David Booth

Professor David Booth holds the position of Professor of Immunogenetics at the University of Sydney, affiliated with the Westmead Institute for Medical Research. He obtained his PhD from Imperial College London in 1992. Prior to his return to Australia in 2001, he researched the genetic underpinnings of amyloidosis and familial Mediterranean fever at The Royal Free Hospital in London. Since then, his primary focus has been elucidating the genes that confer susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS). In January 2010, he was promoted to full Professor at the University of Sydney and received the inaugural Senior Research Fellowship from MS Research Australia. He currently heads the Immunogenetics Group at Westmead and co-chairs the MS Research Australia Scientific Advisory Committee.

Booth's research in immunogenetics centers on the genetic mechanisms driving MS pathogenesis, including cell-mediated immune responses, susceptibility loci, and interactions with environmental factors such as vitamin D supplementation and Epstein-Barr virus infection. He has played a key role in major consortia, including the Australia and New Zealand Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium (ANZgene) and the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium (IMSGC), contributing to genomic maps of MS risk. Notable publications include "Genetic risk and a primary role for cell-mediated immune mechanisms in multiple sclerosis" published in Nature in 2011, "IL28B is associated with response to chronic hepatitis C interferon-α and ribavirin therapy" in Nature Genetics in 2009, "Analysis of immune-related loci identifies 48 new susceptibility variants for multiple sclerosis" in Nature Genetics in 2013, and early work on "Instability, unfolding and aggregation of human lysozyme variants underlying amyloid fibrillogenesis" in Nature in 1997. His contributions have significantly advanced the field through highly cited works and leadership in functional genomics projects aimed at identifying biomarkers and improving personalized treatment responses for immune-related diseases.

Professional Email: david.booth@sydney.edu.au