Robin Flynn

Contact

• workRoom B20 Veterinary Medicine & Science
  Sutton Bonington Campus
  Sutton Bonington
  Leicestershire
  LE12 5RD
  UK
• work0115 951 6493
• robin.flynn@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

I obtained a BSc (Hons) in Zoology from University College Dublin, where I developed my interest in parasitology. After receiving funding from the Irish Research Council for Science Engineering and Technology I conducted a PhD with Prof. Grace Mulcahy at the Veterinary School UCD studying host-pathogen interactions in Fasciola hepatica infection, with a special focus on co-infections involving Mycobacterium bovis. I then spend 18 months at the Medical Research Council Laboratory for Molecular Biology working in the lab of Dr. Andrew McKenzie studying IL-25 in the context of type-2 immunity. From there I joined the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science in September 2009.

Teaching Summary

I currently convene the Year 1 LCB module and co-convene the Immunology module which is embedded throughout years 1-3. In addition I contribute to teaching of parasitology, immunology and… read more

Research Summary

Our group is broadly interested in host-parasite interactions and the outcome in terms of host immunity. We are currently using a number of model parasites to understand these interactions. Fasciola… read more

I currently convene the Year 1 LCB module and co-convene the Immunology module which is embedded throughout years 1-3. In addition I contribute to teaching of parasitology, immunology and haematology, throughout the course.

Current Research

Our group is broadly interested in host-parasite interactions and the outcome in terms of host immunity. We are currently using a number of model parasites to understand these interactions. Fasciola hepatica, the common liver fluke, is a major economic burden for the agri-industry worldwide and poses a major welfare threat also. At present Ornampai Japa (PhD candidate) is currently identifying and characterising host cytokine homologues to understand their interaction with the host during infection. This work is taking both a bioinformatics approach (supervised with Dr. Richard Emes) and an experimental approach to assay cytokine activity within parasite extracts. In addition to this we are also interested in the control of chronic immune responses during infection primarily trying to unravel the sources of IL-10 and TGF-β1 and their actions. A second strand of our interests in helminth immunology is aimed at understanding the consequences of co-infection. Previous work has demonstrated a negative effect of F. hepatica infection on the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis. This is work was carried out with Prof Grace Mulcahy School of Vet. Med. Dublin and Drs McNair, Welsh, Strain at AFBI Belfast. I am now continuing this work in collaboration with Prof. Paul Barrow and Dr. Neil Foster at SVMS where we are interested in the effect of helminth infection on the course of Salmonella infection and susceptibility to a variety of bacterial strains. Our other major research theme is focused on examining the interaction of protozoan parasites, Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum, with host macrophages. In collaboration with Mohamed-Ali Hakimi, INSERM France, we have characterised the effects of a parasite peroxiredoxin on host macrophage function and how this might contribute to enhanced parasite replication. This work draws on our previous experiences with F. hepatica Prx. Using N. caninum we are also interested in looking at the immune responses provoked by infection of bovine macrophages and how this contributes to later T-cell activation. Finally we have recently begun working with Dr. Patrick Legembre, Université de Rennes-1, IRSET/EA-427 SeRAIC France, on the role of cleaved CD95L in promoting the migration and trafficking of inflammatory T-cells.