Felicity D'Mello
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Felicity is a Lecturer in Virology. She is a Molecular Virologist with interests in vaccines and bioinformatics. Currently she is working on bovine noroviruses and a newly described genus of bovine enteric calicivirus.
Biography
Felicity obtained a first degree in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the University of Manchester, Institute of Science and Technology from 1983-1985. From 1985 onwards she worked at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine focusing primarily on viruses that cause hepatitis (mainly hepatitis B).
Felicity joined the Royal Veterinary College in 1991 with Colin Howard as a research assistant working on a PhD part time (Structural studies of the hepatitis B virus envelope proteins). After completing her PhD in 1999, Felicity continued working at the RVC as a Post-doctoral researcher until she was made an assistant lecturer in December 2007 and then lecturer in in 2010..
Felicity and Colin Howard received a SMART award from the Department of Trade and Industry after commercialising their research with DNA vaccines by setting up a company called Virexis to develop therapeutic vaccines for Hepatitis B.
Felicity has recently completed the Post Graduate certificate in Veterinary Education.
Research
Felicity’s research with hepatitis B originally focused on defining antigen determinants on the surface on the hepatitis B virus (HBV) using synthetic peptides and random peptide libraries with the aim to design a peptide vaccine for hepatitis B. Later work studied mechanisms to improve immunogenicity by using different adjuvants and delivery systems.
Felicity has worked on an EU funded project which investigated the use of DNA vaccines with various delivery systems to treat chronic hepatitis B using the woodchuck hepatitis B virus as a model for HBV in humans. Felicity has also been involved in a BBSRC funded project to develop a DNA vaccine to prevent infection of the spring vireamia of carp virus for use in fish.
Felicity has also worked in collaboration Medical Research Council in The Gambia (MRC Website) on a study which investigated the emergence of breakthrough hepatitis B infection following the introduction of mass infant hepatitis B immunisation in The Gambia. Most recently, Felicity is working with bovine enteric caliciviruses. In particular, she has been examining the sequence heterogeneity of a newly described genus of calicivirus and is now developing ELISAs to determine the prevalence of these viruses..
Teaching
Felicity is module leader for the Enemy Without module on the second year BSc BioVeterinary Sciences course. She is part of the virology team that teaches the BVetMed and G&T students. Felicity is also teaches on the MSc CIDA course and is the Research project co-ordinator for the Y2 BSc BioVeterinary Science students.
Selected Publications
D'MELLO, F., JERVIS, S.M., EDWARDS, P.M., OLIVER, S.L. & BRIDGER J.C. (2009)Heterogeneity in the capsid protein of bovine enteric caliciviruses belonging to a new genus. Virology 387(1):109-16. PubMed ID 19254803
MENDY, M., D'MELLO, F., KANELLOS, T., OLIVER, S., WHITTLE, H. & HOWARD, C. R. (2008) Envelope protein variability among HBV-Infected asymptomatic carriers and immunized children with breakthrough infections. J Med Virol 80, 1537-1546. PubMed ID 18649345
KANELLOS, T., SYLVESTER, I. D., D'MELLO, F., HOWARD, C. R., MACKIE, A., DIXON, P. F., CHANG, K. C., RAMSTAD, A., MIDTLYNG, P. J. & RUSSELL, P. H. (2006) DNA vaccination can protect Cyprinus Carpio against spring viraemia of carp virus. Vaccine 24, 4927-4933. PubMed ID 16650915
MATHET, V. L., FELD, M., ESPINOLA, L., SANCHEZ, D. O., RUIZ, V., MANDO, O., CARBALLAL, G., QUARLERI, J. F., D'MELLO, F., HOWARD, C. R. & OUBINA, J. R. (2003) Hepatitis B virus S gene mutants in a patient with chronic active hepatitis with circulating Anti-HBs antibodies. J Med Virol 69, 18-26. PubMed ID 12436473
VECCHIONE, A., CATCHPOLE, B., D'MELLO, F., KANELLOS, T. & HAMBLIN, A. (2002) Modulating immune responses with dendritic cells: an attainable goal in veterinary medicine? Vet Immunol Immunopathol 87, 215-221. PubMed 12072237
MOYNIHAN, J. S., BLAIR, J., COOMBES, A., D'MELLO, F. & HOWARD, C. R. (2002) Enhanced immunogenicity of a hepatitis B virus peptide vaccine using oligosaccharide ester derivative microparticles. Vaccine 20, 1870-1876. PubMed ID 11906777
D'MELLO, F. & HOWARD, C. R. (2001) An improved selection procedure for the screening of phage display peptide libraries. J Immunol Methods 247, 191-203. PubMed ID 11150550
MOYNIHAN, J. S., D'MELLO, F. I. & HOWARD, C. R. (2000) 48-mer synthetic peptide analogue of the hepatitis B virus "a" determinant induces an anti-HBs antibody response after a single injection. J Med Virol 62, 159-166. PubMed ID 11002244
D'MELLO, F., KAIRO, S. K., HOWARD, C. R. & PARTIDOS, C. D. (1999) Mapping the specificity of an anti-feline immunodeficiency virus monoclonal antibody using a filamentous phage displayed peptide library. Vaccine 18, 371-375. PubMed ID 10506664
HOWARD, C. R., GRAY, L., D'MELLO, F., CHRISTOPHER, J. & CRASKE, J. (1998) Nucleic acid vaccines against hepatitis viruses. Dev Biol Stand 92, 157-162. PubMed ID 9554270
D'MELLO, F., PARTIDOS, C. D., STEWARD, M. W. & HOWARD, C. R. (1997) Definition of the primary structure of hepatitis B virus (HBV) pre-S hepatocyte binding domain using random peptide libraries. Virology 237, 319-326. PubMed ID 9356343
STEWARD, M. W., PARTIDOS, C. D., D'MELLO, F. & HOWARD, C. R. (1993) Specificity of antibodies reactive with hepatitis B surface antigen following immunization with synthetic peptides. Vaccine 11, 1405-1414. PubMed ID 7508664