Understanding the long-term haematological consequences of infection exposure

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how infectious disease impacts society on a global scale. It is cells from the blood and immune systems that man the front-line throughout the response to infection. However, little is known about how infectious challenges, often occurring multiple times during the life of an otherwise healthy person, affect these cells in the long-term. This project aims to use novel technologies to gain an insight into whether cellular identity and cell fate decisions are altered upon infection and if a molecular memory of these scars is maintained even when cured. I will use a murine model of influenza to challenge blood cells and analyse them upon infection and after recovery at both RNA and epigenetic levels. This will allow the identification of genetic targets that can be manipulated in cells to dampen the effects of infection. This work will have important implications for designing future therapeutic strategies.