Inaugural lecture of Professor Jayne Hope

Personal Chair of Immunology

Cells of the innate immune response control our responses to infectious disease and are central to the initiation of vaccine-induced immunity. Two types of cells involved in innate immunity are dendritic cells and natural killer cells. Dendritic cells were originally described as a population of ‘funny’ macrophages but were established as pivotal for the induction of immunity. Recently, the interaction or cross-talk between dendritic cells and natural killer cells has been shown to be important for optimal immunity. 

This inaugural lecture will discuss work carried out by Professor Jayne Hope starting with her PhD studies of the immune response to chemical allergens in mice. This led to a career-long interest in dendritic cells and innate immunity that is now being applied to studies of vaccines for tuberculosis in cows. The lecture will discuss differences in the immune response between mice and cows (and humans) that are important for vaccine design and delivery for important infectious diseases such as TB.