I joined the Department of Immunology at Strathclyde University as a lecturer in 1991 and was appointed Professor of Molecular Immunology in 2002. Immunology was one of five University departments, which merged to form Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (SIPBS) in 2006. I acted as Director of Research in SIPBS from August 2009 until the end of 2013 and was previously Head of The immunology Department during the academic year, 2005-6.

My research interests lie in elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which parasitic worms modulate the host immune system. A particular focus is on ES-62, an anti-inflammatory molecule secreted by the filarial nematode Acanthocheilonema viteae, which we are currently exploiting with a view to developing novel drugs for allergic and autoimmune diseases. This interest in immunology and parasitology also extends to my areas of teaching.