Quentin Bickle BA MSc PhD

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Background

Graduated with a degree in Zoology from Oxford University. An interest in insects led to the MSc in Medical Parasitology at LSHTM. Learning about the parasites themselves resulted in a particular focus on schistosomes. Encouraged by Professor George Nelson (the Head of the Helminthology Department at the time) he joined Martin Taylor at Winches farm, the field station of LSHTM in St Albans, to work on mechanisms of irradiated vaccine-induced immunity against schistosomes, completing a London University PhD, further postdoctoral studies and an MSc in Applied Immunology at Brunel University. During subsequent employment at the field station he spent time at the National Insitute for Medical Research in London working on schistosome molecular biology and took a year sabbatical at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne working on malaria antigen genes. On his return he moved to the Keppel Street site of LSHTM.

Teaching

Teaches helminthology and helminth immunology for the Core Parasitology and Entomology unit, the Core Immunology unit, CID, DTN and DTM&H; has been the Course organiser and Exam board chair for MSc Medical Parasitology; is the Module Organiser for: Immunology of Parasitic infection (Principles) (3177) and Immunology of Parasitic Infection (Practice) (3190) and teaches on the Basic Parasitology and the Advanced Parasite Diagnosis units. External teaching: MSc courses at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Westminster.

Research

A long-term interest in the possibility of developing vaccines against schistosomes has focussed on the key parasitological and immunological features necessary for induction of high levels of immunity induced by attenuated larval vaccines.  Other more recent interests are concerned with: (i) the control of intestinal nematode infections in humans and development and implementation of methods for the monitoring of possible drug resistance (ii) immune responses during co-infections of schistosomes with viruses, protozoa and other helminths (iv) immune responses in infants to initial intestinal nematode infections (iv)  target identification and development and use of higher throughput screening methods for anti-schistosome drugs.

Selected publications

• Hassan, M.F.; Zhang, Y.; Engwerda, C.R.; Kaye, P.M.; Sharp, H.; Bickle, Q.D.; The Schistosoma mansoni Hepatic Egg Granuloma Provides a Favorable Microenvironment for Sustained Growth of Leishmania donovani. Am J Pathol, 2006; 169(3):943-53
• Edwards, M. J.; Buchatska, E.; Ashton, M.; Montoya, M.; Bickle, Q. D.; Borrow, P. Reciprocal immunomodulation in a schistosome and hepatotropic virus coinfection model Journal of Immunology, 2005; 175(10):6275-85
• Wright, V.; Bickle, Q. Immune responses following experimental human hookworm infection Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 2005; 142(2):398-403
• Albonico, M.; Wright, V.; Ramsan, M.; Haji, H. J.; Taylor, M.; Savioli, L.; Bickle, Q. Development of the egg hatch assay for detection of anthelminthic resistance in human hookworms Int J Parasit, 2005; 35(7):803-811
• Albonico, M.; Wright, V.; Bickle, Q. Molecular analysis of the beta-tubulin gene of human hookworms as a basis for possible benzimidazole resistance on Pemba Island Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, 2004; 134(2):281-284
• Engwerda, C. R.; Mynott, T. L.; Sawhney, S.; de Souza, J. B.; Bickle, Q. D.; Kaye, P. M. Locally up-regulated lymphotoxin alpha, not systemic tumor necrosis factor alpha, is the principle mediator of murine cerebral malaria Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2002; 195(10):1371-7
• Shi, F. H.; Zhang, Y. B.; Ye, P.; Lin, J. J.; Cai, Y. M.; Shen, W.; Bickle, Q. D.; Taylor, M. G. Laboratory and field evaluation of Schistosoma japonicum DNA vaccines in sheep and water buffalo in China Vaccine, 2001; 20(3-4):462-467
• Zhang, Y.; Taylor, M. G.; Johansen, M. V.; Bickle, Q. D. Vaccination of mice with a cocktail DNA vaccine induces a Th1-type immune response and partial protection against Schistosoma japonicum infection Vaccine, 2001; 20(5-6):724-30

Full publications listing (since 2001)