Contextual manipulation of the IL-6 family of cytokines to alter and enhance CD4+ T-cell immunity to respiratory viral infections

James is a viral immunologist with research interests in understanding the signals involved in generating potent antibody-mediated immunity to infections. His group in the Leukocyte Biology Section at Imperial College London will focus on determining the processes involved in promoting this type of immune response to respiratory viral infections, with the hope of developing novel therapeutic and vaccination strategies. The lab will use a number of in vivo infectious and genetic models that accurately reflect the complexities of the host immune response, allowing James to dissect how specific molecules, along with factors such as age, timing of infection and virus type, influence the outcome.