Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health problem and is the leading cause of death due to a single pathogen. It is also a significant threat to food security, estimated to cost the world ~$3 billion annually. Our group takes a One Health approach to the control of TB, considering various interconnected factors associated with humans, animals and the environment.
Humans: Our focus is on the development of novel TB vaccines and drugs. Current projects include antigen discovery and identifying humoral correlates of protection to direct rational vaccine design and evaluation, funded by the Academy of Medical Sciences. I am also Lead PI of the Oxford Consortium for the Development of Drugs for Drug-resistant TB, funded by the Ineos Oxford Institute.
Animals: We have previously worked extensively on the development of in vitro/ex vivo functional assays for preclinical TB vaccine testing. These represent a high-throughput down-selection screening tool and align with the principles of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) for the use of animals in scientific procedures. More recently, we are developing bovine immune organoids for immunogenicity screening of bovine vaccine candidates in collaboration with the Animal and Plant Health Agency, funded by the NC3Rs. We are also collaborating with researchers at the Royal Veterinary College to determine the phenotypic fitness of circulating Mycobacterium bovis strains, funded by the International Veterinary Vaccinology Network.
Environment: Mycobacteria are commonly found in environmental reservoirs including soil and water, and are associated with increasing rates of morbidity and mortality. We are currently investigating the effects of the changing climate on these bacteria and the host response to them together with collaborators at Bahir Dar University in Ethiopia, funded by the Medical Research Foundation.
As part of our commitment to One Health, we take an interdisciplinary approach exploring the social as well as biological aspects of vaccine development. We have published on social determinants of vaccine uptake and the representation of ethnic and racial minority groups in vaccine trials.
I teach various topics relating to immunology, infectious diseases and genetics, and welcome enquiries from FHS, MBiol and prospective DPhil students interested in the projects outlined above or associated directions.
