Division of Immunology

Our Research

The immune system defends us against infections and cancer, but its excessive engagement can result in autoimmunity and allergy. The function of the immune system can also be suppressed in cancer and chronic infection, preventing immune-mediated clearance of disease. Our mission is to advance a fundamental understanding of the immune system in order to improve the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of individuals with infections, autoimmunity, allergy, and cancer.

The Division, led by Prof Klaus Okkenhaug, spans multiple research groups with interests in innate and adaptive immunity, cancer immunology, inflammation, and immunity at the foetal-maternal interface. Our research builds upon strengths in signal transduction, epigenetics and gene regulation, molecular biology and antigen processing and presentation. Research at the Division benefits from collaborations within the University of Cambridge and its affiliated institutions, Cambridge University Hospitals, and national and international collaborations with academic and industrial researchers.

Division Lead: Professor Klaus Okkenhaug

Our research groups

altenburg_small.png Altenburg Group MHC-I antigen processing and presentation in virus immune detection and evasion
boyle_1.jpg   Boyle Group Molecular mechanisms controlling peptide selection for immune recognition	edgar.jpg Edgar Group Aiming to understand endosome and exosome cell biology.
ferguson.jpg Ferguson Group Innate immune signalling, anti-viral immunity, vaccinology	holmes.jpg Dr Nick Holmes The role of differentially spliced isoforms in regulating immune responses
roychoudhuri.jpg Roychoudhuri Group Aiming to uncover the molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning immune regulation and cancer immunosuppression	liston_dooley_crop.png Liston-Dooley Group The Liston-Dooley lab aims to understand the interaction of the immune system and the tissues during pathology and to exploit this understanding for therapeutic advantage.
mahata.jpg Mahata Group Investigating immune cell-mediated steroidogenesis	mcgovern_lab.jpg McGovern Group Researching the distinct properties of human macrophages and dendritic cells in both health and disease.
kelly.jpg Dr Andrew Sharkey Underpinning immune regulation and cancer immunosuppression	okkenhaug.jpg Okkenhaug Group Focussing on how a group of enzymes, PI3Ks, are used by cells in the immune system to instruct & coordinate defense against pathogens.