Research Department of Infection

This page is currently under construction and contains some information about the academic staff and work of the Research Department of Infection. More information will be added shortly. (23.09.09)

PROFESSOR DEENAN PILLAY (HEAD OF DEPARTMENT) (Picture; SLMS Profile; Search UCL Publications Database) Our group studies the epidemiology and significance of HIV variation. A central focus is the evolution of viruses to escape drug pressure, and the manifestation of such viruses, in terms of drug susceptibility and replication capacity. One example is how HIV-1 gag compensates for the fitness loss associated with protease inhibitor resistance, and indeed causes resistance itself. We work with clinical isolates, both within the UK and from developing world -the latter related to rollout of antiretroviral therapy. In addition, we use large HIV-1 sequence databases, in particular that from the UK, to explore the dynamics of viral spread. I co-chair the UK Drug Resistance Database, jointly with the MRC Clinical Trials Unit, and also am coordinator of CHAIN, a large EU funded network of HIV drug resistance (2009-2014).
PROFESSOR JUDY BREUER Research Group: Dr Inga Dry; Dr Meleri Jones; Dr Ravinder Kanda Location: Windeyer Building Contact Details: j.breuer@ucl.ac.uk Our group studies: Viral determinants of VZV vaccine adverse events. Using statistical genetic methods, we have identified four single nucleotide polymorphism in the Oka vaccine strain which are selected for in post immunisation rashes. We are using in vitro skin models to examine VZV replication in epithelial tissues and the putative contribution of the above SNPs and others VZV evolution and transmission. Epidemiological, molecular genetic and mathematical modelling tools have been used to track the transmission chains within a single outbreak of chickenpox in Guinea Bissau. the results confirm that VZV household infectivity is profoundly affected by environmental climate, being five times lower in tropical GB than in temperate UK. Population crowding and high levels of mixing can overcome the reduction in infectivity. further studies to examine differences in strain transmission Viral genetic determinants of disease and spread. As an extension of the above, my group is now developing methods for recovery and amplification of viral nucleic acid from clinical samples for whole genome sequencing studies. VZV rash identification programme. I run the UK VZV reference laboratory which supports identification of rashes post VZv immunisation for the HPA in the the UK and Sanofi Pasteur MSD clinical studies in Europe. .. The group has received funding from a number of organisations including MRC, Wellcome and Sanofi Pasteur MSD.
CENTRE FOR VIROLOGY (ROYAL FREE) Professor Paul Griffiths (Head of Centre); Professor Vince Emery; Dr Richard Milne; Dr Anna-Maria Geretti, Dr Tanzina Haque. The Cytomegalovirus [CMV] Research Group in the Centre for Virology at the Royal Free Campus study the pathogenesis of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) using solid organ transplantation in humans as an experimental model system. We aim to define prognostic markers and correlates of protection for this important opportunistic pathogen and, in so doing, to enhance our understanding of the basic biology of HCMV. There are five current projects: 1. Defining the natural history of HCMV infection in the transplant population using longitudinal studies to link immune responses with viral replication kinetics. 2. Randomising some viraemic patients to start and stop anti-viral treatment at different viral loads to monitor immune control of the infection under these defined conditions. 3. Using novel virus neutralisation assays to develop a refined model of the role of neutralising antibody in the control and prevention of HCMV replication. 4. Evaluating a candidate sub-unit vaccine for HCMV in potential recipients of solid-organ transplants in a placebo-controlled randomised trial to deliberately induce some of the immune responses identified in the natural history studies. Some of these patients receive a defined post-vaccination viral challenge in the form an organ from an HCMV-positive donor, allowing us to identify protective immune responses. 5. We are studying of the T cell response to HCMV in the context of common variable immune deficiency (a failure to produce antibodies) to investigate distinctive and unique aspects of the way this response is regulated.
WOHL VIRION CENTRE For information about the centre and its Research Team, please click here.
PROFESSOR GREG TOWERS' RESEARCH GROUP (Professor Greg Towers: SLMS Profile) Overview: Our lab studies how host virus interactions lead to species-specific replication of retroviruses. We use GFP encoding viruses to follow infection in cell lines and seek host factors that inhibit or facilitate infection. We consider whether these factors exhibit species specificity by cloning and expressing species variants or by reducing their expression using RNA interference. We examine relatedness between factors and consider how they have changed during evolution using phylogenetics and positive selection analyses. Collaborations: We collaborate with Leo James at the Laboratory of Molecular Virology in Cambridge to apply biophysics and structural techniques to these questions. Our current research questions are: How do restriction factors TRIM5 and tetherin work and can they prime adaptive immunity? How does HIV-1 avoid pattern recognition and how do uncoating and nuclear entry pathways relate to this? How does attenuated SIV infection lead to vaccination? Are herpes viruses sensitive to restriction factors? We aim to understand the molecular details of host virus interactions with a view to manipulating them therapeutically and designing better vaccines. We are funded by a Wellcome Trust Senior Fellowship and project grants from the Medical Research Council and the UCL Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre.

PROFESSOR DEENAN PILLAY (HEAD OF DEPARTMENT)

(Picture; SLMS Profile; Search UCL Publications Database)
Our group studies the epidemiology and significance of HIV variation. A central focus is the evolution of viruses to escape drug pressure, and the manifestation of such viruses, in terms of drug susceptibility and replication capacity. One example is how HIV-1 gag compensates for the fitness loss associated with protease inhibitor resistance, and indeed causes resistance itself. We work with clinical isolates, both within the UK and from developing world -the latter related to rollout of antiretroviral therapy. In addition, we use large HIV-1 sequence databases, in particular that from the UK, to explore the dynamics of viral spread. I co-chair the UK Drug Resistance Database, jointly with the MRC Clinical Trials Unit, and also am coordinator of CHAIN, a large EU funded network of HIV drug resistance (2009-2014).

PROFESSOR JUDY BREUER

Research Group: Dr Inga Dry; Dr Meleri Jones; Dr Ravinder Kanda

Location: Windeyer Building

Contact Details: j.breuer@ucl.ac.uk

Our group studies:
Viral determinants of VZV vaccine adverse events.
Using statistical genetic methods, we have identified four single nucleotide polymorphism in the Oka vaccine strain which are selected for in post immunisation rashes. We are using in vitro skin models to examine VZV replication in epithelial tissues and the putative contribution of the above SNPs and others

VZV evolution and transmission.
Epidemiological, molecular genetic and mathematical modelling tools have been used to track the transmission chains within a single outbreak of chickenpox in Guinea Bissau. the results confirm that VZV household infectivity is profoundly affected by environmental climate, being five times lower in tropical GB than in temperate UK. Population crowding and high levels of mixing can overcome the reduction in infectivity. further studies to examine differences in strain transmission

Viral genetic determinants of disease and spread.
As an extension of the above, my group is now developing methods for recovery and amplification of viral nucleic acid from clinical samples for whole genome sequencing studies.

VZV rash identification programme.
I run the UK VZV reference laboratory which supports identification of rashes post VZv immunisation for the HPA in the the UK and Sanofi Pasteur MSD clinical studies in Europe.
..
The group has received funding from a number of organisations including MRC, Wellcome and Sanofi Pasteur MSD.

CENTRE FOR VIROLOGY (ROYAL FREE)

Professor Paul Griffiths (Head of Centre); Professor Vince Emery; Dr Richard Milne; Dr Anna-Maria Geretti, Dr Tanzina Haque.

The Cytomegalovirus [CMV] Research Group in the Centre for Virology at the Royal Free Campus study the pathogenesis of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) using solid organ transplantation in humans as an experimental model system. We aim to define prognostic markers and correlates of protection for this important opportunistic pathogen and, in so doing, to enhance our understanding of the basic biology of HCMV. There are five current projects:

1. Defining the natural history of HCMV infection in the transplant population using longitudinal studies to link immune responses with viral replication kinetics.

2. Randomising some viraemic patients to start and stop anti-viral treatment at different viral loads to monitor immune control of the infection under these defined conditions.

3. Using novel virus neutralisation assays to develop a refined model of the role of neutralising antibody in the control and prevention of HCMV replication.

4. Evaluating a candidate sub-unit vaccine for HCMV in potential recipients of solid-organ transplants in a placebo-controlled randomised trial to deliberately induce some of the immune responses identified in the natural history studies. Some of these patients receive a defined post-vaccination viral challenge in the form an organ from an HCMV-positive donor, allowing us to identify protective immune responses.

5. We are studying of the T cell response to HCMV in the context of common variable immune deficiency (a failure to produce antibodies) to investigate distinctive and unique aspects of the way this response is regulated.

WOHL VIRION CENTRE

For information about the centre and its Research Team, please click here.

PROFESSOR GREG TOWERS' RESEARCH GROUP

(Professor Greg Towers: SLMS Profile)

Overview: Our lab studies how host virus interactions lead to species-specific replication of retroviruses. We use GFP encoding viruses to follow infection in cell lines and seek host factors that inhibit or facilitate infection. We consider whether these factors exhibit species specificity by cloning and expressing species variants or by reducing their expression using RNA interference. We examine relatedness between factors and consider how they have changed during evolution using phylogenetics and positive selection analyses.

Collaborations: We collaborate with Leo James at the Laboratory of Molecular Virology in Cambridge to apply biophysics and structural techniques to these questions.

Our current research questions are: How do restriction factors TRIM5 and tetherin work and can they prime adaptive immunity? How does HIV-1 avoid pattern recognition and how do uncoating and nuclear entry pathways relate to this? How does attenuated SIV infection lead to vaccination? Are herpes viruses sensitive to restriction factors? We aim to understand the molecular details of host virus interactions with a view to manipulating them therapeutically and designing better vaccines. We are funded by a Wellcome Trust Senior Fellowship and project grants from the Medical Research Council and the UCL Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre.

Page last modified on 08 oct 09 10:41

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Research Department of Infection