18/07/2026
As we continue sharing the voices behind this year's National DRESS Syndrome Day, we're honored to feature Associate Professor Andrew Gibson, who leads the Drug Hypersensitivity Research Laboratory at Murdoch University's Personalised Medicine Centre in Western Australia.
His research combines immunology and genomics to better understand severe drug reactions, identify who may be at risk, and advance safer prescribing and more personalized care.
"DRESS is caused by complex interactions between a person's genes and their immune system, which has traditionally made it difficult to understand and manage. However, we are now entering an exciting new era of research, where advances in genomic testing and data analysis are helping us better understand why DRESS occurs and who may be at risk.
Specifically, we are identifying new genetic markers that could predict risk before a medication is prescribed, developing more personalised approaches to diagnose individual patients, and uncovering the specific immune cells and signals in the skin that drive the disease—insights that are essential for developing better treatments.
Together, these advances are increasing awareness of DRESS and paving the way for earlier diagnosis, safer prescribing, and more targeted, effective treatments tailored to each patient—bringing real hope for reducing the devastating impact of DRESS on patients and their families."
We're grateful to Associate Professor Gibson for lending his voice to All Hands on DRESS and for his commitment to improving drug safety and outcomes for patients and families affected by DRESS.
