Immunology Professional Committee

The Association of Clinical Scientists in Immunology merged with the Association for Clinical Biochemistry in 2007. Immunologists are represented within the Association by the Immunology Professional Committee, (IPC). The Immunology Professional Committee represents the interests of our immunology Members.

Immunology Professional Committee

  • Alison Whitelegg - Chair
  • Karen Smith - Lead Station Writer
  • Elizabeth Ralph - Communications Lead
  • Emma Callery - Education and Workforce
  • Daniel Payne - Education and Workforce
  • Ashleigh Rainey - Scientific / Clinical Practice
  • Kimberly Gilmore - BSI-CIPN Representative
  • Rachel Dale - Representative - Post-Registration Trainees
  • Stephanie Laba - Representative - Pre-Registration Trainees
  • Helen James - Representative - Pre-Registration Trainees
  • Adrian Heaps - Consultant Scientist Royal College of Pathologists Specialty Advisory Committee Representative
  • Elin Davies - Ordinary Member

 

 

What is Immunology?

Immunology is the study of the immune system, which protects us from infection. There are three main ways in which the immune system contributes to disease.

1. Activation: The immune system may be active when fighting infections and mounting an immune response, and this results in fever, inflammation and eventual removal of the offending pathogen. It also results in the immune system retaining a very good memory of that pathogen which enables the immune system to mount a rapid and even more effective response to that pathogen should it decide to infect again.

2. Immunodeficiency: The immune system may be functioning poorly (immunodeficiency) which makes us less able to fight off infections. Immunodeficiency can occur because a component of the immune system is missing or because other factors are stopping it from working properly e.g. cancer, drugs and HIV infection.

3. Hypersensitivity: The immune system may be inappropriately active (hypersensitive) against the normal body (autoimmunity) or against harmless substances (allergy). Autoimmunity includes diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosis and coeliac disease. Allergy includes conditions such as asthma, hayfever and anaphylaxis.

 

Where is Immunology?

There are laboratories all over the UK that do Immunology testing. The list below shows the laboratories where Consultant Clinical Scientists in Immunology are based.

Immunology laboratories

Dundee: Ninewells Hospital
Clinical Lead/Consultant Clinical Scientist: Dr Liz Furrie

Glasgow:Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
Clinical Lead: Dr Moira Thomas
Consultant Clinical Scientist: Mrs Lauren Hennessy

Carlisle: Cumberland Infirmary
Clinical Lead/Consultant Clinical Scientist: Dr Adrian Heaps

Newcastle: Royal Victoria Infirmary
Clinical Lead: Dr Helen Bourne

Middlesborough: James Cook University Hospital
Clinical Lead/Consultant Clinical Scientist: Dr Adrian Heaps

Preston: Royal Preston Hospital
Consultant Clinical Scientist: Professor Anthony Rowbottom

Leeds:  Leeds General Infirmary
Clinical Lead: Dr S Savic
Consultant Clinical Immunologist: Dr Anna NcHugh

Hull:Hull Royal Infirmary
Consultant Clinical Scientist: Professor Steve Holding

Sheffield:  Northern General Hospital, Sheffield
Director: Professor Bill Egner
Deputy Director: Dr Graeme Wild

Birmingham: Birmingham Heartlands Hospital
Clinical Service Lead: Dr Craig Webster
Consultant Clinical Scientist: Mrs Sarah Beck

Leicester: Leicester Royal Infirmary
Head of Department: Dr Mike Browning

Cambridge: Addenbrooke’s Hospital
Head of Department: Dr Dinkantha Kumararatne

Cardiff: University Hospital of Wales
Laboratory Director/Consultant Clinical Scientist: Dr Carol Evans

Bristol: Southmead Hospital
Head of Department: Dr Sarah Johnston

Oxford: Churchill Hospital
Clinical Lead/Consultant Clinical Scientist: Dr Ross Sadler
Consultant Clinical Scientist: Dr Elizabeth Bateman

Chelmsford: Broomfield Hospital
Consultant Clinical Scientist: Dr Sarah Linstead

Plymouth: Derriford Hospital
Clinical Lead: Dr Claire Bethune

Exeter: Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital
Laboratory Manager: Adrian Cudmore

Southampton: Southampton General Hospital
Clinical Lead: Dr Efrem Eren

Portsmouth: Queen Alexandra Hospital
Head of Blood Sciences/Consultant Clinical Scientist (Biochemistry): Dr Laura Wainwright
Consultant Clinical Scientist (Immunology): Dr Alison Whitelegg

Ashford, Kent: William Harvey Hospital
Clinical Director of Pathology: Dr Edmund Lamb
Consultant Clinical Scientist: Dr Joanna Sheldon

London:

Great Ormond Street Hospital
, WC1N 3JH: Immunology Laboratory
Clinical Lead/Consultant Clinical Scientist (Immunology): Dr Kimberly Gilmour

Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG: Neuroimmunology Laboratory
Laboratory manager/Consultant Clinical Scientist (Immunology): Dr Melanie Hart

Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, E1 1FR: Immunology Laboratory
Clinical Lead: Dr Sofia Grigoriadou

St George’s Hospital, Tooting, SW17 0QT: Immunology Laboratory and Protein Reference Unit (South West London Pathology)
Clinical Lead/Consultant Clinical Scientist (Immunology): Dr Joanna Sheldon
Consultant Clinical Scientist (Immunology): Dr Rachel Wheeler

Charing Cross Hospital, W6 8RF: Infection & Immunity Department (NorthWest London Pathology)
Clinical Lead: Dr Peter Kelleher

Kings College Hospital, Denmark Hill, SE5 9RS: Immunology Laboratory (Viapath)
Clinical Lead: Dr Mohammad Ibrahim
Consultant Clinical Scientist: Dr Mary Guckian

The Halo, Kings Cross, WC1H 9AZ: Health Services Laboratories
Clinical Speciality Lead: Dr Ronnie Chee

 

 

Useful websites

British Society for Immunology (BSI)

www.immunology.org

This is a UK wide society for all immunologists including researchers and clinicians.  There is also a section of the BSI dedicated to Clinical Immunology called the Clinical Immunology and Allergy section (CIAS). The BSI has an annual Congress as well as regional meetings.

​British Society for Allergy & Clinical Immunology (BSACI)

www.bsaci.org

This society is for healthcare professionals and although originally for clinicians treating allergy, it widened its scope to include related diseases of the immune system in the 1970s.

UK Primary Immunodeficiency Network (UKPIN)

www.ukpin.org.uk

An organisation for healthcare professionals caring for patients with immunodeficiency, that aims to share best practice, and accredits immunology centres.

European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID)

www.esid.org

A society for anyone involved with immunodeficiency, including researchers, healthcare professionals and patient groups.

Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS)

www.focisnet.org

The Federation has 53 member societies and holds an Annual Meeting.