The Hepatology unit examines mechanisms of pathogenesis of viral hepatitis (B and C). Molecular studies focus on how a virus subverts the signal transduction pathways critical to immune defence of the hepatocyte. Large scale novel anti-viral studies examine new treatments for these increasingly prevalent diseases
Chronic viral hepatitis is a pandemic affecting 500 million people worldwide. The Hepatology Team at Queen Marys is working to eradicate this scourge. We are studying better ways to identify and treat viral hepatitis as well as studying how the viruses replicate and interact with the host immune responses.
Our research involves the very latest clinical research in patients with state of the art laboratory studies. Our clinical work feeds into our laboratory studies which invigorate the clinical research leading to innovative translational studies that change peoples’ lives. We are committed to finding better ways to find, treat and cure patients who are at risk of liver disease and liver cancer caused by chronic viral hepatitis. We lead a UK wide program studying viral hepatitis in immigrants that will define the extent of the problem, identify ways to treat the infection and, we hope, will lead to the implementation of an evidence based screening strategy. We run an extensive clinical trials program examining new antiviral agents for both hepatitis B and hepatitis C and data from these new drugs drives our innovative laboratory studies In the laboratory we have exciting new projects examining the immune response to the hepatitis B virus in children and young adults as well as an innovative new system analysing the replication of the hepatitis C virus using viral strains taken directly from patients who are responding, or failing to respond to anti-viral therapy. We believe that these cutting edge research projects will lead to novel treatments for the many people dying from chronic viral hepatitis.
We have an extensive teaching program for clinical and non-clinical students at undergraduate and post graduate levels and contribute to the MSc in Gastroenterology
Academic staff Dr Patrick KennedyDr William Alazawi
Technical staff/Research Assistant/Postdoc Dr Jenny Waters Mr Joseph Davidson-Wright Ms Maria Papadaki
Honorary staff Dr Upkar Gill Dr Jan Kunkel
PhD/MD researchers Dr Morven Cunningham Dr Heather Lewis Dr Rajiv Lahiri
Administrative staff Mrs Anna Alongi
Other staff Ms J. Schultz Ms A. Bowie Ms L. Payaniandy Mr D. Payaniandy