infection and inflammation
This area of research is well represented in the School due to the research expertise of the Dean, Professor Jon Cohen, in infectious diseases, and the Chair of Medicine, Professor Kevin Davies, who is a rheumatologist with an interest in vasculitis and the immunopathology of lupus.
Further appointments at Senior Lecturer level underpin the research capacity in this area. In infection, Professor Cohen and Dr Martin Llewelyn (Senior Lecturer in Infectious Diseases and Therapeutics) are interested in severe bacterial infections and septic shock. They want to understand why some patients seem more susceptible than others to complications, and how we might try and identify patients in advance who are at high risk. Professor Melanie Newport, Chair in Infectious Diseases & Global Health, works on the genetic susceptibility to tuberculosis, a huge global health priority, and also researches podoconiosis. Professor Jackie Cassell focuses on sexually transmitted infections in the primary care setting.
In immunology, Dr John Kay studies a family of proteins that are the primary targets for a particular type of immunosuppressive drugs, and Professor Florian Kern, Chair in Immunology, focuses on antigen-specific immune responses in infection. Drs Karen Walker-Bone and Inam Haq work on the epidemiology of musculoskeletal disease. Dr Sumita Verma's interests lie in chronic hepatitis.
Cutting across the disciplines of HIV and sexual health, immunology and infectious and inflammatory disease in both children and adults, the Infection and Inflammation group seeks to understand why some patients seem more susceptible than others to complications, and how high risk patients can be identified in advance in order to improve their outcomes. Infection and inflammation is also a particular research strength within the School of Pharmacy, University of Brighton, particularly in the field of microbiology.