Dr Belinda Kaskow is a dedicated researcher at the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science and the University of Western Australia (UWA), specialising in immunology and genetics with a particular focus on multiple sclerosis (MS). Her research primarily investigates the early immunological events in MS, specifically exploring how immune dysregulation contributes to disease onset and progression. Dr Kaskow leads innovative studies on regulatory immune cells, including regulatory T and B cells and killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptor-positive (KIR+) T cells, examining their roles in maintaining immune balance and identifying potential as biomarkers for disease activity and therapeutic response.
Dr Kaskow completed her PhD at UWA, subsequently enhancing her research expertise during nearly seven years at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She was the inaugural Eyewall Foundation fellow and has earned recognition through research funding from leading institutions such as MS Australia and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She is chair of the Perron Institute EMCR committee, holds positions on the AAMRI and Research Australia EMCR committees and is also a member of the Perron Research Strategy Committee and the MS Australia Research Management Council. Dr Kaskow established the Demyelinating Diseases Consumer Advisory Group, which partners with people with lived experience in MS to help direct her research program, ensuring her work aligns closely with the needs of the MS community.
