Department of Infectious Disease

Inside Health - Is the tide turning on ME research? - BBC Sounds The new wave of ME research that could bring clarity to this perplexing condition.

ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has long been one of medicine’s most perplexing conditions.

Prof Rosemary Boyton on BBC Radio 4 discusses the Rosetta Stone study, which aims to map shared biomarkers across ME and Long COVID. Listen ⤵️
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Postgraduate study | MSc Molecular Biology and Pathology of Viruses Open Day Join our Master’s in Molecular Biology and Pathology of Viruses Open Day, meet the course leaders and discover how the programme will prepare you for a career in virology.

Ready to dive into the world of viruses?

Join our MSc Molecular Biology & Pathology of Viruses Open Day on 4 March and explore modules, research projects, and career pathways.

Register now👇

£3m funding for breakthrough research to ‘transform antibiotic discovery’ Researchers in Imperial’s Fleming Initiative have been awarded new funding through a global programme to help transform the discovery of new an...

A group of scientists including @imperialinfect.bsky.social researchers have secured £3.1M to accelerate the discovery of new antibiotics supported by the Fleming Initiative.

The multidisciplinary work is driving vital progress against AMR.👇
www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article...

Science funding needs fixing — but not through chaotic reforms The changes announced by a major UK science funder are putting scientists — and the future of research — in a difficult position.

UKRI’s planned funding reforms have raised big questions across the UK research community.

In @nature.com, Prof John Tregoning @prof-tregoning.bsky.social explores what the changes could mean and why careful implementation matters.👇

Postgraduate study | MSc Molecular Biology and Pathology of Viruses Open Day Join our Master’s in Molecular Biology and Pathology of Viruses Open Day, meet the course leaders and discover how the programme will prepare you for a career in virology.

Thinking about postgraduate study in virology? 🔬

Join our MSc Molecular Biology & Pathology of Viruses Open Day on 4 March to meet course leaders, hear from current students, and explore cutting‑edge research opportunities.👩‍🔬

Urgent warning issued over five ‘devastating’ diseases surging in UK — full list EXCLUSIVE: Campaigners have warned that several nasty 'global diseases' are on the rise.

"If politicians retreat from investing in global health security today, it means we will see more devastating diseases tomorrow."

Prof Aubrey Cunnington (@acunningid.bsky.social) in @express.co.uk calls for renewed investment in international health programmes.👇
www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2167...

Photograph of members of the MUSICC team chatting with members of the public at the Would You Get Sick for Science stand.

What are the impacts of two-way public engagement?

Our new article reflects on our busy and successful evening engaging with the public at the recent #ImperialLates: Happiness & Health event!

Some interesting shifts in thinking were revealed!

📖 Find out what happened: bit.ly/4ac1y4v

🧪

We're #hiring for new non‑clinical Assistant Professors!

Keen to join the Department of Infectious Disease?

Make sure to select ‘Infectious Disease’ as your first preference when applying.

✍️Apply by 11 March 2026.

👉 imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-...

Introducing Professor Aubrey Cunnington, new Head of the Department of Infectious Disease We had a conversation with the Head of Department on his vision, priorities, and hopes for the future.

"I want the Department to be a happy, supportive, diverse, and inclusive environment where we attract talented individuals, deliver world‑leading education, research, and innovation..."

Get to know Prof Aubrey Cunnington, new Head of @imperialinfect.bsky.social

www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article...

Introducing Professor Aubrey Cunnington, new Head of the Department of Infectious Disease We had a conversation with the Head of Department on his vision, priorities, and hopes for the future.

“The department can be a powerful force for good at a time when the world feels quite uncertain."

We spoke to Professor Aubrey Cunnington, our new Head of the Department, about his background, his priorities for the department, and what motivates his work.👇
www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article...

DoID Seminar Series – Dr Mala Maini-Harnessing frontline immunity for prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination DoID Seminar Series

Don't forget to join our next department seminar tomorrow with Prof Mala Maini.

She will discuss harnessing frontline immunity for prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination.

🗓️3 Feb, 1.15pm
📌 South Kensington/Online

Imperial and DNDi strengthen partnership to accelerate treatments for neglected diseases Researchers from Imperial College London and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) met on 19 January to strengthen a growing partnership...

On #WorldNTDDay, @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social + @dndi.org strengthen their partnership to speed up new treatments for #NeglectedDiseases affecting 1 billion+ people worldwide. 🌍

From #AI to drug discovery, we’re working to turn science into real-world impact.

www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article...

DoID Seminar Series – Dr Mala Maini-Harnessing frontline immunity for prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination DoID Seminar Series

Join our next department seminar with Prof Mala Maini.

She will discuss harnessing frontline immunity for prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination.

🗓️3 Feb, 1.15pm
📌 South Kensington/Online

New vaccines, new hope: First human trial for Ebola, Marburg and Lassa vaccines A new research partnership will test cutting-edge vaccines designed to protect against some of the world’s most dangerous infectious diseases.

When outbreaks happen, speed matters. ⚠️

A new trial is testing #vaccines designed to be developed quickly – helping scientists respond faster to deadly diseases like Ebola, Marburg + Lassa fever.

Read ⤵️ www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article... @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social @imperialinfect.bsky.social

The infection enigma: why some people die from typically harmless germs Millions of people worldwide carry genetic mutations that weaken their immune system.

Why do some people die from typically harmless germs?

A @nature.com feature highlights the story of our Prof Mike Levin and a mysterious 1980s case of a child with a rapidly spreading illness.

Find the full story at👇
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Superbug fears as new drug-resistant strains of typhoid emerge in Asia Scientists discover a gene capable of breaking down carbapenems, a class of powerful antibiotics seen as a drug of last resort

#Typhoid isn’t untreatable – yet.

"This feels very much like a canary-in-the-coal-mine signal."

But Dr Malick Gibani of @imperialinfect.bsky.social warns it’s becoming far harder to manage as #AMR spreads from one drug class to the next, in @telegraph.co.uk 👇 www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...

UK-Korea Engineering Biology Partnership Video Watch our partnership video showcasing the collaboration between UK and Korean researchers in Engineering Biology.

What happens when UK and Korean researchers join forces in #EngineeringBiology? 🇬🇧🇰🇷

A powerful partnership to tackle big global challenges – from #health to #sustainability.

Watch the video 📽️ ebku.org/en/news/ebku... #GlobalHealth

I’m pleased to finally share that I’ve joined Imperial College London as Lecturer in Structural Biology.

I am most grateful to my mentors. Over the past seven years, Patrick @patrick-cramer.maxplanck.de provided me with unconditional freedom, support and the space to grow and succeed. 🧵 1/3

Behind the scenes: Keeping Imperial running Thank you to all of our colleagues who continue to work during the Christmas closure period to keep Imperial running.

A huge thanks to our @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social colleagues working BTS over the festive break 🎄🌟

Including @imperialinfect.bsky.social's Dominic Smith, who supports high-risk labs to ensure research can continue safely, even during the closure period.

www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article...

Cold plunges and kombucha: Do winter wellness trends work? Experts weigh in on whether cold water swimming, drinking kombucha and taking vitamins can boost your immune system.

Do cold plunges and kombucha really have immune-boosting properties?

Prof. John Tregoning @prof-tregoning.bsky.social says in BBC health, the benefits are mostly indirect and what makes people feel healthier in winter may come down to reducing stress.👇
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

👋Meet Dr Srinivasan Rengachari (@rengachari-lab.bsky.social) our new Lecturer in Structural Biology.

In this interview, he discusses international research, his research interests and what excites him most about joining Imperial.

👉 blogs.imperial.ac.uk/doid-staff/2...

Image of someone in a blue overall administering a nasal swab to someone on a bed

Human challenge studies help us understand how our immune systems fight against disease. 🤧

"We are trying to accelerate the development of vaccines which stop infection completely" says Prof Chris Chiu (@chrischiulab.bsky.social) in @newscientist.com.

institutions.newscientist.com/article/2505...

25 years of trailblazing HIV/AIDS research

Behind today’s #HIV treatments are decades of groundbreaking science.

On #WorldAIDSDay, we highlight @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social teams whose research helped transform HIV from a fatal diagnosis to a manageable condition.

#EndAIDS #HIVAwareness www.imperial.ac.uk/Stories/25-y...

Dr Dinesh Aggarwal (@drdaggarwal.bsky.social) said:

"By identifying the bacterial profiles that protect against S. aureus colonisation, our findings could inform new, microbiome-based strategies to reduce infection risk without relying on antibiotics."

The study was from researchers at Imperial,
@sangerinstitute.bsky.social, @cam.ac.uk and @unibirmingham.bsky.social.

The findings have important clinical implications as identifying carriers of S. aureus could help predict infection risk to better target those who may benefit from treatment.

The largest study of the nasal microbiome reveals how bacterial communities shape risk of Staphlococcus aureus infection.

Persistent carriers show fewer bacterial species in the nose, while some microbes may help block colonisation.👇
www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article...

The Defiant study team from left to right: Professor Tom Scriba (University of Cape Town), Professor Marieke van der Zalm (Stellenbosch University), Professor James Seddon (Imperial), Professor Myrsini Kaforou (Imperial)

£3.5m has been awarded to the DEFIANT study led by Prof James Seddon, to explore how puberty shapes immune responses to tuberculosis.

Funded by @wellcometrust.bsky.social the scientists aim to uncover risk factors & pave the way for new therapies.

www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article...

PM - Migrant sex offender paid £500 to not disrupt deportation - BBC Sounds The government defends the decision to pay Hadush Kebatu to cooperate with his removal.

How do we extend our lifespan?

Prof John Tregnoning (@prof-tregoning.bsky.social) on
BBC Radio 4's PM show discusses how he tried to defy ageing and what he learned (listen from 49m 20s)🔽
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Join us tomorrow for an online seminar with Dr Francesco Boccellato from @ludwigcancer.bsky.social @ndm.ox.ac.uk.

He will discuss epithelial barrier homeostasis and response to infections.

🗓️28 October, 1-2pm
📌South Kensington/Online

👉 www.imperial.ac.uk/events/19994...

Join us for our next online seminar with Dr Francesco Boccellato from @ludwigcancer.bsky.social @ndm.ox.ac.uk.

He will discuss epithelial barrier homeostasis and response to infections.

🗓️28 October, 1-2pm
📌South Kensington/Online

👉 www.imperial.ac.uk/events/19994...