Jackie Cliff

My research is focused mainly on blood transcriptomics analysis of tuberculosis patients at diagnosis and through treatment. Changes in host gene expression will enable us to determine drug treatment efficacy and may contribute to a more sensitive biosignature than microbiology alone, because an active immune response will be evident alongside persistent mycobacteria. Recently my research has included the effects of comorbidity, particularly type 2 diabetes, on the blood transcriptome in TB. We are also conducting more detailed mechanistic analysis of markers which are upregulated in blood in TB: notably we are investigating the role of complement component C1Q to determine whether it is beneficial or detrimental in the control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Our group is also interested in myalgic encephalitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, and we are conducting virological, immunological and transcriptomic studies to elucidate the mechanisms of disease pathogenesis and to find diagnostic biomarkers.