Dr Shaun Summers - Researcher Profile

Biography

Dr Summers is a clinician-scientist who is employed in the Renal Unit at Monash Medical Centre and the Centre for Inflammatory Diseases-Glomerulonephritis Group at Monash Medical Centre. He completed undergraduate training in South Africa and post graduate training in the United Kingdom, where he was employed at the Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College and University College of London.

Dr Summers’ research has focussed on the role of immune cells in glomerulonephritis and acute kidney injury.  His particular interest has centred on the  interaction between innate and adaptive immune cells in the progression of renal disease. He is the recipient of several national award for experimental work defining the role of Toll Like Receptors in rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. In addition to experimental work Dr Summers is the lead clinician supervising Vasculitis and Glomerulonephritis Clinics at Monash Medical Centre (Renal Unit). This work includes the establishment of  specialist clinics and the running of clinical trials. Dr Summers’ experimental and clinical work is aimed at identifying novel pathways for the treatment of human glomerulonephritis and acute kidney injury.

Qualifications

PHD

Institution: Monash University

Year awarded: 2010

BACHELOR OF MEDICINE AND BACHELOR OF SURGERY (MBBS

Institution: University of Witwatersram

Year awarded: 1997

Publications

Journal Articles

Summers, S.A., Gan, P., Dewage, L.T., Ma, F., Ooi, J., O'Sullivan, K., Nikolic-Paterson, D.J., Kitching, A.R., Holdsworth, S.R., 2013, Mast cell activation and degranulation promotes renal fibrosis in experimental unilateral ureteric obstruction, Kidney International [P], vol 82, Nature Publishing Group, United Kingdom, pp. 676-685.

Amos, L., Kanellis, J., Summers, S.A., Saunder, A.C., Suh, N., Mulley, W., 2012, Allocating the unexpected kidney, Nephrology [P], vol 17, issue 6, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia, Australia, pp. 588-589.

Ford, S., Summers, S.A., Cantwell, L., Mulley, W., 2012, Hidden perils in a highly sensitized kidney transplant recipient, Nephrology [E], vol 17 Suppl 1, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia, Australia, pp. 9-11.

Gan, P.Y., Summers, S.A., Ooi, J., O'Sullivan, K., Tan, D.S.Y., Muljadi, R.C.M., Odobasic, D., Kitching, A.R., Holdsworth, S.R., 2012, Mast cells contribute to peripheral tolerance and attenuate autoimmune vasculitis, Journal Of The American Society Of Nephrology [P], vol 23, issue 12, American Society of Nephrology, United States, pp. 1955-1966.

Lau, D., Summers, S.A., Amos, L., Simpson, I., Mulley, W., 2012, Recurrence of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody vasculitis in the kidney allograft, Nephrology [P], vol 17 Suppl 1, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia, Australia, pp. 16-19.

Odobasic, D., Gan, P., Summers, S., Semple, T., Muljadi, R., Iwakura, Y., Kitching, A., Holdsworth, S., 2011, Interleukin-17A promotes early but attenuates established disease in crescentic glomerulonephritis in mice, American Journal Of Pathology [P], vol 179, issue 3, Elsevier Inc., United States, pp. 1188-1198.

Summers, S., Chan, J., Gan, P., Dewage, L., Nozaki, Y., Steinmetz, O., Nikolic-Paterson, D., Kitching, A., Holdsworth, S., 2011, Mast cells mediate acute kidney injury through the production of TNF, Journal Of The American Society Of Nephrology [P], vol 22, issue 12, American Society of Nephrology, United States, pp. 2226-2236.

Summers, S., Phoon, R., Odobasic, D., Dewage, L., Kitching, A., Holdsworth, S., 2011, Signal transducer and activation of transcription 6 (STAT6) regulates T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th17 nephritogenic immunity in experimental crescentic glomerulonephritis, Clinical And Experimental Immunology [P], vol 166, issue 2, Wiley Blackwell Publishing Ltd, United Kingdom, pp. 227-234.

Summers, S., Phoon, R., Ooi, J., Holdsworth, S., Kitching, A., 2011, The IL-27 receptor has biphasic effects in crescentic glomerulonephritis mediated through Th1 responses, American Journal Of Pathology [P], vol 178, issue 2, American Society for Investigative Pathology, United States, pp. 580-590.

Steinmetz, O., Summers, S., Gan, P., Semple, T., Holdsworth, S., Kitching, A., 2011, The Th17-defining transcription factor RORgammat promotes glomerulonephritis, Journal Of The American Society Of Nephrology [P], vol 22, issue 3, American Society of Nephrology, United States, pp. 472-483.

Summers, S., Steinmetz, O., Gan, P., Ooi, J., Odobasic, D., Kitching, A., Holdsworth, S., 2011, Toll-like receptor 2 induces Th17 myeloperoxidase autoimmunity while Toll-like receptor 9 drives Th1 autoimmunity in murine vasculitis, Arthritis & Rheumatism-Arthritis Care & Research [P], vol 63, issue 4, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., United States, pp. 1124-1135.

Summers, S.A., van der Veen, B.S., O'Sullivan, K., Gan, P., Ooi, J., Heeringa, P., Satchell, S.C., Mathieson, P.W., Saleem, M.A., Visvanathan, K., Holdsworth, S.R., Kitching, A.R., 2010, Intrinsic renal cell and leukocyte-derived TLR4 aggravate experimental anti-MPO glomerulonephritis, Kidney International [P], vol 78, issue 12, Nature Publishing Group, United Kingdom, pp. 1263-1274.

Summers, S.A., Hoi, A., Steinmetz, O., O'Sullivan, K., Ooi, J., Odobasic, D., Akira, S., Kitching, A.R., Holdsworth, S.R., 2010, TLR9 and TLR4 are required for the development of autoimmunity and lupus nephritis in pristane nephropathy, Journal Of Autoimmunity [P], vol 35, issue 4, Academic Press, United Kingdom, pp. 291-298.

Summers, S.A., Steinmetz, O., Ooi, J., Gan, P., O'Sullivan, K., Visvanathan, K., Akira, S., Kitching, A.R., Holdsworth, S.R., 2010, Toll-like receptor 9 enhances nephritogenic immunity and glomerular leukocyte recruitment, exacerbating experimental crescentic glomerulonephritis, American Journal Of Pathology [P], vol 177, issue 5, American Society for Investigative Pathology, United States, pp. 2234-2244.

Summers, S., Steinmetz, O., Li, M., Kausman, J.Y., Semple, T.J., Edgtton, K.L., Borza, D., Braley, H., Holdsworth, S.R., Kitching, A.R., 2009, Th1 and Th17 cells induce proliferative glomerulonephritis, Journal Of The American Society Of Nephrology [P], vol 20, issue 12, American Society of Nephrology, United States, pp. 2518-2524.

Rankin, A., Walsh, S., Summers, S., Owen, M.P., Mansell, M.A., 2008, Acute oxalate nephropathy causing late renal transplant dysfunction due to enteric hyperoxaluria, American Journal of Transplantation, vol 8, issue 8, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, United Kingdom, pp. 1755-1758.

Holdsworth, S.R., Summers, S., 2008, Role of mast cells in progressive renal diseases, American Society of Nephrology. Journal, vol 19, issue 12, American Society of Nephrology, United States, pp. 2254-2261.

Summers, S., Holdsworth, S.R., Sharples, E., 2008, The (re)challenging question of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents inducing pure red cell aplasia, Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation, vol 23, issue 10, Oxford University Press, United Kingdom, pp. 3053-3055.

Grants

Title:

NHMRC P'grad Scholarship #519426-Summers.

Investigators:

Summers, S

Funding:

(2008 - ). National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Title:

Novel therapeutic interventions for the treatment of acute kidney injury.

Investigators:

Summers, S

Funding:

(2012 - 2016). Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Title:

TLR9 aggrevates glomerulonephritis and kidney injury in renal vasculitis.

Investigators:

Summers, S

Funding:

(2012 - 2016). National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Title:

The Th17 response in ANCA vasculitis: potential new therapeutic targets.

Investigators:

Summers, S

Funding:

(2012 - 2016). Group of Eight / DAAD Australia.

Title:

The Therapeutic Role of Complement Inhibition in ANCA Associated Glomerulonephritis.

Investigators:

Holdsworth, S, Kitching, A, Summers, S

Funding:

(2013 - 2017). National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Title:

The role of mast cells in progressive renal injury.

Investigators:

Summers, S

Funding:

(2010 - 2013). Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Title:

The role of regulatory T cells in rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis.

Investigators:

Kitching, A, Summers, S

Funding:

(2013 - 2017). National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC).