Dr. Eggenhuizen is an early career research fellow in the Cell Based and Regenerative Therapies for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Group in the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health (SCS). Dr. Eggenhuizen completed his PhD in T cell immunology focusing on the immune response to COVID-19 and the discovery and development of targeted T regulatory cell-based therapies for autoimmune diseases like inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) and anti-glomerular basement membrane disease. Research interests Dr. Eggenhuizen’s research is centred on the development of novel cell-based therapies for autoimmune diseases. In particular, his research focuses on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a common disease characterised by an overexuberant immune response in the gut leading to damage to the bowel and significant morbidity and mortality. The current standard of care in treatment for IBD has failed to adequately treat enough patients into remission with a third not responding to first-line treatment and half losing response to the second-line treatment. Attempts at using T regulatory cells, an immune suppressor type of T cell, as a cell-based therapy for IBD, despite showing efficacy, have not progressed past phase II clinical trial. Thus, we need a rethink on how to engineer T regulatory cells as potent suppressors of the inflammation driving IBD. I have developed the pipeline to engineer T regulatory cells that potently suppress gut inflammation driving IBD. The engineered T regulatory cells are in pre-clinical development as a targeted cell-based therapy for IBD. Dr. Eggenhuizen’s research interests extend into other autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), ANCA-associated vasculitis and anti-glomerular basement membrane disease, a rare kidney autoimmune disease. In these autoimmune diseases and others, T regulatory cells are lacking in number or functionality. Dr. Eggenhuizen’s research aims to engineer T regulatory cells that overcome that dysfunction and redirect them to restore the immune balance, halting the autoimmune disease damage. Dr. Eggenhuizen’s research interests also cover the nature of the antigen-specific immune response in T cells. Understanding the nature of the antigen-specific immune response and its plasticity to cross-react with other antigens has important implications for infectious disease outcomes, vaccine development and antigen-specific T cell-based therapies.