Dr Rachel Stephenson
Senior Lecturer
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
+61 7 334 69893
Researcher biography
I completed a Bachelor of Science with a dual major in Biochemistry and Chemistry followed by a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Chemistry from Massey University in New Zealand where my honors project focused on hydrogel development for the release of bioactive peptides into the gut. I completed a PhD at Massey University (New Zealand) investigating synthetic anti-cancer drugs based on the cyclic sugar, cyclodextran.
Following the completion of my doctoral studies, I worked as a Research Officer at the New Zealand Veterinary Pathology/Epicentre (Massey University) before relocating to the Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology at Kansas State University (USA) where I worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow on the detection and surveillance of zoonotic diseases for the swine industry.
Combining my knowledge of synthetic peptides with my passion for vaccine development research, I relocated to the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (the University of Queensland, Australia) where my research now focuses on synthetic vaccine and adjuvant design strategies for infectious diseases, including group A Streptococcus, cancer and tropical diseases, including schistosomiasis.
Book Chapters
Fan, Jingyi, Toth, Istvan and Stephenson, Rachel J. (2023). Bioconjugated materials in the development of subunit vaccines. Bioconjugated Materials Part 2 Applications in Drug Delivery, Vaccine Formulations and Important Conjugates for Cancer Therapy. (pp. 59-103) Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/bs.coac.2023.02.005
Hussein, Waleed H., Stephenson, Rachel J. and Toth, Istvan (2021). Preface. Peptide conjugation: methods and protocols. (pp. v-v) New York, NY USA: Humana Press.
Madge, Harrison Y.R., Stephenson, Rachel J. and Toth, Istvan (2021). Nanocarrier-based vaccine delivery systems for synthetic peptide vaccines. Handbook of nanotechnology applications: environment, energy, agriculture and medicine. (pp. 509-535) edited by Woei Jye Lau, Kajornsak Faungnawakij, Kuakoon Piyachomkwan and Uracha Rungsardthong Ruktanonchai. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821506-7.00020-x
Eskandari, Sharareh, Stephenson, Rachel and Toth, Istvan (2016). Current boundaries in the formulation of lipid based delivery systems. Liposomal delivery systems: advances and challenges. (pp. 160-174) edited by Abdus Samad, Sarwar Beg and Iram Nazish. London, United Kingdom: Future Medicine. doi: 10.4155/9781910419083
Journal Articles
Fan, Jingyi, Toth, Istvan and Stephenson, Rachel J. (2024). Recent Scientific Advancements towards a Vaccine against Group A Streptococcus. Vaccines, 12 (3) 272, 272. doi: 10.3390/vaccines12030272
Lu, Lantian, Kong, Wei Yang, Zhang, Jiahui, Firdaus, Farrhana, Wells, James W., Stephenson, Rachel J., Toth, Istvan, Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Cruz, Jazmina L. Gonzalez (2024). Utilizing murine dendritic cell line DC2.4 to evaluate the immunogenicity of subunit vaccines in vitro. Frontiers in Immunology, 15 ARTN 1298721, 1-13. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1298721
Madge, Harrison Y. R., Alexander, Suzy, Azuar, Armira, Zhang, Jiahui, Koirala, Prashamsa, Burne, Thomas H., Toth, Istvan and Stephenson, Rachel J. (2023). Synthetic anti-cocaine nanoaccine successfully prevents cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 66 (17), 12407-12419. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00889
Jin, Shengbin, Zhang, Jiahui, Nahar, Ummey J., Huang, Wenbin, Alharbi, Nedaa A., Shalash, Ahmed O., Koirala, Prashamsa, Yang, Jieru, Kiong, Jolynn J. E., Khalil, Zeinab G., Capon, Robert J., Stephenson, Rachel J., Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Toth, Istvan and Hussein, Waleed M. (2023). Activity relationship of poly(ethylenimine)-based liposomes as group A Streptococcus vaccine delivery systems. ACS Infectious Diseases, 9 (8), 1570-1581. doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00159
Stephenson, Rachel J. and Toth, Istvan (2023). Anti-cocaine vaccine development: where are we now and where are we going?. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 66 (11), 7086-7100. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00366
Firdaus, Farrhana Z., Bartlett, Stacey, Hussein, Waleed M., Lu, Lantian, Wright, Quentin, Huang, Wenbin, Nahar, Ummey J., Yang, Jieru, Khongkow, Mattaka, Veitch, Margaret, Koirala, Prashamsa, Ruktanonchai, Uracha R., Monteiro, Michael J., Gonzalez Cruz, Jazmina L., Stephenson, Rachel J., Wells, James W., Toth, Istvan and Skwarczynski, Mariusz (2023). Liposomal formulations of a polyleucine–antigen conjugate as therapeutic vaccines against cervical cancer. Pharmaceutics, 15 (2) 602, 1-15. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020602
Fan, Jingyi, Jin, Shengbin, Gilmartin, Lachlan, Toth, Istvan, Hussein, Waleed M. and Stephenson, Rachel J. (2022). Advances in infectious disease vaccine adjuvants. Vaccines, 10 (7) 1120, 1-62. doi: 10.3390/vaccines10071120
Huang, Wenbin, Madge, Harrison Y. R., Zhang, Jiahui, Gilmartin, Lachlan, Hussein, Waleed M., Khalil, Zeinab G., Koirala, Prashamsa, Capon, Robert J., Toth, Istvan and Stephenson, Rachel J. (2022). Structure-activity relationship of lipid, cyclic peptide and antigen rearrangement of physically mixed vaccines. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 617 121614, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.121614
Mahmoud, Asmaa, Toth, Istvan and Stephenson, Rachel (2022). Developing an effective glycan‐based vaccine for Streptococcus pyogenes. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 61 (11) e202115342, 1-21. doi: 10.1002/anie.202115342
Zhang, Jiahui, Fan, Jingyi, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Stephenson, Rachel J, Toth, Istvan and Hussein, Waleed M (2022). Peptide-based nanovaccines in the treatment of cervical cancer: a review of recent advances. International Journal of Nanomedicine, 17, 869-900. doi: 10.2147/ijn.s269986
Madge, Harrison Y. R., Huang, Wenbin, Gilmartin, Lachlan, Rigau-Planella, Berta, Hussein, Waleed M., Khalil, Zeinab G., Koirala, Prashamsa, Santiago, Viviene S., Capon, Robert J., Toth, Istvan and Stephenson, Rachel J. (2022). Physical mixture of a cyclic lipopeptide vaccine induced high titres of opsonic IgG antibodies against group A streptococcus. Biomaterials Science, 10 (1), 281-293. doi: 10.1039/d1bm01333e
Chowdhury, Silvia, Toth, Istvan and Stephenson, Rachel J. (2022). Dendrimers in vaccine delivery: recent progress and advances. Biomaterials, 280 121303, 121303. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.121303
Dai, Charles C., Huang, Wenbin, Yang, Jieru, Hussein, Waleed M., Wang, Jingwen, Khalil, Zeinab G., Capon, Robert J., Toth, Istvan and Stephenson, Rachel J. (2021). Polyethylenimine quantity and molecular weight influence its adjuvanting properties in liposomal peptide vaccines. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 40 127920, 1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.127920
Khatun, Farjana, Dai, Charles C., Rivera-Hernandez, Tania, Hussein, Waleed M., Khalil, Zeinab G., Capon, Robert J., Toth, Istvan and Stephenson, Rachel J. (2021). Immunogenicity assessment of cell wall carbohydrates of Group A Streptococcus via self-adjuvanted glyco-lipopeptides. ACS Infectious Diseases, 7 (2) acsinfecdis.0c00722, 390-405. doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00722
Dai, Charles C., Yang, Jieru, Hussein, Waleed M., Zhao, Lili, Wang, Xiumin, Khalil, Zeinab G., Capon, Robert J., Toth, Istvan and Stephenson, Rachel J. (2020). Polyethylenimine: an intranasal adjuvant for liposomal peptide-based subunit vaccine against Group A Streptococcus. ACS Infectious Diseases, 6 (9) acsinfecdis.0c00452, 2502-2512. doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00452
Dai, Chuankai, Khalil, Zeinab G., Hussein, Waleed M., Yang, Jieru, Wang, Xiumin, Zhao, Lili, Capon, Robert J., Toth, Istvan and Stephenson, Rachel J. (2020). Opsonic activity of conservative versus variable regions of the Group A Streptococcus M protein. Vaccines, 8 (2) 210, 210. doi: 10.3390/vaccines8020210
Madge, Harrison Y. R., Sharma, Hansa, Hussein, Waleed M., Khalil, Zeinab G., Capon, Robert John, Toth, Istvan and Stephenson, Rachel (2020). Structure–activity analysis of cyclic multicomponent lipopeptide self-adjuvanting vaccine candidates presenting Group A Streptococcus antigens. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 63 (10) acs.jmedchem.0c00203, 5387-5397. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00203
Khatun, Farjana, Toth, Istvan and Stephenson, Rachel J. (2020). Immunology of carbohydrate-based vaccines. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 165-166, 117-126. doi: 10.1016/j.addr.2020.04.006
Dai, Chuankai, Stephenson, Rachel J., Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2020). Application of Fmoc-SPPS, thiol-maleimide conjugation, and copper(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition "click" reaction in the synthesis of a complex peptide-based vaccine candidate against Group A Streptococcus. Methods in Molecular Biology, 2103, 13-27. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0227-0_2
Eskandari, Sharareh, Pattinson, David, Stephenson, Rachel J., Groves, Penny L., Apte, Simon H., Sedaghat, Bita, Chandurudu, Saranya, Doolan, Denise L. and Toth, Istvan (2018). The influence of physicochemical properties of lipopeptide adjuvants on immune response: a rationale for engineering a potent vaccine. Chemistry: A European Journal, 24 (39), 9892-9902. doi: 10.1002/chem.201801378
Eskandari, Sharareh, Guerin, Thalia, Toth, Istvan and Stephenson, Rachel J. (2017). Recent advances in self-assembled peptides: Implications for targeted drug delivery and vaccine engineering. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 110, 169-187. doi: 10.1016/j.addr.2016.06.013
Khatun, Farjana, Stephenson, Rachel J. and Toth, Istvan (2017). An overview of structural features of antibacterial glycoconjugate vaccines that influence their immunogenicity. Chemistry - A European Journal, 23 (18), 4233-4254. doi: 10.1002/chem.201603599
Stephenson, Rachel (2016). Editorial: recent advances in drug delivery technology. Drug Delivery Letters, 6 (1), 2-2. doi: 10.2174/2210303106666160506165137
Stephenson, Rachel J., Toth, Istvan, Liang, Jiening, Mangat, Amanjot, McManus, Donald P. and You, Hong (2016). Identification of host insulin binding sites on Schistosoma japonicum insulin receptors. PLoS One, 11 (7) e0159704, e0159704. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159704
Sedaghat, Bita, Stephenson, Rachel J., Giddam, Ashwini Kumar, Eskandari, Sharareh, Apte, Simon H., Pattinson, David J., Doolan, Denise L. and Toth, Istvan (2016). Synthesis of mannosylated lipopeptides with receptor targeting properties. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 27 (3), 533-548. doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.5b00547
Apte, Simon H., Stephenson, Rachel J., Simerska, Pavla, Groves, Penny L., Aljohani, Salwa, Eskandari, Sharareh, Toth, Istvan and Doolan, Denise L. (2016). Systematic evaluation of self-adjuvanting lipopeptide nano-vaccine platforms for the induction of potent CD8+ T-cell responses. Nanomedicine, 11 (2), 137-152. doi: 10.2217/nnm.15.184
Eskandari, Sharareh, Stephenson, Rachel J., Fuaad, Abdullah Ahmad, Apte, Simon H., Doolan, Denise L. and Toth, Istvan (2015). Synthesis and characterisation of self-assembled and self-adjuvanting asymmetric multi-epitope lipopeptides of ovalbumin. Chemistry - A European Journal, 21 (3), 1251-1261. doi: 10.1002/chem.201404997
Stephenson, Rachel J., Wolber, Fran, Plieger, Paul G. and Harding, David R. K. (2015). Synthesis and characterization of Bradykinin derivatives based on a β-cyclodextrin core. Australian Journal of Chemistry, 69 (3), 328-335. doi: 10.1071/CH15460
Eskandari, Sharareh, Stephenson, Rachel J., Fuaad, Abdullah Ahmad, Apte, Simon H., Doolan, Denise L. and Toth, Istvan (2015). Synthesis and characterisation of self-assembled and self-adjuvanting asymmetric multi-epitope lipopeptides of ovalbumin. Chemistry: A European Journal, 21 (3), 1251-1261. doi: 10.1002/chem.201404997
Stephenson, Rachel J., Trible, Benjamin R., Wang, Yu, Kerrigan, Maureen A., Goldstein, Samuel M. and Rowland, Raymond R. R. (2015). Multiplex serology for common viral infections in feral pigs in Hawaii between 2007 and 2010. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 51 (1), 239-243. doi: 10.7589/2013-09-242
Sedaghat, B., Stephenson, R. and Toth, I. (2014). Targeting the mannose receptor with mannosylated subunit vaccines. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 21 (30), 3405-3418. doi: 10.2174/0929867321666140826115552
Stephenson, Rachel, You, Hong, McManus, Donald P. and Toth, Istvan (2014). Schistosome vaccine adjuvants in preclinical and clinical research. Vaccines, 2 (3), 654-685. doi: 10.3390/vaccines2030654
Stephenson, Rachel, Varamini, Pegah, Butcher, Neville, Minchin, Rodney and Toth, Istvan (2014). Effect of lipidated gonadotropin-releasing hormone peptides on receptor mediated binding and uptake into prostate cancer cells in vitro. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine, 10 (8), 1799-1808. doi: 10.1016/j.nano.2014.06.015
You, Hong, Stephenson, Rachel J., Gobert, Geoffrey N. and McManus, Donald P. (2014). Revisiting glucose uptake and metabolism in schistosomes: new molecular insights for improved schistosomiasis therapies. Frontiers in Genetics, 5 (JUN) 176, 176. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00176
Stephenson, Rachel J., Plieger, Paul G. and Harding, David R. K. (2011). Improved Fmoc Synthesis of Bradykinin. Protein and Peptide Letters, 18 (9), 952-955. doi: 10.2174/092986611796011509
White, Rachel J., Plieger, Paul G. and Harding, David R. K. (2010). Synthesis of bifunctional peptide derivatives based on a beta-cyclodextrin core with drug delivery potential. Tetrahedron Letters, 51 (5), 800-803. doi: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.11.118
Williams, B, Brooks, AN, Aldridge, TC, Pennie, WD, Stephenson, R and McArdle, CA (2000). Oestradiol is a potent mitogen and modulator of GnRH signalling in alpha T3-1 cells: are these effects causally related?. Journal of Endocrinology, 164 (1), 31-43. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.1640031