My research is concerned with tuberculosis (TB) in humans and cattle, with a focus on vaccine design and evaluation. In particular, I am is interested in immune mechanisms/correlates of protection, characterising the humoral response to TB vaccines, and novel antigen discovery. I also have an interest in the heterologous (off-target) effects of TB vaccines and the sociological aspects of vaccinology. The aim of my group is to take a One Health approach to TB prevention, considering vaccine strategies that may be applicable to humans, cattle and badgers. I have worked extensively on the development of in vitro 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. In 2021 I was awarded the AAALAC International Global 3Rs Award in recognition of this work. My research has attracted funding from the UKRI-GCRF network VALIDATE, the NC3Rs, the British Society for Immunology and the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene among others.
I teach various topics relating to immunology, infectious diseases and genetics, and welcome enquiries from MBiol and prospective DPhil students interested in TB vaccine immunology.
