Pulling the pieces together to see the bigger picture and asking the burning questions.
The IMB nurtures an environment that fosters breakthrough science through collaboration, innovative ideas and taking calculated risk.
We push through the boundaries, go beyond the known, the safe and the normal, using cutting edge technologies to discover, transform and translate.
Our Research
Research News
Our discoveries create change for the global health of our people and environment.
- In an age of growing antibiotic resistance, there is an urgent need to uncover new strategies to treat infectious disease. An emerging area of research (immunotherapy) aims to enhance the bodies’ own immune system to reduce reliance on traditional therapies. My research examines cells of the innate immune system (macrophages) and their interaction with bacteria (such as E. coli).
- Bacteria are an important part of our microflora, but they can also cause disease. I study the molecular machines that are responsible for the correct formation of bacterial weapons.
- Sepsis occurs when the body’s immune response to infection damages its own tissues. In severe cases, multiple organ failure can occur. If not treated promptly, the patient will die. Yet, we currently don't have reliable treatments for it. Our solution is to target the immune system itself. My PhD focuses on a machine in our cells that is important for recognising bacterial infection and recruiting immune responders. My goal is to discover how we can switch this machine on and off.