Queen Mary leads €4.8m European network exploring new approaches to treating inflammatory disease

9 September 2026

The HARPNET (Harnessing the Power of Resolution Pharmacology to Treat Inflammatory Diseases) network has been awarded funding through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks programme.

Led by Professor Jesmond Dalli, Professor of Molecular Pharmacology at Queen Mary's William Harvey Research Institute, HARPNET brings together academic, clinical and industry partners from across Europe. The network will train 15 doctoral researchers while helping to shape the emerging field of resolution pharmacology.

Inflammation is an essential part of the body's response to infection and injury. However, when it does not resolve properly, it can become chronic and contribute to diseases including cardiovascular and musculoskeletal conditions.

Many existing treatments for inflammatory disease work by suppressing the inflammatory response. HARPNET will take a different approach, investigating the biological mechanisms that naturally bring inflammation to an end and how these processes could be harnessed to support healthier tissue function.

Professor Dalli said:

"Inflammation is essential for protecting us from infection and injury, but its failure to resolve can contribute to chronic disease. HARPNET brings together researchers from across Europe to understand the mechanisms that naturally switch off inflammation and explore how we can harness these pathways therapeutically.

"By bringing together expertise in resolution biology, pharmacology and translational medicine, we have an opportunity to develop a new approach to treating inflammatory disease – one that aims not simply to suppress inflammation, but to actively promote its resolution and restore tissue function."

A four-year research programme

Queen Mary will coordinate HARPNET's scientific and training programme, working with partners across the consortium. Four of the 15 doctoral researchers will be based at Queen Mary, where their projects will investigate complementary aspects of resolution biology and pharmacology.

Their research will include studying how naturally occurring pro-resolving molecules and their receptors regulate immune cells, how these pathways influence blood and immune cell development, and how failures in these mechanisms may contribute to chronic inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular and rheumatic conditions.

Together, the projects aim to build a deeper understanding of the processes that allow tissues to return to a healthy state following inflammation, while identifying potential opportunities for therapeutic intervention.

Training the next generation of researchers

The doctoral researchers will form an international cohort, with opportunities to undertake research secondments across laboratories and organisations within the network. Alongside their research, they will receive training in areas including drug discovery, advanced experimental technologies, data analysis, innovation, communication and transferable professional skills.

Professor Dalli added:

"For the doctoral researchers, HARPNET offers much more than an individual PhD project. They will become part of an international research community, gaining experience across different disciplines and research environments while developing the scientific and professional skills needed to pursue careers in academia, industry and beyond."

Towards new treatments for inflammatory disease

By identifying the biological pathways involved in the resolution of inflammation, HARPNET researchers hope to uncover new drug targets, biomarkers and therapeutic strategies. In the longer term, these discoveries could contribute to more precise treatments for people living with chronic inflammatory diseases and help reduce the burden these conditions place on patients and healthcare systems.

The network could also help establish resolution pharmacology as a complementary approach to conventional anti-inflammatory treatments, shifting the focus from simply controlling inflammation towards understanding how the body can restore healthy function.

Join HARPNET

HARPNET is recruiting 15 doctoral researchers across the European network, including four positions at Queen Mary University of London. Successful candidates will join an international research community investigating the mechanisms involved in the resolution of inflammation, with opportunities for international secondments, access to expertise and technologies across Europe, and specialist training in scientific, innovation and professional skills.

Applications are expected to close on 1 October 2026, with successful researchers expected to take up their positions in 2027.

Find out more and apply: HARPNET application portal