Dr Grace Burns is an early‑career postdoctoral researcher in immunology based within the Immune Health Research Program at HMRI and the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Transforming Gut Health at the University of Newcastle. Her research focuses on understanding how the immune system contributes to chronic gastrointestinal diseases, particularly disorders of gut–brain interaction (DGBIs) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Dr Burns’ work integrates immunology, pathology, and biomedical science to uncover how disruptions in intestinal homeostasis drive inappropriate immune responses. Her PhD (awarded 2021) made significant contributions to functional dyspepsia research, providing evidence that immune activation, dietary antigens, and the microbiome play central roles in disease, challenging the long-standing view of these conditions as purely “functional.”

Her current research applies a systems immunology approach, combining traditional laboratory techniques with computational and multi‑omics analyses. She is leading projects that aim to redefine gastrointestinal diseases based on underlying biology rather than symptoms. These include identifying immune-driven patient subgroups in DGBIs and investigating how stress and sex hormones influence disease activity in IBD.

Dr Burns has extensive expertise in clinical and experimental pipelines, from patient recruitment and tissue analysis to high-dimensional immune profiling. She has published over 40 papers, contributed to more than $3.6 million in research funding, and received several awards, including the 2024 Rome Foundation International Research Award.

Passionate about translation and outreach, Dr Burns is committed to improving diagnosis and treatment for patients while engaging both scientific and community audiences in gut health research.