Research in Development and Immunopathology
Opportunities for work in the Development and Immunology of Reproduction Group (DIG) will increase as this is a designated a growth area. It is envisaged that local NHS research directorates will encourage collaboration with this area in the new Faculty of Health and Medicine which has identified this theme as one worth investing in.
Reproductive Immunology
The reproductive immunology group links teams led by Dr Gill Vince and Professor Colin Ockleford. They are researching several aspects of infertility and pregnancy pathology and are actively setting up new teams at Lancaster in collaboration with existing labs in Liverpool and Leicester. Colin's first reproductive immunology research student to be based in Lancaster is Abigail Thompson. She has made monoclonal antibodies to study the role of the hormone relaxin in implantation and will be seconded to Lancaster in September 2007.
Gill's team have recently made significant advances in understanding the role of the innate immune system's CD56 positive NK cells in recurrent miscarriage. She defined methods for selective ablation of these very important cells in pregnancy.
Howard's team is interested in DNA replication, the DNA replication checkpoint and the mechanisms that maintain genetic and epigenetic integrity. In particular they are looking at the way failure of these important and highly conserved pathways can lead to inappropriate cell division and the subsequent implications for early development. For more information see Howard Lindsay's research profile.