Jake Dunning

WORK AND INTERESTS

My research focusses on emerging and high consequence infectious diseases, and respiratory virus infections, covering mechanisms of pathogenesis and transmission, diagnostics, characterisation of disease, and clinical trials of potential treatments. My current research portfolio consists of the following:

• Lead for Oxford’s clinically focussed research contributions to the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team, including co-lead for the Mpox Clinical Characterisation Study in Nigeria, and a whole-blood transcriptional profiling study of Lassa fever
• Co-Director of the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections (in collaboration with the University of Liverpool and UKHSA)
• Lead for the POS-ARI-ER Study of patients with acute respiratory infections presenting to hospitals in Europe, within the EU-funded European Clinical Research Alliance for Infectious Diseases (Ecraid)
• Site PI, ARBO-UK Study, Royal Free Hospital
• Core Investigator, and Site PI (Royal Free Hospital), ISARIC Clinical Characterisation Protocol (ISARIC 4C UK)

I currently have two full time DPhil students working on the clinical characterisation and diagnosis of contemporary mpox, and proportionate and effective biocontainment of pathogens that cause HCIDs in clinical settings.

Between 2009 and 2013, I worked on the Mechanisms of Severe Acute Influenza Consortium (MOSAIC) study, completing a PhD in viral immunology under the supervision of Prof Peter Openshaw CBE.  In 2014-2015, I was the clinical lead for Ebola treatment trials in West Africa, working with Prof Sir Peter Horby. Between 2015 and 2021 I was a consultant at Public Health England, with responsibility for respiratory and enteric viruses, and then I became the Head of Emerging Infections and Zoonoses and a National Incident Director for the COVID-19 pandemic. I retained honorary research positions at Oxford and Imperial during this time.

My clinical practice is at the Royal Free Hospital, London, where I am a Consultant and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor in Infectious Diseases and, since April 2022, Lead for High Consequence Infectious Diseases. My department houses a nationally commissioned Airborne HCID Treatment Centre, and a National High Level Isolation Unit for treating patients with Contact HCIDs, including Lassa Fever, Ebola virus disease and Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever. I am NHS England’s National Clinical Lead for Contact HCIDs, a member of the UK Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens, a member of the emerging infections subgroup of the UK Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisations, and a member of the WHO IHR Emergency Committee (Mpox 2022-23; Mpox 2023-24; Bundibugyo Ebola disease 2026 (Member and Rapporteur).

I’ve been involved in clinical, public health, and research responses to viral haemorrhagic fevers, novel coronavirus infections (MERS, COVID-19), influenza (seasonal, avian and pandemic), enterovirus infections (including D68), acute flaccid paralysis, orthopox infections, Zika virus, and Andes hantavirus infection. Between 2020 and 2022, I was co-lead for the NIHR-funded Assessment of Transmission and Contagiousness of COVID-19 in Contacts (ATACCC) Study. My time now is split equally between clinical practice and HCID work at the Royal Free and research at Oxford.

My research reflects the common goal of the Horby group, within the Pandemic Sciences Institute: conducting and enabling meaningful clinical research, with a focus on patient-centred projects and an aim to reduce the impact of emerging infections, epidemics and pandemics. In addition to working on current and persistent challenges, I work with the team and international partners, particularly ISARIC, on a process of continuous improvement, research-readiness and collaborative working, so that we are even better prepared to study and mitigate future outbreaks, wherever they occur.