Infection and immunity research theme

Understanding microbes, host immunity and preventing the spread of infectious disease.

The challenge

Biosecurity is a global concern — infectious disease is estimated to cause a third of all human deaths worldwide. Better ways to empower the immune system to protect us from pathogens, but without triggering the inappropriate immune responses that cause illness, are continually needed. As microbes evolve and emerge from animal reservoirs to threaten our food supply and health, we need to develop new agents such as vaccines and antimicrobials and also understand how best to use them, including to avoid antimicrobial resistance.

Our response

Within the theme we take an interdisciplinary and one health approach to tackling these challenges. Investigations of host-pathogen interactions and of microbial structure and mechanisms, including at the quantum level, reveal target structures and pathways for blocking transmissible disease and enhancing antimicrobial penetration in humans and animals. Studies to elucidate immune system complexities inform better diagnosis and treatment of autoimmunity, inflammation and sepsis. Generating new data sets and applying computational techniques enables new ways to minimise the transmission of pathogens and to optimise antibiotic production from bacterial strains to be designed.

Research projects

Active projects

Completed projects

Start date: August 2022

End date: August 2023

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Timing, quality, and physiology of sleep in a deprived community cohort in South Africa, and their relationship with chronic disease

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Start date:

End date:

Research theme members

Research theme champions

Mark Chambers profile image

Professor Mark Chambers

Research Theme Champion

Dr Alexander Stewart

Associate Research Theme Champion

Close up on the hands of a medical technician working on bacterial culture and drug resistance of pathogens in laboratory.

Neglected tropical diseases research

At Surrey work on a range of bacterial, viral and parasitic neglected tropical diseases including Buruli ulcer, intestinal worms and rabies, schistosomiasis and echinococcosis.

Contact us

Find us

Address

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Kate Granger Building
30 Priestley Road, Surrey Research Park
Guildford
Surrey
GU2 7YH
See map