Jessica Borger
Australian T Cell immunologist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jessica Geraldine Borger is an Australian T Cell immunologist, lecturer and graduate course coordinator at the Central Clinical School, Monash University.[1] Her research has added to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of T cell function.[2] Additionally, Borger is a news and commentary editor for Immunology & Cell Biology[3] and a guest associate editor for Frontiers in Immunology,[4] and a reviewer for several academic journals.[1] Borger also advocates for gender equality in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in her position a member of the Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee of the Central Clinical School at Monash University.
Jessica Geraldine Borger | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | |
| Alma mater | University of South Australia, University of Edinburgh, University College London, Monash University |
| Awards | ASI Margaret Baird Women in Immunology Award, ASI Social Impact Award, ASI Cheers-Buchan Education Award, Monash University Vice-Chancellors Award for Diversity and Inclusion, Monash University Dean's Award for Education - teams, Monash University Dean's Award for Diversity and Inclusion |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Immunology |
Education
Borger started her studying towards her undergraduate degree when she was 21 years old.[5] She received a bachelor's degree in medical and pharmaceutical biotechnology from the University of South Australia.[1] Eight years after completing her bachelor's degree, she moved to the UK to begin her PhD at University College London after being awarded a highly competitive Medical Research Council PhD scholarship by the National Institute of Medical Research.[1][5] During her PhD, she began researching T Cell function with Rose Zamoyska, specifically investigating the localisation of cell surface receptors and intracellular proximal TCR signaling molecules in CD8 T cells during memory formation.[1]
Career
Research
Between completing her bachelor's degree and starting her PhD, Borger worked as a Molecular Biologist for GRMicro (2002 - 2003), and for Arrow Therapeutics as a Drug Discovery Scientist (2003 - 2006).[6]
Borger undertook her postdoctoral training on a Medical Research Council fellowship from 2010–2016 at the University of Edinburgh with Prof Zamoyska, investigating the role of Caveolin-1 in T cell cholesterol homeostasis, integrin signaling and exosome complex biogenesis.[1]
In 2016, Borger took a position in the Central Clinical School at Monash University as a senior postdoctoral researcher. In this position, Borger has been researching gamma delta T cell development, activation and function as potential targets of therapeutic intervention of lung disorders.[1][4] Additionally, Borger was awarded a CASS Foundation Medicine/Science grant to research the design of novel CAR-T therapy approaches in the lung using novel intracellular checkpoint blockade targets.[1][7] In 2017, she was awarded the IgV Best Postdoctoral Speaker Award by the Australia and New Zealand Society of Immunology, the Best Presentation Prize by the Immunology Alfred Hospital.,[8][9] and in 2018 the Best Speaker Award at the International Conference on Innate Lymphoid Cells in Japan.[10]
In 2019, Borger became lecturer and course-coordinator of graduate studies at Monash University. In this role, she created a master's course in translational research.[1] In the same year, Borger was the first recipient of the Margaret Baird Women in Immunology Award by the Australia and New Zealand Society for Immunology.[11][12]
Science communication and gender equality advocacy
Borger is an advocate for gender equality in STEM and science communicator. She has written articles for Women's Agenda,[13] The Conversation,[6] Women in STEMM Australia,[14] and SoapboxScience.[15] In 2018, Jessica Borger was awarded the Veski Inspiring women STEM Sidebyside scholarship.[16][1][4]
From 2018, Borger has sat on both the A+ Gender Equity committee of the A+ Alfred Research Alliance at the Alfred Hospital and the Gender, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) committee at the Central Clinical School at Monash University.[17][1] The GEDI committee conducted a survey to investigate problems and concerns with GEDI issues in the school[18] and ran a survey in 2020 to understand the impact of COVID-19 on researchers with a gendered lens applied.[19] In 2020 Borger, as a member of the Equity in Medical Research Alliance (EMRA) was involved in the creation of a position paper to mitigate the gendered impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the medical research workforce.[20]
Publications
Borger's published works include:
- The Influence of Innate Lymphoid Cells and Unconventional T Cells in Chronic Inflammatory Lung Disease (2019)[21]
- Schistosoma mansoni-Derived Lipids in Extracellular Vesicles: Potential Agonists for Eosinophilic Tissue Repair (2019)[22]
- Caveolin-1 Influences LFA-1 Redistribution upon TCR Stimulation in CD8 T Cells (2017)[23]
- Proximity of TCR and its CD8 coreceptor controls sensitivity of T cells (2013)[24]
- Murine cytomegalovirus encodes a miR-27 inhibitor disguised as a target (2012)[25]