Lecturer in Immunology
Hull York Medical School, United Kingdom
As an academic, I have research interests in the areas of infection and tumour immunology, inflammation and ageing. My Immunology Lab at Hull York Medical School (University of Hull Campus) is particularly interested on how infection complicates chronic conditions, within a multimorbidity context. On the other hand, we are also interested in understanding how chronic conditions predispose to infection.
For instance, we have active research looking at how pathogens breach/compromise the barrier function of the immune system in patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Other research in my lab is dissecting microbial interactions in cancer (particularly leukemia), with an emphasis on immunological function and tumour-cell behaviour. When pathogens spread beyond the original site of infection (for example, a skin ulcer/wound), they can give rise to a severe systemic illness, known as sepsis. This is a condition currently killing more people than the top three cancers (lung, breast and prostate) combined, in the US/Europe. So additionally, my lab is interested in understanding if specific conditions predispose for sepsis risk; how pathogens involved in sepsis hijack the immune system; and whether this can have an impact even after recovery. Molecular pathways of intercellular communication between immune cells relevant in infection, critical inflammatory conditions and ageing are currently under investigation in any of the above areas.
