., Douglas, M., George, J. (2011). Organelle dysfunction in hepatitis C virus-associated steatosis: anything to learn from nonalcoholic steatohepatitis? Expert Review of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 5(2), 265-277. [More Information]

2010

  • Nguyena, O., Sheppeard, V., Douglas, M., Tu, E., Rawlinson, W. (2010). Acute hepatitis C infection with evidence of heterosexual transmission. Journal Of Clinical Virology, 49(1), 65-68. [More Information]
  • van der Poorten, D., Shahidi, M., Tay, E., Sesha, J., Tran, K., McLeod, D., Milliken, J., Ho, V., Hebbard, L., Douglas, M., George, J. (2010). Hepatitis C Virus Induces the Cannabinoid Receptor 1. PloS One, 5(9), 1-10. [More Information]
  • Targett-Adams, P., Boulant, S., Douglas, M., McLauchlan, J. (2010). Lipid metabolism and HCV infection. Viruses, 2(5), 1195-1217. [More Information]

2009

  • Douglas, M., George, J. (2009). Molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance in chronic hepatitis C. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 15(35). [More Information]

2008

  • Boulant, S., Douglas, M., Moody, L., Budkowska, A., Targett-Adam, P., McLauchlan, J. (2008). Hepatitis C virus core protein induces lipid droplet redistribution in a microtubule- and dynein-dependent manner. Traffic, 9(8), 1268-1282. [More Information]
  • Douglas, M. (2008). Retrograde Cellular Transport of Herpes Simplex Virus: Interactions between Viral and Motor Proteins - a Gene Therapy Vector for Spinal Cord Disease?. Germany: VDM Verlag Dr Muller.
  • Diefenbach, R., Miranda Saksena, M., Douglas, M., Cunningham, A. (2008). Transport and egress of herpes simplex virus in neurons. Reviews in Medical Virology, 18(1), 35-51. [More Information]

2007

  • Douglas, M., Stephens, D., Burrow, J., Anstey, N., Talbot, K., Currie, B. (2007). Murray Valley encephalitis in an adult traveller complicated by long-term flaccid paralysis: case report and review of the literature. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 101(3), 284-288. [More Information]

2006

  • Cunningham, A., Diefenbach, R., Miranda Saksena, M., Bosnjak, L., Kim, M., Jones, C., Douglas, M. (2006). The cycle of human herpes simplex virus infection: virus transport and immune control. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 194(Supplement 1), S11-S18. [More Information]

2005

  • Vittone, V., Diefenbach, E., Triffett, D., Douglas, M., Cunningham, A., Diefenbach, R. (2005). Determination of interactions between tegument proteins of herpes simplex virus type 1. Journal of Virology, 79(15), 9566-71. [More Information]
  • Swaminathan, A., Gosbell, I., Zwar, N., Douglas, M. (2005). Tungiasis in recently arrived African refugees. Medical Journal of Australia, 183(1), 51. [More Information]

2004

  • Douglas, M., Lum, G., Roy, J., Fisher, D., Anstey, N., Currie, B. (2004). Epidemiology of community-acquired and nosocomial bloodstream infections in tropical Australia: a 12-month prospective study. Tropical Medicine and International Health, 9(7), 795-804. [More Information]
  • Douglas, M., Diefenbach, R., Homa, F., Miranda Saksena, M., Rixon, F., Vittone, V., Byth Wilson, K., Cunningham, A. (2004). Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Capsid Protein Vp26 Interacts With Dynein Light Chains Rp3 And Tctex1 And Plays A Role In Retrograde Cellular Transport. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 279(27), 28522-28530. [More Information]
  • Diefenbach, R., Diefenbach, E., Douglas, M., Cunningham, A. (2004). The Ribosome Receptor, P180, Interacts With Kinesin Heavy Chain, KIF5B. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 319(3), 987-992. [More Information]

2003

  • Douglas, M., Bradbury, R., Kannangara, S., Mitchell, D. (2003). Arthritis as an Unusual Manifestation of Kikuchi-Fujimoto Disease. Rheumatology (Print Edition), 42(8), 1010-1012. [More Information]
  • Douglas, M., Fisher, D., Lum, G., Roy, J. (2003). Mycoplasma hominis Infection of a Subdural Haematoma in the Peripartum Period. Pathology, 35(5), 452-454. [More Information]

2002

  • Douglas, M., Walters, J., Currie, B. (2002). Occupational infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 after a needlestick injury. Medical Journal of Australia, 176(5), 240. [More Information]
  • Diefenbach, R., Diefenbach, E., Douglas, M., Cunningham, A. (2002). The Heavy Chain of Conventional Kinesin Interacts with the SNARE Proteins SNAP25 and SNAP23. Biochemistry, 41(50), 14906-14915. [More Information]

2001

  • Douglas, M., Mulholland, K., Denyer, V., Gottlieb, T. (2001). Multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa outbreak in a burns unit - an infection control study. Burns, 27(2), 131-135.

Selected Grants

2022

  • Building active surveillance systems to track hepatitis C virusepidemiology and antiviral resistance, Douglas M, Kok J, Eden J, Tu T, Cunningham A, George J, Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology Research (ACH2)/Research Support

2020

  • Development of a diagnostic assay to measure hepatitis B virus cccDNA, Douglas M, Tu T, George J, Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology Research (ACH2)/Research Support
  • Inhibiting host TM6SF2 to cure Hepatitis B, Douglas M, Tu T, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)/Ideas Grant