I completed a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Molecular Biology at The University of Queensland (2015). I then completed my PhD (2016-2021) at the School of Biology (UQ) under the guidance of Prof Sassan Asgari, studying the virome and microbiome of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes and the tripartite interactions between the virome, mosquito and Wolbachia pipientis infections. I continued my research on molecular virology as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Prof Alexander Khromykh's laboratory at (SCMB) in 2020 and helped utilise and develop the SARS-CoV-2 circular polymerase extension reaction (CPER) reverse-genetics methodology. As a physical containment 3 (PC3) researcher for both Flaviviruses and SARS-CoV-2, I examine the virological properties of these viruses under strict PC3 conditions.
In addition to my role as a molecular virologist, I provide active bioinformatics and phylogenetics support within UQ and internationally. Talk to me if you wish to collaborate utilising differential gene and ncRNA expression analysis, ATAC-sequencing, ancestral state prediction and virus discovery or microbiome analyses.
As a COVID-19 scientist, I am actively combating misinformation about COVID-19 research through academic channels and providing expert analysis to independent journalism organisations engaged in Fact-Checking. Some examples include COVID-19 vaccine misinformation examined by the Australian Associated Press and Health Feedback, an organisation contracted by Facebook to verify misinformation.
Journal Article: Egg protein profile and dynamics during embryogenesis in Haemaphysalis flava ticks
Cheng, Rong, Li, Dan, Duan, De-yong, Parry, Rhys, Cheng, Tian-yin and Liu, Lei (2023). Egg protein profile and dynamics during embryogenesis in Haemaphysalis flava ticks. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, 14 (4) 102180, 102180. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102180
Journal Article: Statement in Support of: “Virology under the Microscope—a Call for Rational Discourse”
Speck, Peter, Mackenzie, Jason, Bull, Rowena A., Slobedman, Barry, Drummer, Heidi, Fraser, Johanna, Herrero, Lara, Helbig, Karla, Londrigan, Sarah, Moseley, Gregory, Prow, Natalie, Hansman, Grant, Edwards, Robert, Ahlenstiel, Chantelle, Abendroth, Allison, Tscharke, David, Hobson-Peters, Jody, Kriiger-Loterio, Robson, Parry, Rhys, Marsh, Glenn, Harding, Emma, Jacques, David A., Gartner, Matthew J., Lee, Wen Shi, McAuley, Julie, Vaz, Paola, Sainsbury, Frank, Tate, Michelle D., Sinclair, Jane ... Young, Paul (2023). Statement in Support of: “Virology under the Microscope—a Call for Rational Discourse”. mSphere. doi: 10.1128/msphere.00165-23
Journal Article: Statement in Support of: “Virology under the Microscope—a Call for Rational Discourse”
Speck, Peter, Mackenzie, Jason, Bull, Rowena A., Slobedman, Barry, Drummer, Heidi, Fraser, Johanna, Herrero, Lara, Helbig, Karla, Londrigan, Sarah, Moseley, Gregory, Prow, Natalie, Hansman, Grant, Edwards, Robert, Ahlenstiel, Chantelle, Abendroth, Allison, Tscharke, David, Hobson-Peters, Jody, Kriiger-Loterio, Robson, Parry, Rhys, Marsh, Glenn, Harding, Emma, Jacques, David A., Gartner, Matthew J., Lee, Wen Shi, McAuley, Julie, Vaz, Paola, Sainsbury, Frank, Tate, Michelle D., Sinclair, Jane ... Young, Paul (2023). Statement in Support of: “Virology under the Microscope—a Call for Rational Discourse”. mBio. doi: 10.1128/mbio.00815-23
Broad-spectrum vaccine design for flaviviruses and henipaviruses
(2023–2025) NHMRC MRFF EMCR - Early to Mid-Career Researchers
Egg protein profile and dynamics during embryogenesis in Haemaphysalis flava ticks
Cheng, Rong, Li, Dan, Duan, De-yong, Parry, Rhys, Cheng, Tian-yin and Liu, Lei (2023). Egg protein profile and dynamics during embryogenesis in Haemaphysalis flava ticks. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, 14 (4) 102180, 102180. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102180
Statement in Support of: “Virology under the Microscope—a Call for Rational Discourse”
Speck, Peter, Mackenzie, Jason, Bull, Rowena A., Slobedman, Barry, Drummer, Heidi, Fraser, Johanna, Herrero, Lara, Helbig, Karla, Londrigan, Sarah, Moseley, Gregory, Prow, Natalie, Hansman, Grant, Edwards, Robert, Ahlenstiel, Chantelle, Abendroth, Allison, Tscharke, David, Hobson-Peters, Jody, Kriiger-Loterio, Robson, Parry, Rhys, Marsh, Glenn, Harding, Emma, Jacques, David A., Gartner, Matthew J., Lee, Wen Shi, McAuley, Julie, Vaz, Paola, Sainsbury, Frank, Tate, Michelle D., Sinclair, Jane ... Young, Paul (2023). Statement in Support of: “Virology under the Microscope—a Call for Rational Discourse”. mBio. doi: 10.1128/mbio.00815-23
Statement in Support of: “Virology under the Microscope—a Call for Rational Discourse”
Speck, Peter, Mackenzie, Jason, Bull, Rowena A., Slobedman, Barry, Drummer, Heidi, Fraser, Johanna, Herrero, Lara, Helbig, Karla, Londrigan, Sarah, Moseley, Gregory, Prow, Natalie, Hansman, Grant, Edwards, Robert, Ahlenstiel, Chantelle, Abendroth, Allison, Tscharke, David, Hobson-Peters, Jody, Kriiger-Loterio, Robson, Parry, Rhys, Marsh, Glenn, Harding, Emma, Jacques, David A., Gartner, Matthew J., Lee, Wen Shi, McAuley, Julie, Vaz, Paola, Sainsbury, Frank, Tate, Michelle D., Sinclair, Jane ... Young, Paul (2023). Statement in Support of: “Virology under the Microscope—a Call for Rational Discourse”. mSphere. doi: 10.1128/msphere.00165-23
Statement in Support of: “Virology under the Microscope—a Call for Rational Discourse”
Speck, Peter, Mackenzie, Jason, Bull, Rowena A., Slobedman, Barry, Drummer, Heidi, Fraser, Johanna, Herrero, Lara, Helbig, Karla, Londrigan, Sarah, Moseley, Gregory, Prow, Natalie, Hansman, Grant, Edwards, Robert, Ahlenstiel, Chantelle, Abendroth, Allison, Tscharke, David, Hobson-Peters, Jody, Kriiger-Loterio, Robson, Parry, Rhys, Marsh, Glenn, Harding, Emma, Jacques, David A., Gartner, Matthew J., Lee, Wen Shi, McAuley, Julie, Vaz, Paola, Sainsbury, Frank, Tate, Michelle D., Sinclair, Jane ... Young, Paul (2023). Statement in Support of: “Virology under the Microscope—a Call for Rational Discourse”. Journal of Virology, 97 (5). doi: 10.1128/jvi.00451-23
GPR183 antagonism reduces macrophage infiltration in influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infection
Foo, Cheng Xiang, Bartlett, Stacey, Chew, Keng Yih, Ngo, Minh Dao, Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Helle, Jayakody Arachchige, Buddhika, Matthews, Benjamin, Reed, Sarah, Wang, Ran, Smith, Christian, Sweet, Matthew J., Burr, Lucy, Bisht, Kavita, Shatunova, Svetlana, Sinclair, Jane E., Parry, Rhys, Yang, Yuanhao, Lévesque, Jean-Pierre, Khromykh, Alexander, Rosenkilde, Mette Marie, Short, Kirsty R. and Ronacher, Katharina (2023). GPR183 antagonism reduces macrophage infiltration in influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infection. European Respiratory Journal, 61 (3) 2201306, 1-15. doi: 10.1183/13993003.01306-2022
Barbosa, Amanda D., Long, Michelle, Lee, Wenna, Austen, Jill M., Cunneen, Mike, Ratchford, Andrew, Burns, Brian, Kumarasinghe, Prasad, Ben-Othman, Rym, Kollmann, Tobias R., Stewart, Cameron R., Beaman, Miles, Parry, Rhys, Hall, Roy, Tabor, Ala, O’Donovan, Justine, Faddy, Helen M., Collins, Marjorie, Cheng, Allen C., Stenos, John, Graves, Stephen, Oskam, Charlotte L., Ryan, Una M. and Irwin, Peter J. (2022). The Troublesome Ticks research protocol: developing a comprehensive, multidiscipline research plan for investigating human tick-associated diseasein Australia. Pathogens, 11 (11) 1290, 1-26. doi: 10.3390/pathogens11111290
SARS-CoV-2 drives NLRP3 inflammasome activation in human microglia through spike protein
Albornoz, Eduardo A., Amarilla, Alberto A., Modhiran, Naphak, Parker, Sandra, Li, Xaria X., Wijesundara, Danushka K., Aguado, Julio, Zamora, Adriana Pliego, McMillan, Christopher L. D., Liang, Benjamin, Peng, Nias Y. G., Sng, Julian D. J., Saima, Fatema Tuj, Fung, Jenny N., Lee, John D., Paramitha, Devina, Parry, Rhys, Avumegah, Michael S., Isaacs, Ariel, Lo, Martin W., Miranda-Chacon, Zaray, Bradshaw, Daniella, Salinas-Rebolledo, Constanza, Rajapakse, Niwanthi W., Wolvetang, Ernst J., Munro, Trent P., Rojas-Fernandez, Alejandro, Young, Paul R., Stacey, Katryn J. ... Woodruff, Trent M. (2022). SARS-CoV-2 drives NLRP3 inflammasome activation in human microglia through spike protein. Molecular Psychiatry, 1-16. doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01831-0
Bamford, Connor G. G., de Souza, William M., Parry, Rhys and Gifford, Robert J. (2022). Comparative analysis of genome-encoded viral sequences reveals the evolutionary history of flavivirids (family Flaviviridae). Virus Evolution, 8 (2) veac085, veac085. doi: 10.1093/ve/veac085
Reporter flaviviruses as tools to demonstrate homologous and heterologous superinfection exclusion
Torres, Francisco J., Parry, Rhys, Hugo, Leon E. , Slonchak, Andrii , Newton, Natalee D. , Vet, Laura J. , Modhiran, Naphak, Pullinger, Brody , Wang, Xiaohui , Potter, James , Winterford, Clay , Hobson-Peters, Jody , Hall, Roy A. and Khromykh, Alexander A. (2022). Reporter flaviviruses as tools to demonstrate homologous and heterologous superinfection exclusion. Viruses, 14 (7) 1501, 1501. doi: 10.3390/v14071501
Slonchak, Andrii, Parry, Rhys, Pullinger, Brody, Sng, Julian D. J., Wang, Xiaohui, Buck, Teresa F., Torres, Francisco J., Harrison, Jessica J., Colmant, Agathe M. G., Hobson-Peters, Jody, Hall, Roy A., Tuplin, Andrew and Khromykh, Alexander A. (2022). Structural analysis of 3’UTRs in insect flaviviruses reveals novel determinants of sfRNA biogenesis and provides new insights into flavivirus evolution. Nature Communications, 13 (1) 1279, 1-16. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28977-3
Gestuveo, Rommel J., Parry, Rhys, Dickson, Laura B., Lequime, Sebastian, Sreenu, Vattipally B., Arnold, Matthew J., Khromykh, Alexander A., Schnettler, Esther, Lambrechts, Louis, Varjak, Margus and Kohl, Alain (2022). Mutational analysis of Aedes aegypti Dicer 2 provides insights into the biogenesis of antiviral exogenous small interfering RNAs. PLOS Pathogens, 18 (1) e1010202, 1-29. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010202
Parry, Rhys, de Malmanche, Henry and Asgari, Sassan (2021). Persistent Spodoptera frugiperda rhabdovirus infection in Sf9 cells is not restricted by Wolbachia wMelPop-CLA and wAlbB strains and is targeted by the RNAi machinery. Virology, 563, 82-87. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2021.08.013
Parry, Rhys, Gifford, Robert J., Lytras, Spyros, Ray, Stuart C. and Coin, Lachlan J. M. (2021). No evidence of SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription and integration as the origin of chimeric transcripts in patient tissues. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118 (33) e2109066118, e2109066118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2109066118
Parry, Rhys, James, Maddie E. and Asgari, Sassan (2021). Uncovering the worldwide diversity and evolution of the virome of the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Microorganisms, 9 (8) 1653, 1653. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9081653
Jansen van Vuren, Petrus , Parry, Rhys, Khromykh, Alexander A. and Paweska, Janusz T. (2021). A 1958 isolate of Kedougou Virus (KEDV) from Ndumu, South Africa, expands the geographic and temporal range of KEDV in Africa. Viruses, 13 (7) 1368, 1368. doi: 10.3390/v13071368
Human blood microRNA hsa-miR-21-5p induces vitellogenin in the mosquito Aedes aegypti
Perdomo, Hugo D., Hussain, Mazhar, Parry, Rhys, Etebari, Kayvan, Hedges, Lauren M., Zhang, Guangmei, Schulz, Benjamin L. and Asgari, Sassan (2021). Human blood microRNA hsa-miR-21-5p induces vitellogenin in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Communications Biology, 4 (1) 856, 856. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-02385-7
A versatile reverse genetics platform for SARS-CoV-2 and other positive-strand RNA viruses
Amarilla, Alberto A., Sng, Julian D. J., Parry, Rhys, Deerain, Joshua M., Potter, James R., Setoh, Yin Xiang, Rawle, Daniel J., Le, Thuy T., Modhiran, Naphak, Wang, Xiaohui, Peng, Nias Y. G., Torres, Francisco J., Pyke, Alyssa, Harrison, Jessica J., Freney, Morgan E., Liang, Benjamin, McMillan, Christopher L. D., Cheung, Stacey T. M., Guevara, Darwin J Da Costa, Hardy, Joshua M., Bettington, Mark, Muller, David A., Coulibaly, Fasséli, Moore, Frederick, Hall, Roy A., Young, Paul R., Mackenzie, Jason M., Hobson-Peters, Jody, Suhrbier, Andreas ... Khromykh, Alexander A. (2021). A versatile reverse genetics platform for SARS-CoV-2 and other positive-strand RNA viruses. Nature Communications, 12 (1) 3431, 3431. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-23779-5
Etebari, Kayvan, Parry, Rhys, Beltran, Marie Joy B. and Furlong, Michael J. (2020). Transcription profile and genomic variation of Oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus (OrNV) in Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle. Journal of Virology, 94 (22) e01097-20, 1-18. doi: 10.1128/jvi.01097-20
Rawle, Daniel J., Nguyen, Wilson, Dumenil, Troy, Parry, Rhys, Warrilow, David, Tang, Bing, Le, Thuy T., Slonchak, Andrii, Khromykh, Alexander A., Lutzky, Viviana P., Yan, Kexin and Suhrbier, Andreas (2020). Sequencing of historical isolates, k‐mer mining and high serological cross‐reactivity with Ross River virus argue against the presence of Getah virus in Australia. Pathogens, 9 (10) 848, 1-17. doi: 10.3390/pathogens9100848
Divergent influenza-like viruses of amphibians and fish support an ancient evolutionary association
Parry, Rhys, Wille, Michelle, Turnbull, Olivia M. H., Geoghegan, Jemma L. and Holmes, Edward C. (2020). Divergent influenza-like viruses of amphibians and fish support an ancient evolutionary association. Viruses, 12 (9) 1042, 1042. doi: 10.3390/v12091042
Viral CpG deficiency provides no evidence that dogs were intermediate hosts for SARS-CoV-2
Pollock, David D., Castoe, Todd A., Perry, Blair W., Lytras, Spyros, Wade, Kristen J., Robertson, David L., Holmes, Edward C., Boni, Maciej F., Kosakovsky Pond, Sergei L., Parry, Rhys, Carlton, Elizabeth J., Wood, James L. N., Pennings, Pleuni S. and Goldstein, Richard A. (2020). Viral CpG deficiency provides no evidence that dogs were intermediate hosts for SARS-CoV-2. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 37 (9), 2706-2710. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msaa178
Parry, Rhys, Naccache, Fanny, Ndiaye, El Hadji, Fall, Gamou, Castelli, Ilaria, Lühken, Renke, Medlock, Jolyon, Cull, Benjamin, Hesson, Jenny C., Montarsi, Fabrizio, Failloux, Anna-Bella, Kohl, Alain, Schnettler, Esther, Diallo, Mawlouth, Asgari, Sassan, Dietrich, Isabelle and Becker, Stefanie C. (2020). Identification and RNAi profile of a novel iflavirus infecting Senegalese Aedes vexans arabiensis mosquitoes. Viruses, 12 (4) 440, 440. doi: 10.3390/v12040440
Madhav, Mukund, Parry, Rhys, Morgan, Jess A. T., James, Peter and Asgari, Sassan (2020). Wolbachia endosymbiont of the horn fly Haematobia irritans irritans: a supergroup A strain with multiple horizontally acquired cytoplasmic incompatibility genes. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 86 (6) e02589. doi: 10.1128/aem.02589-19
Bishop, Cameron, Parry, Rhys and Asgari, Sassan (2019). Effect of Wolbachia wAlbB on a positive-sense RNA negev-like virus: a novel virus persistently infecting Aedes albopictus mosquitoes and cells. Journal of General Virology, 101 (2) 001361, 216-225. doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.001361
Parry, Rhys and Asgari, Sassan (2019). Discovery of novel crustacean and cephalopod flaviviruses: insights into evolution and circulation of flaviviruses between marine invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. Journal of Virology, 93 (14) e00432. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00432-19
Parry, Rhys, Bishop, Cameron, De Hayr, Lachlan and Asgari, Sassan (2019). Density-dependent enhanced replication of a densovirus in Wolbachia-infected Aedes cells is associated with production of piRNAs and higher virus-derived siRNAs. Virology, 528, 89-100. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2018.12.006
Parry, Rhys and Asgari, Sassan (2018). Aedes Anphevirus: an insect-specific virus distributed worldwide in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that has complex interplays with Wolbachia and dengue virus infection in cells. Journal of Virology, 92 (17) e00224-18, JVI.00224-18. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00224-18
Mapping the virome in wild-caught Aedes aegypti from Cairns and Bangkok
Zakrzewski, Martha, Rašić, Gordana, Darbro, Jonathan, Krause, Lutz, Poo, Yee S., Filipović, Igor, Parry, Rhys, Asgari, Sassan, Devine, Greg and Suhrbier, Andreas (2018). Mapping the virome in wild-caught Aedes aegypti from Cairns and Bangkok. Scientific Reports, 8 (1) 4690, 4690. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-22945-y
Upregulation of Aedes aegypti Vago1 by Wolbachia and its effect on dengue virus replication
Asad, Sultan, Parry, Rhys and Asgari, Sassan (2018). Upregulation of Aedes aegypti Vago1 by Wolbachia and its effect on dengue virus replication. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 92, 45-52. doi: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2017.11.008
Endosymbionts and viromes: interplays between Wolbachia pipientis and the virome of Aedes mosquitoes
Parry, Rhys (2021). Endosymbionts and viromes: interplays between Wolbachia pipientis and the virome of Aedes mosquitoes. PhD Thesis, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/abcdf38
Broad-spectrum vaccine design for flaviviruses and henipaviruses
(2023–2025) NHMRC MRFF EMCR - Early to Mid-Career Researchers