21 March 2025
Since completing his PhD at the Malaghan Institute in 2007, Dr Nicholas van Panhuys has built an international career researching how allergies develop. He returned to the institute to share his latest findings.
As an Associate Professor at Hamad bin Khalifa University and Head of the Laboratory of Immunoregulation at Sidra Medicine in Qatar, Dr van Panhuys’ research focused on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind immune-associated diseases, particularly allergic conditions such as asthma, eczema and food allergies.
“These conditions have risen dramatically over the past four decades, becoming a major global health issue, especially in high-income countries. In Qatar, for example, 22.5% of children suffer from eczema, 30.5% from allergic rhinitis and 19.8% from asthma,” says Dr van Panhuys.
A key concept in allergic disease is the allergic march, the progression of allergic conditions that often begin in infancy with eczema or food allergies followed by hay fever and later asthma.
“Targeting allergic disease early in childhood is critical,” Dr van Panhuys says. “Intervening at the right stage could prevent progression and significantly improve long-term health outcomes.”
Dr van Panhuys’ lab investigated how genetic, epigenetic and molecular factors contribute to the breakdown of immune regulation in children susceptible to allergies.
“Normally the immune system protects the body from harmful invaders. However, in individuals with allergies, it mistakenly perceives harmless environmental or dietary substances as threats, triggering inflammation and allergic symptoms.”
The question of why some people develop these sensitivities while others do not even between twins remains unanswered and Dr van Panhuys’ work aims to uncover the underlying mechanisms.
Originally from the Hawke’s Bay, Dr van Panhuys studied Molecular Biosciences at Victoria University of Wellington.
“The immunology modules were taught by researchers from the Malaghan Institute, and I was immediately captivated by the complexity of this dynamic system,” he says.
Soon after, he applied to do a PhD under Professor Graham Le Gros and was awarded the Rex and Betty Coker Scholarship to fund his research. During his doctoral research, he focused on interleukin-4 (IL-4), a signalling molecule that stimulates immune cells called T-helper 2 (Th2) cells, which are key players in allergic responses. His findings upended long-standing assumptions about immune system regulation.
He discovered that Th2 cell responses could occur without IL-4, contradicting previous research.
“I remember surprising Graham with that result,” he recalls. “It challenged findings Graham himself had made previously and opened up new questions about our understanding of immune regulation.”
One of his most memorable experiences at the Malaghan Institute was monitoring a 24-hour experiment. He brought a sleeping bag to the institute, camping out in the patient room whenever he could steal a few hours of sleep.
Following his PhD, Dr van Panhuys was awarded a New Zealand Foundation for Research Science and Technology grant to continue his studies as a visiting fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States. He became a research fellow at the Laboratory of Systems Biology at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases where he spent seven years working under Dr Ron Germain.
“It was an incredible time,” he says. “Ron was a straight shooter, he didn’t suffer fools lightly. You had to present new data weekly and that intensity made me a better scientist. Pressure makes diamonds as they say.”
At the NIH, cutting-edge imaging techniques allowed researchers to observe immune cells in real time, providing groundbreaking insights into their behaviour and interactions.
“It completely changed the way I look at the immune system. It was like watching a living ecosystem with its own unique and fascinating creatures, each adapting and changing in front of my eyes.”
Looking back on his career, Dr van Panhuys credits his diverse research experiences, from New Zealand to the United States and Qatar, with shaping his understanding of immune regulation and disease development.
Now back home in Aotearoa New Zealand, Dr van Panhuys is looking to continue his research here. His work will offer insights into New Zealand’s rising allergy epidemic mirroring global trends. With its clinical components, his research has the potential to make a real impact on patient care.