Host Pathogen Interactions & Vaccinology
Understanding how pathogens interact with their hosts at molecular, cellular and whole animal levels is essential to the development of strategies to control the spread of disease.
RVC researchers are working towards a better understanding of host-pathogen molecular interactions, with a view to increasing our knowledge of disease pathology, immunology and genetics that underpin the development and testing of new vaccines and methods of delivery.
We focus on on important (re)-emerging animal diseases, including some zoonoses and have an inter-disciplinary approach to ensure that our research translate to the field in collaboration with the ESH and SSF groups. We have access to the College's Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases, which offers wet laboratory and study space.
Our researchers have expertise in pathogenesis of bacterial respiratory disease and pneumonia including a growing focus on the study of mycoplasma species. Viral pathogenesis and immunology are a priority, with major projects on porcine circovirus 2, bovine viral diarrhoea virus and canine coronavirus and growing expertise in viral vaccinology, including the production of viral-like particles as prototype vaccines in insect cells.
We also have expertise and specialised laboratory and animal facilities for handling parasitic protozoa and worms.
Specific areas of interest and expertise include:
- Coccidial parasites of chickens
- Ectoparasites of chickens
- Immunoparasitology of protozoa that constrain cattle production in sub-Saharan Africa
- Basic studies on control of parasite infections by the immune system.
Our Host Pathogen Interactions and Vaccinology research is led by Professor Fiona Tomley.
People in this Research Group
Dr Clive Bate
LecturerDr Camilla Benfield
Senior Lecturer in VirologyProfessor Damer Blake
Professor of Parasite GeneticsProfessor Ross Bond
Professor of Veterinary DermatologyQueen Mother Hospital for Animals, Hawkshead
Dr Richard Booth
Associate Professor in Veterinary Extension Services and Infectious Diseases of CattleFarm Animal Health and Production Group, Hawkshead
Dr Jackie Cardwell
Associate Professor in EpidemiologyVeterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health, Hawkshead
Prof. Brian Catchpole
ProfessorImmunology, Hawkshead
Dr Felicity D'Mello
LecturerDr Julian Drewe
Associate Professor of Veterinary EpidemiologyVeterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health, Hawkshead

Valwynne Faulkner
PhD StudentProfessor Mark Fox
Professor of Veterinary ParasitologyVeterinary Parasitology, Camden
Dr Amanda Gibson
Postdoctoral FellowCEEED - Tuberculosis Research Group, Hawkshead
Dr Liam Good
Professor of Microbiology and BiotechnologyDr Angela Holder
Postdoctoral ResearcherDr Judy Hyde (nee Mitchell)
Lecturer in Clinical Diagnostic Research and Development
Dr Helen Jones
Research Assistant/Associate in diagnostic developmentDr Sharon Kendall
Senior Lecturer in Molecular BacteriologyDr. Sungwon Kim
Postdoctoral ScientistProfessor Richard Kock
Wildlife Health and Emerging DiseasesCEEED, Hawkshead
Dr Rachel Lawrence
ReaderProf David Lloyd
Emeritus Professor of Veterinary DermatologyQueen Mother Hospital for Animals, Hawkshead
Dr Henny Martineau
Head of Veterinary Forensic Pathology & Lecturer in Anatomic PathologyPathology, Hawkshead
Dr Virginia Marugan-Hernandez
Research Fellow in VaccinologyParasitology, Hawkshead
Dr Rob Noad
Lecturer in Molecular VirologyDr Donald Palmer
Associate Professor of ImmunologyProfessor Simon Priestnall
Professor of Veterinary Anatomic PathologyPathology, Hawkshead
Prof Andrew Rycroft
Professor of Clinical and Veterinary MicrobiologyMicrobiology, Hawkshead
Professor Ken Smith
Professor of Companion Animal Pathology and Head of DepartmentPathobiology and Population Sciences, Hawkshead