Can We Predict Who Will Respond to COVID-19 Vaccines After an Organ Transplant?
Spoiler: It’s complicated—but we're getting closer. A new study published in NPJ Vaccines by the Liston-Dooley Group took a deep dive into how solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients respond to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines—and what their immune systems might be telling us before they even get the shot. Why this matters: People...
Unmasking HPV: How Gene Regulation Shapes the Battle Between Virus and Host
Cervical cancer is a global health threat, and at the heart of its origin lies a microscopic agent: high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs). But how do these viruses hijack our cells, and what causes their gene expression to spiral into cancer-causing chaos? Let’s explore the molecular tug-of-war between virus and host...
P21 Activated Kinases: The Proteins That Control Cell Shape Without Lifting a Finger
A recent study published by the Koronakis Lab has revealed an unexpected finding. We usually think of proteins as little machines that need to be “switched on” to work. But in our recent study, we found something unexpected—some proteins can still affect cell behaviour even when they’re turned off. PAK proteins regulate...
Professor Ming Du delivers annual Doniach Lecture
Celebrating Professor Ming Du’s 2025 Doniach Lecture Last week, pathologists across the UK and Ireland gathered for the annual Doniach Lecture , one of the Pathological Society of Great Britain & Ireland’s flagship events. This year, we were honoured to welcome Professor Ming‑Qing Du as the distinguished recipient and...
Balancing Breakthroughs and Bedtime: Adrian Liston on Science, Parenthood, and Equality
When people imagine the life of a cutting-edge scientist, they might picture lab coats, late-night research, and groundbreaking discoveries. What they often don’t see is a toddler tugging at a parent’s sleeve or the careful calculus of who picks up the child from daycare. For Professor Adrian Liston, an immunologist at the...
Congratulations on our success in the Academic Career Pathways Scheme
We are thrilled to congratulate the following colleagues on their successful promotions under the University’s Academic Career Pathways (ACP) framework: Clinical Professorship Dr Catherine Elizabeth Hook , HO Promoted to Clinical Professor in recognition of her excellence in clinical/scientific work and honorary consultant...
PaCIFiC Facility launch marks a milestone in Cryo-Imaging at Cambridge
The Department of Pathology recently celebrated the successful launch of the Pathogen Cryo-Imaging Facility (PaCIFiC) , drawing over 40 attendees from across the University. Researchers from Biochemistry, Genetics, and Pharmacology joined to explore the facility’s state-of-the-art capabilities in cryo-confocal imaging...
Beauty clinics in UK offering banned treatments derived from human cells
Experts warn of serious health risks of using exosome products that are harvested from human donors. Banned biological products harvested from human cells are being used in UK beauty clinics, according to experts who warn that the luxury treatments could carry serious health risks. Exosomes have been touted as the latest “...
AI Technology Offers Breakthrough in Coeliac Disease Diagnosis
A pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) tool developed in Cambridge has demonstrated its potential to revolutionize the diagnosis of coeliac disease, significantly accelerating the process and alleviating pressure on healthcare systems. The groundbreaking study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showcases...