Adrian Liston
Born1980 (age 43–44)
Alma materAustralian National University
AwardsFMedSci
2016 Eppendorf Prize
2015–2016 Franqui Chair
Dr. Karel-Lodewijk Prize
Scientific career
FieldsNeuroimmunology
Diabetes
Immunology
Genetics
InstitutionsUniversity of Cambridge
St Catharine's College
Doctoral advisorChris Goodnow

Adrian Liston is an Australian immunologist and Professor of Pathology at the University of Cambridge in Cambridge. He is also Professorial Fellow and Director of Studies at St Catharine's College and Editor-in-Chief of Immunology & Cell Biology. He was previously senior group leader at the Babraham Institute, professor at the KU Leuven (Leuven, Belgium) and head of the VIB Translational Immunology Laboratory.

Liston obtained a PhD at the Australian National University in 2005. He completed postdoctoral work at the University of Washington in Seattle, United States. Liston is an advocate for both animal rights and also the use of animals in medical research.[1] Liston is the author of immunology-themed children's books, including Maya's Marvellous Medicine, Battle Robots of the Blood and Just for Kids! All about Coronavirus during the global COVID-19 pandemic.[2]

His main research interests are in the fields of neuroimmunology, autoimmunity, primary immune deficiencies and diabetes. Liston led the discovery of Pyrin-associated auto-inflammation with neutrophilic dermatosis,[3] a previously unknown auto-inflammatory disease caused by mutation in the gene MEFV. Liston is also known for identifying genetic fragility of pancreatic beta cells as a cause of diabetes.[4] In 2016, Liston led a team that found that cohabitation modified the immune system, making partners more similar to each other.[5] His research team has emphasized the role of the environment over genes in shaping the immune system.[6] In 2017, his team identified novel mutations in the gene STAT2 which lead to primary immunodeficiency.[7] Liston also led a team that developed a machine learning algorithm that identifies children with juvenile arthritis with almost 90% accuracy from a simple blood test.[8]

In the neuroimmunology field, Liston led a team that identified a role for white blood cells in the development of the brain.[9] This work lead to further findings that the inflammatory environment of the brain could be controlled through a population of anti-inflammatory Regulatory T cells that reside within the brain.[10] The system is the subject of a research spin-off company from the Babraham Institute, Aila Biotech Ltd, focused on clinical development of a therapeutic product for multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injury.


Awards and appointments

Liston has received numerous awards and appointments including:

  • Dr. Karel-Lodewijk Prize (2015)
  • Eppendorf Young European Investigator Award (for his work in elucidating key mechanisms by which the immune system avoids attacking the body while remaining effective against pathogens) (2016)[11]
  • Franqui Chair to lecture at the Université libre de Bruxelles (2015–2016)[12]
  • Churchill College Senior Research Fellowship (2020)
  • Academy of Medical Sciences, elected (2021)[13]
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (2022)
  • St Catharine's College Professorial Fellowship (2023)

References

  1. ↑ "'Hoe kan iemand tegelijk opkomen voor dierenrechten als voor het gebruik van proefdieren?'". Site-Knack-NL. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  2. ↑ "Children's book 'Battle Robots of the Blood' launches"
  3. ↑ Leslie, Mitch (30 March 2016). "Cause of rare immune disease identified". Science | AAAS. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  4. ↑ "Genetics could affect beta cells in type 1 and type 2 diabetes". Diabetes. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  5. ↑ Rathi, Akshat. "Living with your partner makes your bodies more similar—right down to the cells in them". Quartz. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  6. ↑ "Environment shapes our immune system". Business Standard India. 2 October 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  7. ↑ Staff, Healthcanal. "New insights in genetic defect allow prevention of fatal illnesses in children". Healthcanal.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  8. ↑ Archived 14 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine"Profiling immune system in paediatric arthritis patients offers hope for improved diagnosis"
  9. ↑ "New role for white blood cells in the developing brain: The presence of white blood cells is essential for normal brain development in mice". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  10. ↑ "Harnessing the immune system to treat traumatic brain injury".
  11. ↑ ” Adrian Liston wins the 2016 Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators".
  12. ↑ Archived 19 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine"Franqui Foundation Chairs"
  13. ↑ "Immunology expert Prof Adrian Liston elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences | Babraham Institute". www.babraham.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
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