My current work focuses on the innate immune response inchronically inflamed airways. In Cystic Fibrosis prolonged expression and signalling of TLR4 and persistent NF-kB activation is associated with reduced lysosomal degradation and increased TLR4 recycling. I am particularly interested in the regulation of inflammatory signalling (e.g. NF-kB) focussing on negative (A20 ubiquitin-editing-complex) and positive regulators (family of IAP proteins) and their therapeutical modification. My work describes a dysregulation of the A20-complex in CF epithelia. A recently awarded grant investigates the role of IAPs in asthmatic inflammation and the potential therapeuticintervention with smac mimetics (collaboration Prof. S Wang, Michigan University).

The response of cells to LPS involves movement and activation of receptors within the membrane; I am also interested in the distribution and modification oflipid/lipid-derived components in the cell membrane. Having imaged the distribution of lipid components in lung tissue by Raman Microscopy I am currently extending this to identify membrane lipid distribution in (inflamed) CF epithelial cells (with Prof. S. Bell, QUB).  Another focus of this collaboration is thedevelopment of Surface-Enhanced-Raman-Microscopy (SERS) to detect volatile andnon-volatile biomarkers of airway inflammation in exhaled breath and exhaledbreath condensate.