The University of Edinburgh, with funding from The Wellcome Trust (www.wellcome.ac.uk), is establishing a new world-leading inter-disciplinary research Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, based on a core platform of leading researchers in the areas of microbial and parasite infections, immunology, epidemiology and evolutionary biology. The proposed Centre will:
- Advance the study of infectious diseases by integrating immunology and genetics with evolutionary biology, epidemiology and mathematical biology;
- Provide an outstanding intellectual environment with cutting-edge research facilities;
- Attract world-class research leaders and high-potential young scientists;
- Offer a top-quality training and resource hub on an international basis.
The Centre will bring together 30 research leaders in infectious disease, bridging across from immunology and immunity to infection, to mathematical and evolutionary biology (see Figure). Together we will provide a platform for new insights, approaches and models for infectious diseases, leading to clinical and translational applications for a broad range of worldwide health problems. The Centre’s research laboratories include over 120 postdoctoral scientists, postgraduate students and research assistants.
The Wellcome Trust, one of the world’s largest biomedical charities has offered to support this new intiative as a “Centre-in-Development” with a view to progressing to full Wellcome Trust Centre status in due course.
Where will it be based?
The core of the new Centre will be in the Ashworth Laboratories at the University’s King’s Buildings campus. Currently some Centre investigators are based on other sites in the city (such as the Summerhall Veterinary campus), but plans are now in train to construct an extension to these Laboratories, termed Ashworth 4 so that all Centre workers will be based in one contiguous and newly-designed facilities in Ashworth.
Why is this Centre needed?
The control of infectious diseases is one of the greatest challenges of the new century. As well as eradicating some of the most prevalent parasitic diseases from developing countries, we will undoubtedly face new and emerging pathogens of man and our domesticated animals. The new Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution will provide a unified platform to address these challenges by bringing together a new combination of thinking and expertise. The Centre will encompass well-established specialists in the molecular, genetic and cellular basis of infectious pathogens and the body’s immune system, alongside experts working at the level of disease spread and evolution among human and animal populations.
How will this be achieved?
The new Centre will start by appointing a set of Research Fellows to pursue collaborative projects which bring together different research laboratories within the University. Details of these Fellowships are given here. At the same time, the research infrastructure will be further strengthened within the Ashworth Laboratories
The intellectual environment
We place great emphasis on our interactive and collaborative intellectual environment. The Ashworth Laboratories contain two closely interdigitated Institutes (the Institute of Immunology and Infection Research and the Institute of Evolutionary Biology) which share many technical and laboratory facilities. Frequent external seminars, internal journal clubs and informal discussion groups ensure a lively atmosphere. The new Centre will add to this by hosting workshops and symposia designed to highlight new developments and to cross barriers between the diverse fields associated with infectious diseases.