New Host and Pathogen Biology in CF Research Group Joins the Institute
The Institute for Respiratory Health is thrilled to announce the addition of three discovery researchers who joined us in January 2026. They comprise Principal Investigator Dr Luke Garratt with his team members Dr Joshua Iszatt and Ms Liza Mantjani. Together, they form our new ‘Host and Pathogen Biology in Cystic Fibrosis (CF)’ group, bringing extensive expertise and exciting research programs that significantly strengthen our capabilities in cystic fibrosis research and enhance the scientific reputation of the Institute.
The new Host and Pathogen Biology in CF team
Dr Luke Garratt has spent nearly two decades in cystic fibrosis (CF) respiratory research, working with clinical samples and primary cell cultures to understand how host biology and pathogens drive neutrophilic inflammation in CF. He and his collaborators were the first to show that neutrophils become altered early in CF lung disease to prioritise degranulation, and that Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a key driver.
His current work extends these studies to non-CF bronchiectasis, pre-term birth-associated respiratory disease and multiple sclerosis, and includes a collaboration with Associate Professor Rabindra Tirouvanziam at Emory University Medical School to develop new laboratory models and analytical techniques.
Outside work, he enjoys family life, UWA social sports and learning guitar.
Dr Joshua Iszatt is an early-career researcher with experience conducting bioinformatics analysis and basic phage microbiology assessments in the lab.
At the Kids Research Institute, he previously developed the PhageWA database and built high-throughput bioinformatics pipelines for viral genome assembly and safety analysis. Joshua’s research has focused on characterising bacteriophages active against Staphylococcus aureus.
In the early mornings, he enjoys sports and fitness, and in the evenings, he enjoys developing JavaScript (NEXT) applications and hosting them on Amazon Web Services (AWS), a leading cloud computing platform.
Ms Liza Mantjani is a research assistant with extensive experience in microbiology, cell culture techniques and flow cytometry.
She has worked across a diverse range of projects at The Kids Research Institute, including preclinical safety assessment of phage therapy, immune modulating effects of phage therapy, phage training, and characterising fungal secondary metabolite bioactivity.
In her spare time, Liza loves baking, knitting and spending time with her dog Coco.
Research focus at the Institute
The Host and Pathogen Biology in CF group will be focusing on three streams of research related to CF:
The first stream is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)-funded study into the biology of Scedosporium and Lomentospora, two fungal genera that can cause respiratory infections in immunocompromised people, including people living with CF. Identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as priority fungal pathogens for research, this project seeks to address key knowledge gaps regarding their biology during infection using cell culture and mouse models in collaboration with the School of Molecular Sciences and the Marshall Centre within the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Western Australia (UWA).
The first stream is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)-funded study into the biology of Scedosporium and Lomentospora, two fungal genera that can cause respiratory infections in immunocompromised people, including people living with CF.
Identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as priority fungal pathogens for research, this project seeks to address key knowledge gaps regarding their biology during infection using cell culture and mouse models in collaboration with the School of Molecular Sciences and the Marshall Centre within the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Western Australia (UWA).
The second stream is a biological aging in CF study, which will be undertaken to test the hypothesis that adults living with CF have a higher biological age than the general community. With the advent of highly effective cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators redefining life expectancy projections, the team posits that areas of biological aging can provide insights into future co-morbidities for the CF community. They are working in partnership with a new, dedicated consumer reference group for this study and have aspirations to establish a longitudinal cohort study that can provide answers to questions that concern the CF community as they age, and CF care evolves.
The third research stream focuses on investigating the fundamental biology of neutrophils and how this knowledge can be leveraged to improve understanding of chronic respiratory disease and to develop neutrophil-targeted therapies.
The Institute for Respiratory Health warmly welcomes Luke, Joshua and Liza to the team. Their expertise and research programs will make a significant contribution to our understanding of cystic fibrosis and will help us develop better treatments for people living with this condition.