Senior Lecturer

Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
National Heart and Lung institute @ Imperial College
1b Manresa Road
London SW3 6LR, UK

Telephone	+44 (0)20 7351 8355
Fax	+44 (0)20 7351 8336

Clinical:

• Diagnostic service for the measurement of specific IgE to high and low molecular weight allergens.
• Measurement of T cell proliferation to beryllium.
• Precipitins for the identification of specific IgG antibodies to occupational allergens.

Current research interests:

• Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms to both high and low molecular weight allergens in occupational asthma. In particular:
  • the cellular and cytokine responses in peripheral blood and mapping of the T cell epitopes.
  • the cellular and molecular response in the lungs of patients challenged with diisocyanates.
  
  
• Determining the genetic susceptibility to both high and low molecular allergens in occupational asthma. In particular we investigated:
  • HLA association with the development of sensitisation.
  • IL-13 polymorphisms in the development of sensitisation to occupational allergens.


• Understanding the role of immunoregulation in occupational asthma, since not everyone develops the disease. In particular we are investigating:
  • Role of T regulatory cells.
  • Cytokine response.
  • IgG, IgG4, IgA antibodies and their possible blocking mechanism.


• We have been involved with the Ashford and AMICS cohort studies, measuring dust exposures in the home, specific IgE, IgG and IgG4 levels in the serum of chilren. We are interested in the first born effect and currently investigating the role of the mother upon the child’s atopic status.


• Developing assays for the measurement of specific IgE to low molecular weight allergens.