Department of Medicine of Cambridge University

The Department of Medicine has a large and active research programme whose broad aim is to understand disease processes at a molecular level and to apply this knowledge to clinical management. They are located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus which includes Addenbrooke's Hospital on the outskirts of Cambridge. Here the concentration of biomedical research institutes and so much expertise in medicine and molecular medicine affords many opportunities for fruitful collaboration, and the ability to apply the most up-to-date techniques to research problems.

Key research areas

• The study of autoimmune disease (Dr Ken Smith), vasculitis (Dr David Jayne) and endothelial cell biology (Dr John Bradley), in relation to renal disease
• In vivo and in vitro studies of the B lymphocyte response to antigen (Prof Doug Fearon)
• The immunology and pathogenesis of inflammatory joint diseases (Prof Hill Gaston and Dr Frances Hall)
• The molecular virology, immunology and pathogenesis of persistent virus infections - including herpes viruses and retroviruses (Prof Andrew Lever, Prof John Sinclair, Dr Andrew Carmichael, Prof Patrick Sissons)
• Viral and cellular control of class I MHC expression (Prof Paul Lehner)
• Pathogenesis of cutaneous papilloma virus infections (Dr Jane Sterling)
• The mechanisms of genetic resistance to, and pathogenesis of, mycobacterial and leishmanial infections (Prof Jennie Blackwell)
• The molecular genetics of metabolic and X-linked disorders (Prof Tim Cox, Dr Patrick Deegan)
• Genetic endocrinology and nuclear hormone receptors and human disease (Prof Krishna Chatterjee, Dr Mark Evans, Dr Mark Gurnell)
• The cellular, molecular and endocrine mechanisms of osteoporosis and bone disease (Prof Juliet Compston, Dr Nigel Loveridge, Dr Jonathan Reeve)
• The study of liver disease (Dr Graeme Alexander)
• The study of the cellular and molecular aspects of vascular disease (Prof Martin Bennett, Dr David Dutka, Dr Cathy Shanahan)
• Inflammatory lung disease - in particular granulocyte biology (Prof Edwin Chilvers), alpha-1 antitrypsin structure/function (Dr Ravi Mahadeva) and pulmonary vascular remodelling (Dr Nick Morrell)
• The role of conformational transitions of proteins in disease (Prof David Lomas)
• The role of cytokines in autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases (Dr David Grainger)
• Agents that activate the mutated transporter in cystic fibrosis (Prof Alan Cuthbert)

The Department is divided into 11 divisions; for details of each of these areas of interest, recent publications, and the email addresses of the Principal Investigators, visit www.med.cam.ac.uk

Research collaborations

They have many links with:

• the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, the Cambridge Institute of Medical Research and the GSK Clinical Investigation Centre
• departments of biological sciences within the University
• local pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Further information:

• www.med.cam.ac.uk
• see also the Review of the School of Clinical Medicine