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Biography
Dr Toshana Foster is an Associate Professor in Molecular Virology who established her independent research program at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science as a Nottingham Research Fellow in 2018, rapidly building a reputation as a leading expert in emerging viral diseases.
Dr Foster obtained her Wellcome Trust-funded PhD from the University of Leeds in 2011, where she focused on the structural, biochemical and functional characterisation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) proteins.
She subsequently moved to King's College London as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, where she investigated the molecular and cell biology of HIV-1 proteins, with particular emphasis on understanding how innate immunity factors restrict HIV-1 replication and influence viral envelope entry pathways. This foundational work in major human viral pathogens provided her with comprehensive expertise in virus-host interactions that now underpins her current research.
Since establishing her laboratory at Nottingham, Toshana's research has strategically evolved to address critical knowledge gaps in our understanding of emerging arenaviruses-zoonotic pathogens that represent significant threats with pandemic potential.
Currently, her research program funded by UKRI-MRC, and previously by Wellcome and the Royal Society, integrates the use of cutting-edge structural biology approaches with molecular virology and advanced proteomics to elucidate complex virus-host interactions and the molecular mechanisms underlying viral pathogenesis.
ORCid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7752-8987
Research Summary
My research focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying viral replication, immune evasion, and host-pathogen interactions, with particular emphasis on arenaviruses as emerging threats… read more
Recent Publications
SCOTT, CLAIRE, KANKANALA, JAYAKANTH, FOSTER, TOSHANA L., GOLDHILL, DANIEL H., BAO, PENG, SIMMONS, KATIE, PINGEN, MARIEKE, BENTHAM, MATTHEW, ATKINS, ELIZABETH, LOUNDRAS, ELENI, ELDERTIELD, RUTH, CLARIDGE, JOLYON K., THOMPSON, JOSEPH, STILWELL, PETER R., TATHINENI, RANJITHA, MCKIMMIE, CLIVE S., TARGETT-ADAMS, PAUL, SCHNELL, JASON R., COOK, GRAHAM P., EVANS, STEPHEN, BARCLAY, WENDY S., FOSTER, RICHARD and GRIFFIN, STEPHEN, 2020. Site-directed M2 proton channel inhibitors enable synergistic combination therapy for rimantadine-resistant pandemic influenza PLOS PATHOGENS. 16(8), SHAW, JOSEPH, GOSAIN, RAJENDRA, KALITA, MONOJ MON, FOSTER, TOSHANA L, KANKANALA, JAYAKANTH, MAHATO, D RAM, ABAS, SONIA, KING, BARNABAS J, SCOTT, CLAIRE, BROWN, EMMA, BENTHAM, MATTHEW J, WETHERILL, LAURA, BLOY, ABIGAIL, SAMSON, ADEL, HARRIS, MARK, MANKOURI, JAMEL, ROWLANDS, DAVID J, MACDONALD, ANDREW, TARR, ALEXANDER W, FISCHER, WOLFGANG B, FOSTER, RICHARD and GRIFFIN, STEPHEN, 2020. Rationally derived inhibitors of hepatitis C virus (HCV) p7 channel activity reveal prospect for bimodal antiviral therapy. eLife. 9,
Current Research
My research focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying viral replication, immune evasion, and host-pathogen interactions, with particular emphasis on arenaviruses as emerging threats to global health. My team employs an innovative interdisciplinary approach, combining cutting-edge structural biology methodologies with molecular virology to elucidate arenavirus structure-function relationships and linking these to mechanism and potential therapeutic development. This work has strong implications for developing next-generation vaccines against haemorrhagic fever viruses, including Lassa fever, which poses significant threats to populations in West Africa and beyond.
We also investigate the intricate molecular dynamics between arenaviruses and host immune responses, utilising proteomics and novel mass spectrometry approaches to identify and characterise critical host factors that govern viral replication, pathogenesis, and immune recognition, fundamentally reshaping our understanding of virus-host dynamics and opening new avenues for therapeutic intervention.