Rate My Professor Jay Horvat

Professor Jay Horvat is a Professor in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He completed his Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences (Honours) and Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Newcastle, obtaining his PhD in 2004 under the supervision of Professor Phil Hansbro. His doctoral research established a link between respiratory Chlamydia infections and the development of severe asthma. Since then, Horvat has built a distinguished career at the University of Newcastle, advancing preclinical research into the immunological processes underlying acute inflammatory conditions driven by bacteria and viruses, as well as chronic diseases with undefined triggers. His work spans microbiological, immunological, and pharmacological domains, with ongoing collaborations at the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) and the Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs. Horvat's laboratory targets molecular pathways, including inflammasomes and micro-RNAs, to identify novel therapeutic interventions.

Horvat's research specializations encompass the mechanisms of infection- and obesity-induced severe asthma, the protective role of interferon-epsilon in Chlamydia-induced reproductive tract disease, the effects of infection and smoking on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis, and the interactions between iron homeostasis, infection, and immunity in respiratory tract infections and lung diseases. He has shown that early-life infections exacerbate asthma severity in adulthood, while adult infections during asthma provoke steroid-resistant, neutrophilic forms. Landmark contributions include a publication in Science detailing interferon-epsilon's role in defending against Chlamydia in the reproductive tract and studies demonstrating IL-13's promotion of susceptibility to such infections. Horvat has been awarded NHMRC Project Grants, including one from 2013-2016 to explore mechanisms and treatments for steroid-resistant asthma, and served as Chief Investigator on a 2014-2016 grant investigating interferon-epsilon mechanisms. Key publications include 'Cigarette smoke components modulate the MR1–MAIT axis' (Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2025), 'Female sex hormones and the oral contraceptive pill modulate asthma severity through GLUT-1' (Mucosal Immunology, 2025), 'Antibiotics alter duodenal immune populations upon gluten exposure in mice: implications for non-coeliac gluten sensitivity' (American Journal of Physiology - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, 2026), and earlier seminal works such as 'Chlamydial respiratory infection during allergen sensitization drives neutrophilic allergic airways disease' (Journal of Immunology, 2010) and 'Neonatal chlamydial infection induces mixed T-cell responses that drive allergic airway disease' (American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2007). His findings have advanced understanding of infection-asthma interactions and informed strategies for managing steroid-resistant asthma and related conditions.