Drug and immunity studies

Leishmania is a major health problem, with up to 20 million people infected globally causing between 20 to 50,000 deaths a year. It is a disease caused by parasites and spread by the bite of certain types of sand-flies.

The Leishmania parasite has co-evolved with its host, with ways to change the host immune system. However, the ways by which Leishmania gets around the hosts immunity to start an infection is not clear. Studying this should allow the development of treatments designed to prevent Leishmania. 

Also finding the mechanisms which the parasite is able to switch off the immune system, could provide unique ways to treat conditions such as arthritis and asthma in which inflammation is triggered inappropriately.