ProfEmer Reeves

Research within the Department of Medicine, University College London (1992-2002), provided me with ten years of experience in the immunological field of human neutrophils, which present the first line of defense against microbial infection. Projects investigated mechanisms of neutrophil NADPH oxidase activation, a system responsible for the generation of oxygen radicals. In addition to the identification of cytoskeletal proteins and their functions, studies examined the binding characteristics of the NADPH oxidase cytosolic phox proteins, the role of protein kinase C in oxidase activation and processes by which neutrophils kill invading pathogens, with results publish in Nature.

My current research interests are centered on the elucidation of the cell and molecular mechanisms involved in driving lung inflammation, with emphasis on the role of the phagocytic neutrophil. This research is based within the clinical setting of debilitating respiratory diseases, including cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with a central interest in alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). Current studies are focused on delineating the signaling pathways leading to disordered neutrophil biology in AATD and CF, using both biochemical and pharmacological approaches to advance our understanding of the fundamental abnormalities underlying these disorders. This work is being carried out by an active and dynamic group of scientists and postgraduate students (basic science students and clinical fellows) registered for the degree of PhD or MD.