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Groups & Themes

The Institute currently houses five research groups. Research in the Institute focuses on ten themes, each formed around collaborations between researchers in Oxford and China. Some build upon and expand on-going successful collaborations that are currently part of the CTI, others present exciting, new collaborative opportunities within the Institute.

Research Groups
Research Themes

Exploring the translational impact of immune ageing and pharmacological immunosuppression upon peripheral immunity to viruses and malignancy

Bottomley Group | Immunity of Ageing

Our group focuses on how protein post-translational modification (PTM) enzymes modulate cell-cell communication in health and disease. PTMs diversify the biochemical and biophysical properties of proteins modulating trafficking, membrane diffusion, supramolecular organisation, stability, recycling, binding to cognate ligands and sorting into extracellular particles. Our mission is to discover the overarching hierarchy of enzymes modulating the intercellular networks of human immunity.

Cespedes-Donoso Group | Post-Translational Control of Human Intercellular Communication

Translational research of the pathogenesis and therapeutic approach to bacterial infection-derived autoimmune sequalae.

Chen Group | Lipid-mediated T cell immunity

Our group focuses on determining the factors which affect T cells both in the control of viral infection and in the development of cancer.

Dong Group | T cell responses against Viruses & Cancer

• Dissecting and manipulating immune receptor signalling
• Discovery-led approaches to guide the engineering of novel proteins that potentiate robust immune responses against tumours and infection
• Developing methods to identify targets of immune recognition

Fernandes Group | Immune signalling in health & disease

The overarching goal of the Laboratory for Functional Immunology is to improve our understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of germinal centre responses in vaccination, infection, and cancer, to dissect mechanistic targets that could be used to improve vaccines and therapeutic strategies.

IPP Group | Functional Immunology

Laboratory of Translational Pleural Research

Kanellakis Group | Translational Pleural Research

Our lab has an interest in studying how cellular Ubiquitylation and ISGylation influence cancer inflammation with the final aim of translating these findings into valid therapeutic targets. To study these pathways we use state-of-the-art MS-based omics techniques such as proteomics and lipidomics in combination with immunology and cellular biology functional assays.

Pinto-Fernández Group | Translational Ubiquitomics - Cancer Immunology

Our research centers around the influenza neuraminidase protein as a promising target for therapeutic interventions, including antibodies, drugs, and vaccines.

Rijal Group | Antibodies and Vaccines targeting Influenza virus

Our main research is to understand immune-responses, particularly antibody responses, against emerging pathogens, such as dengue virus, zika virus, HIV, Ebola virus, SARS and MERS and, the most recent, SARS-CoV2.

Screaton & Mongkolsapaya Group | Antibody Responses to emerging pathogens

Viruses impact all levels of cellular biology and our lab studies these molecular interactions to understand the intricate interplay between a virus and its host cell. We characterise viral infections using cutting edge imaging and molecular tools in a variety of primary and cell-line based models. Our particular focus is understanding how viruses impact the homeostatic balance of cellular physiology and pathology.

Wing Group | Molecular Virology

This theme builds on on-going collaborative projects that aim to understand how immune cells respond to cancer. The findings will be used to help identify new targets for cancer vaccine design and for immunotherapy in which T cells are recruited against tumour cells.

1. Cancer Immunology & Immunotherapy

Collaborative projects are currently investigating influenza and sepsis, for example, looking at how genetic variation affects the immune response to these infections and using this information to develop better vaccines and therapies. This theme will expand the current scope to include other important infections such as Zika and Dengue virus.

2. Viral Infection

To understand how cancer develops and progresses, and mechanisms that underlie fundamental processes such as cell growth, the transformation of normal cells to cancer cells, and the spread, or metastasis, of cancer cells.

3. Cancer Biology

This theme addresses fundamental questions about cell-cell signalling systems of importance to human health. Such as, how are signalling assemblies arranged? Which features are necessary for normal signal transduction into the cell? What mechanisms trigger dysfunctional signalling? The work ties into an extensive network of interdisciplinary local and international collaborations with the ultimate aim of learning how to manipulate these signalling systems for the design of new clinical therapies.

4. Structural Biology

The aim of this theme is to understand how mature blood cells are normally made from stem cells and how this is perturbed in common blood disorders. Ultimately our purpose is to improve the management of patients with inherited and acquired blood diseases.

5. Haematology

To understand the regulatory mechanisms of PRR signalling which should shed new light on the pathogenesis of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and will provide important clues for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for immune-related diseases.

6. Inflammation and Metabolism

To study the mechanisms of Chinese medicines which should facilitate improved clinical efficacy and broaden our views on the understanding and treatment of human diseases.

7. Natural Medicine Discovery

To study the mechanisms of Chinese medicines which should facilitate improved clinical efficacy and broaden our views on the understanding and treatment of human diseases.

8. Big Data and Computational Biology

To develop and promote knowledge of organisational and research management in an international context to best equip research and support staff to manage international research.

9. International Governance & Research Management

To develop a clinical training program in association with the Dphil./M.D. program, and to develop specialist training programs for clinicians.

10. Clinical Training

Aiming to understand and address health status & outcomes within a group of people rather than considering the health of one person at a time.

11. Population Health

12. Respiratory Medicine

12. Respiratory Medicine