Identification of the factors associated with the development of severe RSV disease in infants

Charles is interested in host- and virus-specific factors that underlie the risk of severe primary Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) disease in infancy. In this project, he will investigate the relationship between functional CD4 and CD8 T-cell diversity and clinical outcome. His studies will also aim to determine whether there are patterns of the host response to primary RSV infection, detectable in the transcriptome, that underlie the varying clinical outcomes of infection. Identifying transcriptional biomarkers of disease and finding signatures associated with cellular and antibody responses will provide important insights into host mechanisms that are implicated in pathogenesis and immunity.

This grant was awarded under the scheme's previous name of Training Fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine.