Doctor Andrew Taylor-Robinson School of Medical & Applied Sciences

Andrew Taylor-Robinson received a BSc in microbiology (immunology major) from University College London and a PhD in parasite immunology from the University of Glasgow for work on immunity to malaria. Postdoctoral research at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, the Medical Research Council Laboratories, Fajara, The Gambia, and the Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology, Freiburg, Germany, on human and rodent malarias further developed interest in regulation of immunity to infection. He was awarded a Wellcome Trust Career Development Research Fellowship at the University of Leeds and subsequently appointed to the permanent academic staff. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Royal College of Pathologists, Society of Biology and Institute of Biomedical Science. He joined CQUniversity in 2012 as Associate Professor of Immunology & Haematology and is currently a Professorial Research Fellow with the Health Collaborative Research Network.

Andrew has 25 years’ research experience of infectious disease immunology, with focus on malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. His interests include understanding regulation of the immune response, effector mechanisms of protective immunity and their potentiation for vaccine design. His previous studies of cellular immunity in both experimental models and humans make him well suited to lead the work of the Capricornia Centre for Mucosal Immunology on bacterial infections of the upper respiratory tract, including otitis media. In addition, Andrew is continuing his research on malaria and using the power of place to collaborate on a number of diverse projects of regional relevance, including dengue fever immunoepidemiology and bovine embryology.

Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Times, The Sun, Yorkshire Post, Neue Zürcher Zeitung

New Scientist, Nature Medicine, Science News, The Lancet

BBC News Online, Malaria Weekly, World Disease Weekly

University of Leeds Reporter, CQUni News

Genzyme, GroPep

www.vaccinationnews.com, www.practicalasthma.net, www.getfarming.com.au

Life Membership of the Frontiers in Bioscience Society

Entry in Dictionary of International Biography

Entry in Who’s Who in Science and Engineering

Entry in Who’s Who in the World

Award Recipient, 5^th International Conference on the Biology of Nitric Oxide

ISI Science Watch ‘Hot Paper’

Genzyme Diagnostics Prize for Outstanding Publication

European Federation of Parasitologists Young Scientist Award for Research in Applied Parasitology

Best Poster, Scottish Universities Molecular Parasitology Meeting

Best Poster, Joint Meeting of Metchnikoff Club & Scottish Immunology Group

Research:  immunology; medical microbiology; parasitology; vaccinology; infectious diseases; malaria; otitis media. dengue fever; entomology;                         epidemiology; embryology

Teaching:   immunology; haematology; immunohaematology; microbiology; parasitology; infectious diseases

2013  FIBMS

2013   CSci

2012   FSB

2012   CBiol

2012   FRCPath

2007   FHEA

2003   ILTM

Health CRN Professorial Research Fellow

Associate Professor of Immunology & Haematology

Director, Capricornia Centre for Mucosal Immunology

Associate Director, Embryology Laboratory

Research Committee, School of Medical and Applied Sciences

Management Committee, Health Collaborative Research Network

Management Committee, Institute for Health and Social Science Research

Elected member, University Animal Ethics Committee

Elected academic staff member, University Academic Board

Course coordinator BMED19005 Immunology

Course coordinator BMSC12003 Haematology

Course coordinator BMSC12004 Immunohaematology

Course coordinator BMSC13001 Advanced Haematology

Course coordinator BMSC19001 Advanced Work Integrated Learning

Contributions to field:

Malaria is exploited as a proven and tractable model to dissect the ways in which the immune system may be manipulated to potentiate protective rather than pathological responses to microbial infection. The murine model of malaria immunoregulation has provided an excellent foundation for further development of infectious disease immunology to establish general principles underlying immunoregulation of other important but less tractable host/pathogen relationships in both experimental systems and humans – of current interest, notably dengue fever and otitis media.

Published work on mechanisms of protective immunity to malaria is acknowledged within its specialism as contributing significantly to a greater understanding of the host immune response during parasitic infection. Moreover, some of these findings have had a wider significance in establishing   or extending novel paradigms for the general disciplines of immunity to infectious diseases and of immunoregulation.

Indicators of Esteem:

Review panel member for U.S. National Institutes of Health (extramural malaria grants);

Review panel member for Australian National Health & Medical Research Council (immunology);

External referee for unit research review, Institut Pasteur Paris.

Services for Learned Societies & Organisations:

British Society for Parasitology – Council, Board of Trustees

British Society for Immunology – Secretary, Parasite Immunology Affinity Group

British Society for Immunology – Meetings Secretary, West Yorkshire Immunology Group

British Society for Immunology – Committee, Northern Regional Cluster

British Society for Immunology – Committee, West Yorkshire Immunology Group

Leeds Immunology Interest Group – Treasurer

Leeds Immunology Interest Group – Committee

Membership of Learned Societies & Organisations:

British Society for Immunology

British Society for Parasitology

British Society for Protist Biology

Australasian Society for Immunology

Australian Society for Microbiology

Journal Editorial Boards:

2012-14       American Journal of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology

2013-            Immunity & Diseases

2012-            Scientifica (parasitology subject editor)

2012-            Infectious Disease Reports                           

2012-            Journal of Applied Medical Sciences            

2011-            ISRN Immunology                                        

2009-            Journal of Infectious Diseases and Immunity 

2008-            The Open Parasitology Journal                                 

2008-            The Open Vaccine Journal                            

2001-            Annals of Medical Entomology

Elsevier Trends Journals

Garland Science Publishers

Oxford University Press

Healthcare Advisory Board

Science Advisory Board

Nature Publishing Group

UK HE Learning and Teaching Support Network

HTV/Discovery Channel TV documentary “The Vampire Hunter”

SVT Swedish TV documentary “Vetenskapens Värld ” (World of Science)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (SCOPE Malaria Research & Policy Forum)

Grant reviewer for funding bodies: 11 international; 5 national

Conference session chair – 12

Public understanding of science / outreach activities – 11 

12 direct research income; 3 research training fellowship sponsor; 2 infrastructure and facilities; 5 conference organisation; 20 conference attendance

65 peer-reviewed papers, 13 book chapters, 20 invited commentaries, 7 journal correspondence, 2 journal news & comment, 21 book reviews, 4 contributions to symposium volumes, 32 published abstracts, 19 electronic-only publications and 11 credited contributions to books & CD-roms.

Over 1,700 journal citations, as measured by ISI Web of Knowledge and Google Scholar.

Speaker: 28 international (11 invited); 24 national (13 invited)

Poster: > 50

Current projects:

Exploring immunity to the major liver stage antigen of malaria as a potential vaccine candidate

Investigating mechanisms of transmission-blocking immunity to malaria in the mosquito

Dissection of protective immunity to blood stage malaria in an experimental model

Understanding regulation of immunity to middle ear bacterial infections in susceptible children

Examining immunoepidemiology of mosquito-borne infectious diseases, e.g. dengue fever

Quantifying prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial colonisation in paramedic service personnel

Seeking improved in vitro fertilisation techniques for enhanced breeding of beef and milk cattle

48 seminars – 15 international; 19 national; 4 regional; 10 local

.