Professor Andrew Heath
Professor of Cellular Immunology
Department of Infection and Immunity
L Floor
The University of Sheffield Medical School
Beech Hill Road
SHEFFIELD
S10 2RX
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)114 226 8634
Fax: +44 (0)114 226 8898
Email: a.w.heath@sheffield.ac.uk
Secretary - Jean Lazenby
Tel: +44 (0)114 271 2237
Email: j.lazenby@sheffield.ac.uk
Biography
I joined the University of Sheffield in 1994 having worked for 5 years in California, first at a start up parasite vaccine company, Paravax, and then at DNAX Inc. in Palo Alto. Prior to that I had post-doctoral positions in the Deparments of Immunology at St George´s and the Middlesex Hospital Medical Schools in London.
Research Interests
My research interests are centred on methods of enhancing immune responses to vaccination. Vaccines have massive potential not only ion the traditional areas of prevention of infectious diseases, but also as treatments for cancer and other non-infectious diseases. To fulfil this potential immunogenicity needs to be increased, and immunological adjuvants need to be developed.
A second interest is in investigating the causes of vaccine non-responsiveness which happens with some individuals, this in conjunction with the Read Group Read Group
Teaching Interests
I am the module leader for the MSc in Molecular Medicine Module "Modulating Immunity. Also teach on MB.ChB and various BSc courses.
Current Projects
- Lymphoma Vaccine - work on a therapeutic vaccine for B lymphoma funded by Adjuvantix Ltd.
- Prostate Cancer Vaccine - joint work between Adjuvantix Ltd and Procure Ltd.
- Vaccine non-responsiveness - Joint Project with Professor Read, funded by the Meningitis Research Foundation. A study of volunteer vaccination with Men C conjugate vaccine and an investigation of links between poor response and in vitro immune responses.
Key Publications
- Foster, RA, J Carlring, A Lees, R Borrow, M Ramsay, E Kacsmarski, E Miller, MW McKendrick, AW Heath, RC Read: Functional T-cell deficiency in adolescents who experience serogroup C meningococcal disease despite receiving the meningococcal serogroup C conjugate vaccine. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2010, 17 1104-1110.
- Rezaei N, Wing J, Aghamohammadi A, Carlring J, Lees A, Asgarian-Omran H, Pourpak Z, Sarrafnejad A, Kardar GA, Shahrestani T, Masoumi F, Zare A, Saghafi S, Sarrafnejad S, Foster RA, Heath AW, Read RC. (2010). B cell-T cell activation and interaction in common variable immunodeficiency. Human Immunology 71 355-362.
- Foster RA, Carlring J, McKendrick MW, Lees A, Borrow R, Read RC, Heath AW. (2009) Evidence of a functional B cell immunodeficiency in adults who experience serogroup C meningococcal disease. Clin Vac Immunol 16 692-698.
- Hatzifoti C and Heath AW (2009) Influenza in the elderly. Chapter 6. In; Microbiology and Aging. Percival SL Editor. Humana press.
- Barr T, Carlring J and Heath AW (2006)
Host derived molecules and antibodies against them as adjuvants. Chapter 3. In: Immunopotentiators in Modern Vaccines. Schijns and O’Hagan Editors. Academic Press.