Emma

Emma Davenport

DPhil Student

Genetic Susceptibility to Infectious Disease

The aim of my project is to understand the genetic determinants of the innate immune response to infection, focussing particularly on sepsis.  Sepsis is defined as the systemic response to infection and is considered to be severe when the normally appropriate innate immune response becomes dysregulated, causing impaired tissue perfusion, cell damage, organ failure, shock and ultimately death.  I am characterising gene expression data from patients with sepsis in terms of survival and relating this to genotype.  The expression levels and function of identified genes, particularly those known to play a role in the immune response, are being investigated in order to increase our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms which lead to severe sepsis. 

In parallel, I am involved in a collaborative project investigating the genetic determinants of primary immune deficiencies associated with severe infection. This combined approach, involving both rare and common determinants of susceptibility to infection, should yield new insights into the genetic basis of infectious disease susceptibility and potential novel targets for intervention.

I completed my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at Oxford in 2010 and I am now studying for a DPhil in Clinical Medicine.