Overview

Qualifications

1996                PhD Microbiology, University of Cape Town

Career

1996                PhD Microbiology, University of Cape Town

1996-1998       Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, University of Stellenbosch

1999-2003       Wellcome Trust Travelling Fellow, University of Oxford.

2004-2009       Wellcome Trust International Senior Research Fellow, University of Cape

2009-2019       6th Century Chair in Immunology, University of Aberdeen

2019-               Professor in Immunology, University of Exteer

2009-               Honorary Professor, University of Cape Town

2010                Fellow of the Society of Biology

2011                Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology

2012                Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa

2013                Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh

2016                Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences

2020                Fellow of the Royal Society

Back to top

Research

Research interests

To recognise infection, the immune system utilizes sensors on immune cells called “pattern recognition receptors” which detect invading pathogens. These sensors then trigger a number of responses which are aimed at providing protection against the infection.

Our group is focussed on understanding a particular group of these pathogen sensors, called the C-type lectins (CLRs), which stemmed from our discovery of the first receptor in this class, Dectin-1.

We have shown that CLRs are able to induce essential immune responses, and have determined the mechanisms that they utilize to trigger these effects. Importantly, we have shown that CLRs play a central role in protective immune responses during fungal infections and identified genetic variants of Dectin-1 in humans, which can confer susceptibility to disease.

We have also determined that defects in recognition by pathogen sensors can result in an untreatable fungal infection of the skin, called chromoblastomycosis; work which has led directly to the testing of a novel treatment in humans.

Our current research is aimed at gaining a more detailed understanding the role of CLRs in immunity during fungal infection, and exploring the roles and functions of new CLRs that we have recently identified.

Research networks

Research Group:

Dr Janet Willment                  Senior Scientist

Dr Ivy Dumbuza                     Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr Fabian Salazar                  Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr Mariano Malamud             Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr Cecilia Rodrigues              Research Technician

Remi Hatinguais                     PhD Student

Emily Speakman                     MRC PhD Student

Romey Shoesmith                   PhD student

Back to top

External Engagement and Impact

• Director: AFGrica Unit at the University fo Cape Town.
• Co-Director: The Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology Consortium.
• Adjunct member of the Institute of Infectious Disease and Moleular Medicine at the University of Cape Town.

Back to top