LOCATION:
John Radcliffe Hospital, Level 6, Headley Way, Headington, Oxford, OX3 9DU
Research groups
Joanna Hester
MSc, PhD
Associate Professor
I am a group co-leader in the Translational Research Immunology Group (TRIG).
My research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of immunological tolerance versus immune activation with a view to developing therapies that could benefit transplant recipients and patients with immune related diseases. I am particularly interested in immune cells with regulatory properties, regulatory T cells (Treg) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells and the mechanisms of suppression utilized by these cells. By providing the data on the in vivo efficacy of ex vivo expanded human Treg, my research helped to inform the current clinical study; the TWO Study, in which we are testing safety and efficacy of Treg cells in kidney transplant recipients.
Though my collaborations with colleagues in Oxford and beyond, I am also involved in projects investigating the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy and changes in the immune response in cancer, both in animal models and clinical trials.
Recent publications
Vortex-actuated pre-enrichment accelerates human regulatory T cell sorting and improves early fitness
Journal article
Ho QY. et al, (2026), Molecular Therapy Advances, 34, 201667 - 201667
Redefining the topology of the human bone marrow using augmented spatial transcriptomic analysis
Preprint
Cooper RA. et al, (2025)
HLA matching or CRISPR editing of HLA class I/II enables engraftment and effective function of allogeneic human regulatory T cell therapy in a humanized mouse transplantation model.
Journal article
McCallion O. et al, (2025), Nat Commun, 16
Belantamab Mafodotin Triggers Immune Invigoration in Multiple Myeloma Via Inflammatory and Immunogenic Cell Death
Preprint
Watson ECR. et al, (2025)
Regulatory T cell therapy is associated with distinct immune regulatory lymphocytic infiltrates in kidney transplants.
Journal article
McCallion O. et al, (2025), Med, 6