Immunology

Oxford scientists have contributed to major advances in immunology such as implicating lymphocytes in the immune response (James Gowans), determining the structure of antibodies (Rodney Porter, Nobel Prize 1972), and characterizing leucocyte cell surface molecules (Alan Williams). Oxford has one of the highest concentrations of active immunology researchers in the world, and is rated the top University in the UK in the area of infection and immunity.

Our special forte is top-class basic research in immunological mechanisms and in translating this knowledge into clinical and commercial applications. Areas of strength in basic research include all aspects of lymphocyte function, including the molecular basis of lymphocyte recognition, and regulatory and unconventional T cells. Areas of strength in translational research include mucosal immunology, tumor immunology, autoimmune diseases, therapeutic immunology and vaccines. Immunology research is performed in a number of University Departments and Institutes. These include the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, Paediatrics and Biochemistry. Institutes include the Weatherall Institute for Molecular Medicine, the Jenner Institute and the Kennedy Institute, which moved to Oxford in 2011. There are strong links between immunologists through regular meetings of the Oxford Immunology Group.

Structured DPhil Programmes

MSc Taught Programmes

Other Relevant Programmes

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Supervisors in Immunology

Oreste Acuto

The biochemical basis of signal initiation and propogation, its fine tuning and stabilization that imparts during phenotypic changes.

Brian J Angus

Malaria, HIV and Melioidosis

Daniel Anthony

How mediators of the inflammatory response contribute to the outcome of spinal or brain injuries. How events in others organs, such as the liver, contribute to the outcome of brain injury or disease. In particular (with the Neuroimaging group), we are studying the mechanisms that give rise to the reactivation of a Multiple sclerosis-like lesions by a systemic inflammatory response. How brain injury contributes to the outcome of disease elsewhere in the body with a focus on how hepatic NFkB activity contributes to the acute phase response after CNS injury (with Dr Mann, Southampton). How inflammation affects brain serotonin function and the relevance to depression (with Dr Sharp and the Neuroimaging group).

Jon Austyn

Immunobiology of dendritic cells

Alison Banham

Therapeutic antibodies for cancer therapy. Transcriptional deregulation in lymphomagenesis.

Ellie Barnes

Human Chronic Viruses

James Berkley

Global childhood infection & immunity

Mahmood Bhutta

Genetics and therapy of otitis media

Paul Bowness

What is the role of HLA-B27 in the pathogenesis of spondyloarthritis?

Martin Burton

Genetics and Therapy of Otitis Media

Andrew Bushell

Understanding and harnessing inherent immunological control mechanisms to protect organ transplants from rejection

Vincenzo Cerundolo

Vaccination, cancer immunology and NKT cell function

Richard, J Cornall

Autoimmunity and Immune Regulation Group

Matthew Craner

Fast-track neuroprotective studies in MS

Simon J Davis

T-cell Biology Group

Nick PJ Day

Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit

Jonathan Dean

Cell Signalling and Post-Transcriptional Regulation in Inflammation

Tao Dong

Anti-viral T cell response

Simon J Draper

Blood-Stage Malaria Vaccine Group

Omer Dushek

Systems Biology of Lymphocyte Signaling

Christian Eggeling

Nano-Immunology

Elma Tchilian

Immunology

Paul Fairchild

Addressing the immunological barriers to stem cell therapies.

Jeremy Farrar

Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Viet Nam

Ervin Fodor

Influenza virus replication at the molecular level.

John Frater

HIV Infection

Matthew Freeman

Cell biology of signalling in development and disease

Peter Friend

Isolated organ perfusion and preservation Clinical trials of novel Immunosuppression

Lars Fugger

Multiple sclerosis

Robert JC Gilbert

Ribosomes, membrane and pore-forming proteins, viruses

Sarah C Gilbert

Vaccine Development

Geraldine Gillespie

The molecular and epigenetic biology of NK cells

Philip Goulder

Paediatric HIV T cell immunology

David Greaves

Inflammation Biology.

Tomas Hanke

HIV-1 Vaccine Development Group

Matt Higgins

Structural studies of the malaria parasite

Adrian VS Hill

Jenner Institute / Infectious Diseases / Malaria Vaccine Trials

Ling-Pei Ho

The immunology of respiratory infections

Jonathan Hodgkin

Genetics of nematode immunity and development

Georg Hollander

The Immunobiology of the Thymus and the T cell System

Juha Huiskonen

Protein Science and Structural Biology

David G Jackson

Lymphatics and cell trafficking

William James

HIV-Macrophage interactions and stem cell technology

Paul Johnson

APSPU – The Academic Paediatric Surgery Unit undertakes research ranging from basic laboratory science to evidence-based clinical studies. The principal area of research relates to the endocrine pancreas, and in particular the field of pancreatic islet transplantation for juvenile-onset diabetes; OXCIT – Oxford Consortium for Islet Transplantation, is a multi-disciplinary team that aims to achieve insulin independence in patients with diabetes by transplanting pancreatic islets of Langerhans.

E. Yvonne Jones

Receptor Structure Research Group

Dominic Kelly

Paediatric vaccine immunology with particular interest in B-cell responses. Epidemiology of invasive bacterial disease and pneumonia in childhood.

Paul Klenerman

Antiviral immunity

Julian C Knight

Functional genomics of inflammation and immunity

Bethan Lang

Autoantibodies in neurological diseases

Susan Lea

Host-pathogen interactions including the Complement system, bacterial adhesion, type III and tat secretion systems and picornaviral-receptor interactions.

Petros Ligoxygakis

Drosophila as a model to study innate immunity

Kerstin Luhn

Immune regulation and innate immune responses in Dengue and other viral infections

Julie Makani

Tropical Medicine & Global Health and Genetics & Genomics

Kevin Maloy

Host-pathogen interactions in the intestine and their impact on intestinal inflammation

Andrew J McMichael

Antiviral Immunity, HIV

Helen McShane

Cellular Immunology and Vaccine Development

Kim Midwood

'The Danger Theory: understanding how the extracellular matrix controls immunity

Chris A O'Callaghan

Innate Immunity

Graham S Ogg

Cutaneous Immunology, Allergy, Dermatology, Viral infections and the skin, Innate and adaptive immune responses, Role of epithelium in immunity.

Jacqueline Palace

1. Clinical imaging research: neuroinflammatory disease (eg multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica. 2. Clinical neuroimmunology: neuroinflammatory (eg ms) and antibody mediated neurological diseases eg myasthenia gravis and neuromyelitis optica? 3. Assessing utility of potential drugs for treatment of patients with abnormal AChR ion channel kinetics. 4. Neuro-ophthalmology: neuroinflammatory diseases (eg ms and neuromyelitis optica). 5. Neuro-genetics: neuroinflammatory conditions and diseases of the neuromuscular junction (eg myasthenia gravis). 6. Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica. 7. Clinical Chemistry: biomarkers of neuroinflammatory disease

Anant Parekh

Intracellular calcium signalling

Rodney E Phillips

Antiviral Immunity, HIV

Fran Platt

Glycosphingolipids in health and disease.

Rutger Ploeg

Clinical, translational & experimental research in organ donation and transplantation and focus on mechanisms of injury & repair relevant to enhance donor organ quality, reduce ischaemia-reperfusion injury, improve preservation and allow regeneration after transplantation to increase allograft function and survival.

Andrew Pollard

Adult and Paediatric Vaccinology and Paediatric Infection and Immunity

Fiona Powrie

Innate and adaptive immune pathways that control intestinal homeostasis and their breakdown in inflammatory bowel disease.

Jan Rehwinkel

Nucleic Acid Sensing by Innate Immune Receptors

David Roberts

Erythropoiesis / Regulatory T cells in Bone Marrow Transplantation / Malaria Pathogenesis

Sarah L Rowland-Jones

Immunity to HIV infection

Quentin Sattentau

Retroviral Immunology.

Chris Scanlan

Carbohydrate-based vaccine design for HIV/AIDS

Anna Schuh

Genetics and Genomics

Alison Simmons

Innate immunity in infectious and inflammatory disease

Katja Simon

Cell death and Autophagy in the Immune and Hematopoietic System

Steven Sinkins

Genetics and Genomics

Christoph Tang

Pathogenesis and Prevention of Bacterial Meningitis

Alain R Townsend

Iron Metabolism and Immunology

Irina Udalova

Genomic and epigenetic control of inflammation: identification of key master regulators

Holm Uhlig

Mucosal Immunity and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Anton van der Merwe

Molecular analysis of T and NK cell recognition.

David Vaux

Human disease and proteins.

Angela Vincent

Identification and investigation of autoantibodies to muscle and neuronal proteins in neurological diseases of adults and children

Frank Vreede

Regulation of influenza A virus replication and transcription

Nicholas J White

Tropical Medicine, Infectious Disease and Drug Discovery

Richard Williams

Targeting disease pathways in rheumatoid arthritis

Kathryn Wood

Transplant rejection and tolerance

Nicole Zitzmann

Hepatitis - Development of Antiviral Strategies

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