School of Infection & Immunity

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School of Infection & Immunity

Scientists & clinicians working together to develop research, drug discovery & improvements in patient care in this globally important area.

Basic, applied, clinical and translational research

Infectious, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases place an enormous global burden on human and animal health. The Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation comprises scientists and clinicians working together to promote and develop research, drug discovery and ultimately improvements in patient care in this area of critical international importance. To achieve this, our aims are ambitious. To understand the basic science of the immune system and how the immune system can in turn promote disease
To understand the biology of parasites, viruses and bacteria and the interactions with their hosts, that in turn leads to high levels of infectious disease worldwide
To develop therapies (drugs and vaccines) targeted on these processes
To explore new treatments and strategies in clinical and translational medicine. All opinion expressed on this page is the personal opinion of those involved and not necessarily representative of the Institute of III or the University as a whole.

11/11/2025

👻 | A spooktacular trio of School of Infection & Immunity professors took part in the GU Infection and Immunity Society's recent Halloween-themed Terrifying Microbes event.

Held on Wednesday, 27 October 2025, in the Boyd Orr Building, the evening featured a series of short talks exploring the spooky side of microbiology.

Representing Sii were:

🎃 Professor Andrew Roe: The Many Faces of E. Coli

🦇 Professor Richard Burchmore: Leishmania: Ghosts and Exorcism

🕸️ Professor Edward Hutchinson (MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research): Influences from Beyond the Grave

The event was well attended, with students and staff enjoying an engaging mix of presentations, discussion, and pizza.

Afterwards, Gerardo Mateo Guio Archila, Vice President of the GUIIS, thanked the speakers for their contributions and expressed interest in future collaborations for talks and social events.

06/11/2025

🆕 | School of Infection & Immunity Lecturer in Microbiology Dr Leighann Sherry is part of a College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences team that has been shortlisted in the ‘Outstanding Industry Engagement’ category at the Brilliant Festival Awards 2025.

Alongside Fiona Stubbs, the University of Glasgow Careers and Employability Manager, and the UofG School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health's Nairn Scobie, Dr Sherry has been recognised for pioneering work in embedding internship projects into the final year of Life Sciences degrees.

The BRILLIANT Festival Awards are an annual UK-wide awards programme dedicated to recognising excellence in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) education and industry engagement.

The six award categories this year are Innovators in Science, Creative Visionaries in Art & Design, Tech Excellence, Outstanding Industry Engagement, Maths Mastery, and Engineering Changemakers.

The winners will be announced on Tuesday, 11 November in Liverpool, where our nominees will join colleagues from across the UK for the BRILLIANT Awards Ceremony.

🔗 Full story: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/infectionimmunity/newsevents/headline_1223002_en.html

28/10/2025

🆕 | School of Infection & Immunity postgraduate researchers have taken top honours in the 2025 Microbiology Society Sir Howard Dalton Early Career Microbiologist of the Year competition.

Widely regarded as the most prestigious of its kind in the UK and Ireland, the award is presented each year at the MS Annual Conference or Irish Division meeting.

The prize recognises and rewards excellence in science communication by a member in the early stages of their career.

At the final, held at the MS Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday, 7 October 2025, both first and third place went to Sii PGRs in what is a major achievement for our school.

MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research PhD student Emma Davies was named 2025 Early Career Microbiologist of the Year for her outstanding presentation ‘Alternative splicing diversifies the antiviral activity of OAS proteins’.

The project showcases her cutting-edge work on antiviral immunity and gene regulation, and was supervised by Dr Adam Fletcher, who has now mentored back-to-back finalists in this highly-competitive award.

Phoebe Crossley, Microbiology PhD student at Sii, received third prize for her talk ‘Multi-omic analysis of the vaginal microenvironment: Revealing mechanisms of vulvovaginal and sexual health symptoms in women with benign gynaecological conditions’.

Remarkably, this work was based on her undergraduate research project undertaken prior to joining Glasgow, highlighting her exceptional potential and early contribution to microbiology.

This double win not only reflects the calibre of the school’s early career researchers but also the supportive environment that enables them to thrive in national and international arenas.

🔗 Full story: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/infectionimmunity/newsevents/headline_1221601_en.html

23/10/2025

🆕 | School of Infection & Immunity researchers played a key role in delivering the 38th annual European Macrophage and Dendritic Cell Society (EMDS) meeting.

Hosted between Tuesday, 16 and Thursday, 18 September at the McEwan Hall in Edinburgh, the organisation was led by Dr Calum Bain and Professor Mariola Kurowska-Stolarska from Sii, in collaboration with Professor Andrew MacDonald and Dr Samanta Mariani from the The University of Edinburgh.

This year, the 38th edition of the EMDS meeting, over 260 delegates from across the globe discussed cutting-edge developments in macrophage, monocyte, and dendritic cell biology.

The event featured keynote talks from internationally-renowned scientists, including Yasmine Belkaid, Luke O’Neill, Martin Guilliams, and David Russell, alongside over 20 presentations from early career researchers (ECRs) and junior group leaders.

Team Sii was strongly represented at the event, with Professor Kurowska-Stolarska, Dr Gareth-Rhys Jones, and Dr Ed Roberts showcasing work from the University of Glasgow.

🔗 Full story: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/infectionimmunity/newsevents/headline_1221035_en.html

03/10/2025

📢 | Professor Donal Wall from the School of Infection & Immunity was one of just six experts, selected from over 300, invited to give oral evidence to the UK House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology (SIT) Committee as part of its inquiry into the UK’s microbiome research landscape.

🎥 Watch the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwyrnJ36vK0

25/09/2025

🗣️ | Congratulations to Professor Nicola Veitch on her recent inaugural lecture, Blending the Biosciences in a Digital World.

Delivered to a full Yudowitz Lecture Theatre on Thursday, 11 September 2025, it was a truly memorable event hosted by the School of Infection & Immunity and The University of Glasgow College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship Network.

🔗 Full story: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/infectionimmunity/newsevents/headline_1213597_en.html

18/09/2025

🆕 | Rachael Hamilton MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire recently visited the School of Infection & Immunity for a tour of our Sir Graeme Davies Building and a roundtable discussion with the Versus Arthritis-RACE (Rheumatoid Arthritis Pathogenesis Centre of Excellence) team.

As Deputy Convenor of The Scottish Parliament's Cross-Party Group on Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Conditions, Ms Hamilton engaged with researchers and clinicians to learn more about RACE’s leading work in inflammatory disease research.

The visit also included a presentation from Liam Middleton on the University of Glasgow’s regional economic impact, highlighting our contribution to innovation and public health.

🔗 Full story: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/infectionimmunity/newsevents/headline_1211055_en.html

15/09/2025

📆 | Save the Date!

The British Society for Parasitology Spring Meeting 2026 is coming to the University of Glasgow.

Running from 7-9 April next year, there will be 15 sessions, 5 workshops, a ceilidh, a dinner - and a welcome reception at Glasgow City Chambers.

🔗 More info soon at https://bsp.uk.net/Events

11/09/2025

🆕 | The School of Infection & Immunity's Professor Rick Maizels has been prominently featured in a fascinating Freethink article exploring the surprising relationship between parasitic worms and the human immune system.

A respected digital science communication outlet that publishes high-quality journalism, Freethink* gives public visibility to cutting-edge research focused on innovation, science, technology, and social change.

The piece, written by journalist Namir Khaliq, highlights Professor Maizels' internationally recognised work on how helminths modulate immune responses, and how their removal from our bodies through modern hygiene may have contributed to rising rates of allergies and autoimmune diseases.

👉 Full story: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/infectionimmunity/newsevents/headline_1209957_en.html

🗞️ Article: https://www.freethink.com/biotech/worms-immune-system

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