An Interdisciplinary Research Centre leading the fight against Helminth Disease
Established in 2016, the BCHC at Aberystwyth University brings together an internationally-recognised team of Principal Investigators and external associates to lead the research community in the fight against parasitic worms causing agricultural, veterinary and biomedical diseases.
About Us
Helminth-related infections present some of the most difficult to treat diseases on our planet and their sustainable control depends on increasingly sensitive diagnostics and biomarkers as well as the development of prophylactic vaccines and novel therapeutic drugs. The BCHC will underpin innovation in this area through new collaborations and partnerships spanning previously untapped disciplines.
Video source: Gabriel Rinaldi – Female adult schistosome in culture actively feeding on red blood cells
Selected Recent Publications
View recent publications from BCHC members.
Facilities & Services
Aberystwyth University opens up a new era of collaborative, interdisciplinary research in the fight against neglected tropical diseases of global importance.
Our Research
Our research spans a broad variety of disciplines, including parasitology, chemistry, ecology, microbiology, mathematics, physics and computer science.
News
- Viva Success for Dr Holly Northcote
Congratulations to Dr. Holly Northcote who successfully defended her thesis ‘Hide and Caecum: Exploration of the Potential Antimicrobial Activity of the Equine Tapeworm, A. perfoliata’ on 2nd January 2026. Many thanks to the examiners, Prof. Jane Hodgkinson from Liverpool University and Dr Justin Pachebat as well as Dr Iain Chalmers for… - BCHC congratulates Morgan Leesing, finalist in the prestigious British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) Equine Thesis of the Year award.Posted on behalf of/written by Russ Morphew Please join the BCHC and Department of Life Sciences, in another undergraduate success story, in congratulating Morgan Leesing, who has been named as one of the finalists in the prestigious British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) Equine Thesis of the Year award for her final…
- Research Festival 2025 at Penglais CampusPosted on behalf of/written by Brenda Kisia Odhiambo (PhD student, Hoffmann Research Lab). On 18 December 2025, Medrus Mawr at Aberystwyth University’s Penglais Campus buzzed with ideas as the annual Department of Life Sciences Research Festival brought researchers together to celebrate innovation, collaboration, and discovery. The festival showcased the remarkable…
- BCHC congratulates Esme Logan, winner of British Society of Animal Science (BSAS) Undergraduate Thesis of the Year.Please join the BCHC and Department of Life Sciences in congratulating Esme Logan, who has been awarded the British Society of Animal Science (BSAS) Undergraduate Thesis of the Year Award for her final year dissertation project. Esme’s dissertation focused on the characterisation of a novel Fasciola hepatica protein target, contributing…
Contact Us
BCHC Director: Professor Karl F. Hoffmann
Aberystwyth University
Edward Llwyd Building
Penglais Campus
Aberystwyth
SY23 3DA
WALES UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1970 622308
E-mail: bchc.uk@gmail.com
Mary Evans and Sarah Davey – BCHC Administrators
Partner Organisations
Activities at the BCHC are supported by the following external organisations:
Photos on this page sourced from BCHC members and Aberystwyth University