Professor Ros Kemp

Contact Details

Phone: +64 3 479 7708
Email: roslyn.kemp@otago.ac.nz

University Links

Position: Professor
Department: Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Qualifications: BSc(Hons) PhD
Research summary: Applied and molecular immunology, cancer immunobiology, vaccines – immunology and technology

Research

My research focuses on T cells as mediators of anti-tumour immunity and inflammation. Specifically, we study the role of inflammation and the unique features of different subsets of T cells and myeloid cells, focussing on cancer and gut-specific immune responses; and how these cell subsets are involved in patient outcome.

We are currently looking at T cell and myeloid cell subsets in colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease to improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. We are generating site-specific T cell memory using novel slow release vaccines and analysing the molecular signalling pathways required to maintain these populations.

Research projects

My current areas of research are mucosal and tumour immune responses, inflammation and T cell memory.

Mucosal Immune Responses in Cancer and Inflammatory Diseases

Using immune responses in the tumour to predict patient outcome in colorectal cancer
Investigating T cell responses in inflammatory bowel disease patients
Using human intestinal organoids to model the gut immune response
Heterogeneity and plasticity of T cell subsets in the gut mucosa and their influence on anti-tumour immune responses
Generating gut-specific memory T cells through vaccination
Development of new analytical tools to study high dimensional immune data

CD8+ T Cell Memory

Interactions between na?ve and memory T cell populations
Vaccination strategies to generate effective T cell memory populations

Molecular Pathways controlling T cells

Molecular signals controlling memory T cell development and maintenance
Signalling pathways in tumour immune responses

Publications

Kemp, R. A., & Brown, D. M. (2024). How to be a scientist: Critical thinking in the life sciences. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 252p. doi: 10.1201/9781003326366

Norton, S. E., Khong, T., Ramachandran, M., Highton, A. J., Ward-Hartstonge, K. A., Shortt, J. S., … Kemp, R. A. (2023). Changes in immune cell populations following KappaMab, lenalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone treatment in multiple myeloma. Clinical & Translational Immunology, 12, e1478. doi: 10.1002/cti2.1478

Major, G., Longoni, A., Simcock, J., Magon, N. J., Harte, J., Bathish, B., Kemp, R., Woodfield, T., & Lim, K. S. (2023). Clinical applicability of visible light-mediated cross-linking for structural soft tissue reconstruction. Advanced Science, 10, 2300538. doi: 10.1002/advs.202300538

Angus, H. C. K., Urbano, P. C. M., Laws, G. A., Fan, S., Gadeock, S., Schultz, M., … Highton, A. J., & Kemp, R. A. (2022). An autologous colonic organoid-derived monolayer model to study immune: bacterial interactions in Crohn's disease patients. Clinical & Translational Immunology, 11, e1407. doi: 10.1002/cti2.1407

Naqash, A., Stuart, G., Kemp, R., & Wise, L. (2022). Parapoxvirus interleukin-10 homologues vary in their receptor binding, anti-inflammatory, and stimulatory activities. Pathogens, 11, 507. doi: 10.3390/pathogens11050507

Kemp, R. A., & Brown, D. M. (2024). How to be a scientist: Critical thinking in the life sciences. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 252p. doi: 10.1201/9781003326366

Authored Book - Research

Leman, J. K. H., Munoz-Erazo, L., & Kemp, R. A. (2020). The intestinal tumour microenvironment. In A. Birbrair (Ed.), Tumor microenvironments in organs: From the brain to the skin: Part A. (pp. 1-22). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-36214-0_1

Chapter in Book - Research

Norton, S., & Kemp, R. (2019). Computational analysis of high-dimensional mass cytometry data from clinical tissue samples. In H. M. McGuire & T. M. Ashhurst (Eds.), Mass cytometry: Methods and protocols: Methods in molecular biology (Vol. 1989). (pp. 295-308). New York, NY: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9454-0_19

Chapter in Book - Research

Highton, A. J., & Kemp, R. A. (2015). Immunological background. In C. Foged, T. Rades, Y. Perrie & S. Hook (Eds.), Subunit vaccine delivery. (pp. 3-14). New York: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1417-3

Chapter in Book - Research

Journal - Research Article

Kalff, A., Khong, T., Ramachandran, M., Ho, P. J., Mollee, P., D'Rozario, J., … Norton, S., Kemp, R., … Spencer, A. (2022). Planned withdrawal of dexamethasone after pomalidomide low dose dexamethasone induction for lenalidomide-refractory multiple myeloma (ALLG MM14). Haematologica, 107(1), 321-325. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2021.278655

Journal - Research Article

Urbano, P. C. M., Angus, H. C. K., Gadeock, S., Schultz, M., & Kemp, R. A. (2022). Assessment of source material for human intestinal organoid culture for research and clinical use. BMC Research Notes, 15, 35. doi: 10.1186/s13104-022-05925-4

Journal - Research Article

Hazlett, J., Niemi, V., Aiderus, A., Powell, K., Wise, L., Kemp, R., & Dunbier, A. K. (2021). Oestrogen deprivation induces chemokine production and immune cell recruitment in in vitro and in vivo models of oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research, 23, 95. doi: 10.1186/s13058-021-01472-1

Journal - Research Article

Laws, G. A., Hale, J. D. F., & Kemp, R. A. (2021). Human systemic immune response to ingestion of the oral probiotic Streptococcus salivarius BLIS K12. Probiotics & Antimicrobial Proteins, 13, 1521-1529. doi: 10.1007/s12602-021-09822-3

Journal - Research Article

Naciute, M., Kiwitt, T., Kemp, R. A., & Hook, S. (2021). Bacteria biohybrid oral vaccines for colorectal cancer treatment reduce tumor growth and increase immune infiltration. Vaccine, 39, 5589-5599. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.08.028

Journal - Research Article

Naciute, M., Niemi, V., Kemp, R. A., & Hook, S. (2020). Lipid-encapsulated oral therapeutic peptide vaccines reduce tumour growth in an orthotopic mouse model of colorectal cancer. European Journal of Pharmaceutics & Biopharmaceutics, 153, 183-192. doi: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2020.04.020

Journal - Research Article

Niemi, V., Gaskarth, D., & Kemp, R. A. (2020). Extensive variability in the composition of immune infiltrate in different mouse models of cancer. Laboratory Animal Research, 36, 43. doi: 10.1186/s42826-020-00075-9

Journal - Research Article

Lepletier, A., Lutzky, V. P., Mittal, D., Stannard, K., Watkins, T. S., Ratnatunga, C. N., … Kemp, R. A., … Miles, J. J. (2019). The immune checkpoint CD96 defines a distinct lymphocyte phenotype and is highly expressed on tumor-infiltrating T cells. Immunology & Cell Biology, 97, 152-164. doi: 10.1111/imcb.12205

Journal - Research Article

Norton, S. E., Ward-Hartstonge, K. A., McCall, J. L., Leman, J. K. H., Taylor, E. S., Munro, F., Black, M. A., … Kemp, R. A. (2019). High-dimensional mass cytometric analysis reveals an increase in effector regulatory T cells as a distinguishing feature of colorectal tumors. Journal of Immunology, 202, 1871-1884. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1801368

Journal - Research Article

Leman, J. K. H., Sandford, S. K., Rhodes, J. L., & Kemp, R. A. (2018). Multiparametric analysis of colorectal cancer immune responses. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 24(27), 2995-3005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i27.2995

Journal - Research Article

Taylor, E. S., McCall, J. L., Shen, S., Girardin, A., Munro, F. M., Black, M. A., Ward-Hartstonge, K. A., & Kemp, R. A. (2018). Prognostic roles for IL-2-producing and CD69⁺ T cell subsets in colorectal cancer patients. International Journal of Cancer, 143(8), 2008-2016. doi: 10.1002/ijc.31598

Journal - Research Article

Ward-Hartstonge, K. A., McCall, J. L., McCulloch, T. R., Kamps, A.-K., Girardin, A., Cretney, E., Munro, F. M., & Kemp, R. A. (2017). Inclusion of BLIMP-1⁺ effector regulatory T cells improves the Immunoscore in a cohort of New Zealand colorectal cancer patients: A pilot study. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy, 66(4), 515-522. doi: 10.1007/s00262-016-1951-1

Journal - Research Article

Dunn, E. T. J., Taylor, E. S., Stebbings, S., Schultz, M., Butt, A. G., & Kemp, R. A. (2016). Distinct immune signatures in the colon of Crohn's disease and ankylosing spondylitis patients in the absence of inflammation. Immunology & Cell Biology, 94(5), 421-429. doi: 10.1038/icb.2015.112

Journal - Research Article

Highton, A. J., Girardin, A., Bell, G. M., Hook, S. M., & Kemp, R. A. (2016). Chitosan gel vaccine protects against tumour growth in an intracaecal mouse model of cancer by modulating systemic immune responses. BMC Immunology, 17, 39. doi: 10.1186/s12865-016-0178-4

Journal - Research Article

Neumann, S., Shirley, S. A., Kemp, R. A., & Hook, S. M. (2016). Improved antitumor activity of a therapeutic melanoma vaccine through the use of the dual COX-2/5-LO inhibitor licofelone. Frontiers in Immunology, 7(537), 537. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00537

Journal - Research Article

Norton, S. E., Dunn, E. T. J., McCall, J. L., Munro, F., & Kemp, R. A. (2016). Gut macrophage phenotype is dependent on the tumor microenvironment in colorectal cancer. Clinical & Translational Immunology, 5(4), e76. doi: 10.1038/cti.2016.21

Journal - Research Article

Parayath, N. N., Nehoff, H., Norton, S. E., Highton, A. J., Taurin, S., Kemp, R. A., & Greish, K. (2016). Styrene maleic acid-encapsulated paclitaxel micelles: Antitumor activity and toxicity studies following oral administration in a murine orthotopic colon cancer model. International Journal of Nanomedicine, 11, 3979-3991. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S110251

Journal - Research Article

Taylor, E. S., McCall, J. L., Girardin, A., Munro, F. M., Black, M. A., & Kemp, R. A. (2016). Functional impairment of infiltrating T cells in human colorectal cancer. OncoImmunology, 5(11), e1234573. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2016.1234573

Journal - Research Article

Highton, A. J., Kojarunchitt, T., Girardin, A., Hook, S., & Kemp, R. A. (2015). Chitosan hydrogel vaccine generates protective CD8 T cell memory against mouse melanoma. Immunology & Cell Biology, 93, 634-640. doi: 10.1038/icb.2015.14

Journal - Research Article

Norton, S. E., Ward-Hartstonge, K. A., Taylor, E. S., & Kemp, R. A. (2015). Immune cell interplay in colorectal cancer prognosis. World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology, 7(10), 221-232. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v7.i10.221

Journal - Research Article

Neumann, S., Burkert, K., Kemp, R., Rades, T., Dunbar, P. R., & Hook, S. (2014). Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is not a feature of all particulate vaccine adjuvants. Immunology & Cell Biology, 92, 535-542. doi: 10.1038/icb.2014.21

Journal - Research Article

Girardin, A., McCall, J., Black, M. A., Edwards, F., Phillips, V., Taylor, E. S., Reeve, A. E., & Kemp, R. A. (2013). Inflammatory and regulatory T cells contribute to a unique immune microenvironment in tumor tissue of colorectal cancer patients. International Journal of Cancer, 132(8), 1842-1850. doi: 10.1002/ijc.27855

Journal - Research Article

Kemp, R., Dunn, E., & Schultz, M. (2013). Immunomodulators in inflammatory bowel disease: An emerging role for biologic agents. BioDrugs, 27(6), 585-590. doi: 10.1007/s40259-013-0045-2

Journal - Research Article

Schultz, M., Dunn, E., Taylor, E., Butt, G. A., & Kemp, R. (2013). The Gut Map Project: T cell distribution in inflammation of the gut. Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 28(Suppl. 3), 588. doi: 10.1111/jgh.12363_2

Journal - Research Article

Gordon, S., Young, K., Wilson, R., Rizwan, S., Kemp, R., Rades, T., & Hook, S. (2012). Chitosan hydrogels containing liposomes and cubosomes as particulate sustained release vaccine delivery systems. Journal of Liposome Research, 22(3), 193-204. doi: 10.3109/08982104.2011.637502

Journal - Research Article

Kemp, R. A., Black, M. A., McCall, J., Yoon, H.-S., Phillips, V., Anjomshoaa, A., & Reeve, A. E. (2011). T cell subpopulations in lymph nodes may not be predictive of patient outcome in colorectal cancer. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, 30, 78. doi: 10.1186/1756-9966-30-78

Journal - Research Article

Bouwer, A. L., Netter, P., Kemp, R. A., & McLellan, A. D. (2010). A defined serum-free medium useful for monitoring anti-melanoma responses induced by dendritic cell immunotherapy. Journal of Immunological Methods, 352, 178-181. doi: 10.1016/j.jim.2009.11.001

Journal - Research Article

Kemp, R. A., Pearson, C. F., Cornish, G. H., & Seddon, B. P. (2010). Evidence of STAT5-dependent and -independent routes to CD8 memory formation and a preferential role for IL-7 over IL-15 in STAT5 activation. Immunology & Cell Biology, 88, 213-219. doi: 10.1038/icb.2009.95

Journal - Research Article

Ting, Y. T., Coates, T. P., Marti, H. P., Dunn, A. C., Parker, R. M., Pickering, J. W., Jack, R. W., Kemp, R. A., Walker, R. J., & McLellan, A. D. (2010). Urinary soluble HLA-DR is a potential biomarker for acute renal transplant rejection. Transplantation, 89(9), 1071-1078. doi: 10.1097/TP.0b013e3181d15492

Journal - Research Article

Kemp, R. A., Bäckström, B. T., & Ronchese, F. (2005). The phenotype of type 1 and type 2 CD8⁺ T cells activated in vitro is affected by culture conditions and correlates with effector activity. Immunology, 115(3), 315-324. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2005.02168.x

Journal - Research Article

Begg, D., Kemp, R. A., & Griffin, F. (2004). Normal levels of immunocompetence in possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) exposed to different laboratory housing conditions post capture. Immunology & Cell Biology, 82, 253-256. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-1711.2004.01219.x

Journal - Research Article

Chtanova, T., Kemp, R. A., Sutherland, A., Ronchese, F., & Mackay, C. (2001). Gene microarrays reveal extensive differential gene expression in both CD4+ and CD8+ type 1 and type 2 T cells. Journal of Immunology, 167, 3057-3063.

Journal - Research Article

Kemp, R. A., & Ronchese, F. (2001). Tumor-specific Tc1 but not Tc2 cells deliver protective anti-tumor immunity. Journal of Immunology, 167, 6497-6502.

Journal - Research Article

Ritchie, D., Hermans, I., Lumsden, J., Scanga, C., Roberts, J., Yang, J., Kemp, R. A., & Ronchese, F. (2000). Dendritic cell elimination as an assay of cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity in vivo. Journal of Immunological Methods, 256, 109-117.

Journal - Research Article

Bremer, P. J., Osborne, C. M., & Kemp, R. A. (1998). Thermal-death times of Hafnia alvei cells in a model suspension and in artifically contaminated hot smoked Kahawai (Arripis trutta). Journal of Food Protection, 61(8), 1047-1051.

Journal - Research Article

Bremer, P. J., Osborne, C. M., Smith, J. J., & Kemp, R. A. (1998). Survival of Listeria monocytogenes in seawater and affect of seawater exposure on thermal resistance. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 85(3), 545-553.

Journal - Research Article

Marsh-Wakefield, F. M. D., Mitchell, A. J., Norton, S. E., Ashurst, T. M., Leman, J. K. H., Roberts, J. M., Harte, J. E., … Kemp, R. A. (2021). Making the most of high-dimensional cytometry data. Immunology & Cell Biology, 99, 680-696. doi: 10.1111/imcb.12456

Journal - Research Other

Angus, H. C. K., Butt, A. G., Schultz, M., & Kemp, R. A. (2020). Intestinal organoids as a tool for inflammatory bowel disease research. Frontiers in Medicine, 6, 334. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2019.00334

Journal - Research Other

Munoz-Erazo, L., Rhodes, J. L., Marion, V. C., & Kemp, R. A. (2020). Tertiary lymphoid structures in cancer: Considerations for patient prognosis. Cellular & Molecular Immunology, 17, 570-575. doi: 10.1038/s41423-020-0457-0

Journal - Research Other

Norton, S. E., Leman, J. K. H., Khong, T., Spencer, A., Fazekas de St Groth, B., McGuire, H. M., & Kemp, R. A. (2020). Brick plots: An intuitive platform for visualizing multiparametric immunophenotyped cell clusters. BMC Bioinformatics, 21, 145. doi: 10.1186/s12859-020-3469-y

Journal - Research Other

Laws, G. A., & Kemp, R. A. (2019). Probiotics and health: Understanding probiotic trials. New Zealand Medical Journal, 132(1498), 90-96. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Journal - Research Other

Sarfati, D., Jackson, C. G. C. A., Macfarlane, S., Bissett, I., Robson, B., Gurney, J., Kemp, R., … McMenamin, J. (2019). Cancer Care at a Crossroads: Time to make a choice. New Zealand Medical Journal, 132(1493), 6-11. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Journal - Research Other

Ward-Hartstonge, K. A., & Kemp, R. A. (2017). Regulatory T-cell heterogeneity and the cancer immune response. Clinical & Translational Immunology, 6, e154. doi: 10.1038/cti.2017.43

Journal - Research Other

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Professor Ros Kemp

Contact Details

University Links

Research

Research projects

Mucosal Immune Responses in Cancer and Inflammatory Diseases

CD8+ T Cell Memory

Molecular Pathways controlling T cells

Publications