Healthy ageing and non-communicable diseases

People around the world are living longer. Older people are more likely to develop diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and respiratory conditions. These are non-communicable diseases. They are not spread from person to person, but are the result of factors such as behaviour, genetics and the environment. Non-communicable diseases reduce the quality and length of people’s lives and can last a long time. This puts pressure on healthcare systems. Burnet works to address these diseases and help people live healthier, longer lives.

Our expertise and achievements

Burnet takes a multidisciplinary approach to healthy ageing. We bring together experts in life sciences, public health and international development.

Our research focuses on:

understanding the biological mechanisms of ageing

developing interventions to prevent and manage non-communicable diseases

understanding how infectious diseases accelerate ageing and the development of non-communicable diseases

removing barriers to healthcare among under-served communities.

We work with communities, governments and international partners to implement sustainable health solutions and promote equitable access to healthcare.

Stories

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Integration of care in PNG a focus for NHMRC funding

Research into the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases and continuing high prevalence of tuberculosis and HIV in Papua New Guinea will benefit from new funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Establishing a clinical trial for novel therapies to address long COVID

Burnet alumni recognised in Australia Day honours

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Understanding how infectious diseases affect ageing

Viruses such as HIV are thought to accelerate ageing and increase susceptibility to age-related diseases.

Burnet's research investigates how infections may contribute to inflammageing. Inflammageing is chronic inflammation associated with ageing and it contributes to many age-related diseases, including primary immunodeficiencies, autoimmunity and cancer.

We study immune ageing and viral infections to explore how viral infections induce long-lasting changes in immune cells, increasing the risk of chronic inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease.

We also study the needs of people with HIV as they age. Projects such as Ageing Well with HIV focus on social support, mental wellbeing and health needs of older people living with HIV. We developed a website to highlight access to support services.

Advancing immune therapy

Monoclonal antibodies have revolutionised many treatments by enhancing the power of the immune system to fight diseases. Burnet is the only medical research institute in Australia that is altering antibodies to improve how effective they are in immune responses. This pioneering work could be applied to the treatment of cancer, inflammation, and infectious diseases. You can read more about our patented Stellabody technology.

We’re also researching ways to modify anti-HIV antibodies to eliminate HIV-infected cells.

Inflammation and chronic disease

Burnet is researching ways to reduce harmful inflammation, which is a major cause of chronic disease in older people. Our research targets key health issues including:

heart health

diabetes

respiratory diseases

liver health, including drug-induced liver toxicity.

We also address autoimmune diseases and congenital immunodeficiencies, developing new therapeutic strategies and biomarkers to predict disease onset.

Featured publications

04 Oct 2024

Stellabody: A novel hexamer‐promoting mutation for improved IgG potency

Immunological Reviews

Clarissa A. Whitehead, Bruce D. Wines, Halina M. Trist, Sandra Esparon, P. Mark Hogarth

Our projects

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Open to students

Causes of chronic illness: identifying risk factors and biomarkers of post-acute infection syndromes

We're researching chronic post-acute infection syndromes, such as long COVID, chronic fatigue and POTS.

Concurrent liver diseases in liver transplant recipients in Australia

We describe the prevalence and clinical impact of concurrent liver diseases among people undergoing liver transplantation for liver cirrhosis and liver cancer in Australia and New Zealand