Exposing the link between helminth infection and TB-susceptibility

What an exciting month for immunology research! May 2017 saw the BCHC hosting a very-interesting one-week visit by Dr Stephen Cose, Senior Immunologist from the MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS.

As part of his permanent secondment from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Dr Steve Cose is Senior Immunologist to the MRC Unit in Entebbe and Honorary Professor at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda. He lives in Entebbe, Uganda, with his wife and two children and very kindly took time away from his research to travel to Aberystwyth and meet with our staff and students.

Dr Cose’s current research interests are in the immunology of tuberculosis (TB) infection in humans and he has a particular interest in the role that B cells and antibodies play in TB infection. He has an MRC-funded study to look at whether maternal latent TB infection affects the infant response to BCG in Uganda and has a Wellcome Trust-funded PhD Fellow conducting a clinical trial on the non-specific effects of BCG vaccination in infants.

During his visit, Dr Cose very kindly delivered a fascinating seminar on the immunological-perspective of TB and BCG in Uganda and a very educational ‘chalk talk’ to a small group of our most engaged IBERS postgraduate students, focusing on the Ebola virus. Dr Cose also met with BCHC staff and, together with our Director, Professor Karl Hoffmann, and visiting Expert-in-Residence, Prof Cornelis Hokke, explored some exciting new avenues for future research into helminth infection, immunity and the associated modulation of an anti-TB response.

Further information on Dr Cose’s work and his home organisation in Uganda is available through the following websites:

MUII Capacity Building Programme:        www.muii.org.ug

MRC Unit, Uganda:                                   http://www.mrcuganda.org

Uganda Virus Research Institute:              http://www.uvri.go.ug