lOCATION:

John Radcliffe Hospital, Level 6, Headley Way, Headington, Oxford, OX3 9DU

I am a Senior Clinical Research Fellow and Honorary Consultant Surgeon in Transplantation, Vascular Access and Organ Retrieval. My research focuses on the roles of human regulatory B cells (Bregs) in both health and disease.

Breg have been shown to be protective in solid organ transplantation and autoimmune disease, whilst promoting disease progression in conditions such as infection and cancer. At the Translational Research Immunology Group (TRIG), we have developed novel methods to generate human Breg ex vivo, which are able to regulate allo-specific immune responses in vivo, in clinically relevant humanised mouse models of skin transplantation to prolong human allograft survival.

We are currently interrogating mechanisms by which Breg develop and function in vivo and their interactions with B effector populations and regulatory T cells (Tregs).  We are also working on genetic editing methods by which to improve Breg-specific effects as a precursor to novel, antigen-specific cellular therapies. In innovative new projects, we are employing novel ex vivo platforms including human lymphoid organoids to investigate the role of human Breg in the immunoregulation of vaccine responses as well as in allo- and autoimmunity. This work is funded by the Wellcome Trust, Royal College of Surgeons, Oxfordshire Health Services, the Oxford Transplant Foundation and industry partnerships including Oxford Biomedica.