Professor Fiona Powrie

Professor of Musculoskeletal Sciences, Director of the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology and Principal Investigator in the Translational Gastroenterology Unit; Fellow of Wadham College

About

Professor Powrie's work focuses on why the immune system, which defends us against harmful micro-organisms, does not attack the numerous beneficial bacteria which inhabit the intestine. Her research has identified a class of cells, called regulatory T cells, that police the immune response in the intestine, preventing it from attacking bacteria that are of benefit to us. Her team has demonstrated that deficiencies in these immune cells can lead to chronic intestinal inflammatory disease, offering new research avenues for the treatment of these conditions.