Hepworth Lab

An aerial image of the Old Quad and Oxford road at night time

The Old Quad by night 🌙

📸@alderley_aerial_photography on Instagram

Stroke scientists gather more evidence for presence of ‘gut-brain axis’ Research on mice by scientists at The University of Manchester has shed new light on why the guts’ immune system changes after a stroke and how it might contribute to gastro-intestinal problems.Publis...

www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/s...

With key collaborations from @gjbrainresearch.bsky.social - @catherinelawrence.bsky.social and @dr-l-mcculloch.bsky.social @benakis-lab.bsky.social

Cerebral ischaemic stroke results in altered mucosal antibody responses and host-commensal microbiota interactions Stroke is a devastating neurological event with a high risk of mortality that results in long-term sequalae that extend beyond the central nervous sys…

New paper out from the lab, led by Maddy Hurry. We investigate how stroke leads to peripheral complications in the gut through dysregulation of IgA mediated host-commensal crosstalk.
@lydiabeckeriii.bsky.social
@diiirm.bsky.social

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Congrats!!

The role of ecoimmunology in tackling the emerging threats of climate change and the exposome Nature Immunology - Climate change creates a multitude of challenges over the human life-course, influencing our exposomes and shaping immune function — requiring researchers to consider...

so excited to share our article in @nature.com Immunology on the many challenges of climate change has for our immune function, infection susceptibility and disease and the need for new ways to research this. Will do a thread later! 🧪 @lydiabeckeriii.bsky.social @exposomeimmunology.bsky.social

BIG NEWS!
The Innate Lymphoid Cell (ILC) 6 Meeting (ILC6) will take place on June 2nd-4th, 2026, in Vancouver!

Keynotes include:
Andrew McKenzie, Kazuyo Moro.

ilc6vancouver.com

#ILC6 #ILC6Vancouver #2026ILC6

(1/3)

A few more weeks to apply for this postdoc in mucosal immunology and ILC biology, please share in your networks and with interested candidates.

Friday we celebrated our new MRC Centre of Research Excellence in Exposome Immunology: a joint venture with Oxford that we call MOXIE (Manchester-Oxford Immunology of the Exposome). This challenging adventure is off to a great start. @exposomeimmunology.bsky.social

@societymucosalimm.bsky.social
@britsocimm.bsky.social

Postdoc opportunity in the lab for a budding ILC biologist.

Informal enquiries welcome - please spread the word.

Ad closes in 4 weeks.

www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

Nice article about the community of Lister fellows in Manchester!

We now have a very exciting technician post advertised as part of our long term Wellcome Trust funded team investigating the role of the glycocalyx during CNS inflammation. Supporint the lab, developing glycan analysis and research experience www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

So pleased to see our research out in #ScienceImmunology demonstrating that CLPs regulate airway remodelling during allergy 🫁 Really proud of the hard work and collaboration that went into this project 🫱🏼‍🫲🏽. Definitely one to check out for lovers of the immuno-matrix & pretty pictures👇🏼🔬

Aberdeen is hiring - Neuroimmunology Lectureship! Really exciting opportunity to join our supportive, collaborative and multidisciplinary Institute to carry out cutting edge translation research. Not to mention the scenery in the North East of Scotland is amazing www.abdn.ac.uk/jobs/vacanci...

We have a new Postdoc position advertised as part of our recent long-term Wellcome funding to join an established Postdoc and technician. I’m so excited to explore the role of the glycocalyx in CNS-inflammation. So many tools and expertise to work with! www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

Intestinal challenges shape the polarisation of protective dural memory CD4 T cells The meninges house several innate and adaptive immune cell populations[1][1]–[3][2]. These predominantly localise within the dura mater and include gut-derived IgA-secreting plasma cells[4][3]. Whethe...

New paper alert! 🎉 Check it out here: biorxiv.org/content/10.1... Here we show that intestinal bacterial, helminth and fungal challenges polarise CD4 T cell populations in the dural meninges.

Thanks Fiona!

FindAPhD : MRC CoRE in Exposome Immunology at The University of Manchester Apply for a PhD: MRC CoRE in Exposome Immunology at The University of Manchester

Following on from the PDRA adverts, we are also happy to announce the MRC Core in Exposome Immunology PhD scheme, details below. Reach out with any questions
www.findaphd.com/phds/program...
www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/resear...

New Postdoc position as part of the recently awarded MRC Core in Exposome Immunology, led by Jo Konkel here @lydiabeckeriii.bsky.social. Job ad and more info below:
www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/research/ins...

closing at the end of this week!

Research Associate in Microbial Ecology:Oxford Road

Another PDRA position! Join our team exploring how the mammalian immune system shapes microbiome ecology & evolution, and vice versa. In collaboration with @hepworth-lab.bsky.social funded by the @wellcometrust.bsky.social

www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

Cell Symposia: Host-microbiome dynamics
May 10–12, 2026 | Bruges, Belgium

by @cp-immunity.bsky.social @cp-cellhostmicrobe.bsky.social and @cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social

www.cell-symposia.com/microbiome-2...

Congrats!!

New £50m MRC Centre to study how environmental exposures cause chronic inflammatory diseases A groundbreaking £50M research centre at Manchester and Oxford will explore how environmental exposures, like pollution and microbes, rewire our immune system and drive chronic inflammatory diseases.

🚨 A new £50M MRC Centre at @manchester.ac.uk and @ox.ac.uk will explore how pollution, microbes & other environmental exposures rewire our immune system and cause chronic inflammatory diseases.
#Exposome #ImmunoSky

sites.manchester.ac.uk/lydia-becker...

Centre to study how exposome causes chronic inflammatory disease A new Medical Research Council (MRC) centre will investigate how the environment interacts with our immune system to trigger chronic inflammatory diseases.

Super excited to announce that MRC has funded a new Centre of Research Excellence in Exposome Immunology. Working together, Manchester and Oxford are going to tackle a major challenge of our times. For those who wonder what the Exposome is - see yesterday's posts! www.ukri.org/news/centre-...

Centre to study how exposome causes chronic inflammatory disease A new Medical Research Council (MRC) centre will investigate how the environment interacts with our immune system to trigger chronic inflammatory diseases.

www.ukri.org/news/centre-...

Big news! Manchester, together with colleagues in Oxford, have been awarded an MRC CoRE in Exposome Immunology!! Exciting times ahead to uncover how pollution and other environmental factors worsen inflammatory diseases!!

ILC3s are a RORγt+ APC that sense the microbiota through STING to induce microbiota-specific Treg cells
www.cell.com/immunity/ful... @cp-immunity.bsky.social

Congratulations!!