NIHR Newcastle BRC PhD Student
Anthony is a postgraduate researcher working with Dr Arthur Pratt at Newcastle University, trying to uncover transcriptional programmes and cell states that are shared across different immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). He previously studied BSc Biochemistry at Imperial College London and completed an MRes in Ageing & Health at Newcastle University.
Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are a group of conditions characterised by immune dysfunction, leading to chronic inflammation and organ damage. IMIDs can affect various organ systems including the joints (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), gut (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease), and skin (e.g., psoriasis). We often treat different IMIDs with similar drugs (including biologics), suggesting that molecular mechanisms are shared across organs. However, these drugs only work for subsets of individuals with each condition, while other individuals may develop resistance over time.
Many important cellular phenotypes have not been compared across different IMIDs. Additionally, less common IMIDs are usually overlooked in these cross-tissue comparisons. This project aims to address this by developing cellular maps from a diverse set of IMIDs to identify shared pathways. This will help us to better understand the mechanisms underlying IMID subtypes and select the right drug for the right patient, regardless of their clinical diagnosis.
PhD Project
Elucidating shared mechanisms of immune-mediated disease to inform precision medicine
Conferences
January 2024 - RACE Hybrid Scientific Meeting, oral presentation; March 2024 - NIHR Newcastle BRC Research Showcase, oral and poster presentation
Publications
June 2024, Leveraging Multi-Tissue Single-Cell Atlases as Tools to Elucidate Shared Mechanisms of Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases, Biomedicines, Volume 12, Issue 6