Our research approach

Chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs) such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are increasing. CIDs already affect hundreds of millions of people across the world, and are complex to manage, causing significant morbidity and even mortality, placing an enormous burden on healthcare systems. 

We now understand that CIDs are caused by a complex interplay between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. From conception onward, each of us is exposed to countless environmental influences including infections, pollutants, diet, and social or economic conditions. The exposome works in constant dialogue with our genes, shaping immune function throughout our lives.  

Environmental exposures and CIDs 

There is extensive epidemiological evidence linking environmental exposures to the development of CIDs.

Understanding how the immune system interprets and responds to these elements in our environment is one of the great challenges of modern biomedicine.

Examples are:

Our Research Pillars

Our three interconnected Research Pillars will ensure that discovery science and translation to patient benefit move seamlessly between data sets, laboratory and clinic.

Data Science

This brings together diverse datasets, including studies of population and patient groups, and findings from laboratory and clinical studies, into a unified data pipeline. Using advanced computational tools, including AI, machine learning, and mathematical modelling, we will identify how environmental exposures interact with genetics to influence immune responses and disease risk.

Mechanistic Barrier Immunology

This focuses on biological mechanisms in the body’s barrier surfaces, such as the lung and the gut - places where our immune system first encounters many exposome factors. Through cutting-edge studies in human tissues, organoid models, and animal systems, we will reveal how factors such as viral infections, smoking, and pollutants disrupt immune regulation. We will also explore how other key players, including the microbiome, extracellular matrix, and nervous system, contribute to disease development.

Human Experimental Medicine

We will test and validate discoveries from the lab in people. Using controlled human challenge and interventional studies, we will examine how defined environmental exposures shape immune function in real-world conditions. These studies will inform new strategies for prevention and early-stage therapies for asthma, COPD, IBD, and related diseases. This will help us to turn mechanistic understanding into tangible clinical benefit.

An iterative cycle

Together, our Research Pillars form a continuous, iterative cycle: data drives discovery, discovery fuels translation, and clinical insights feed back into new models and hypotheses.