I received my PhD in Microbiology from the University of Leeds and began working in tuberculosis (TB) as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University College London in 1999. In 2002 I moved to the Jenner Institute, University of Oxford as an immunologist for the first-in-man trial of a new TB vaccine, MVA85A. I worked on the MVA85A vaccine through Phase I, Phase II and Phase IIb efficacy trials.  

After 10 years at the Jenner Institute I established my own research group at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) where I continue my research in TB vaccines and immune correlates of risk. 

In 2015 I became Director/Deputy Director of the TB Centre at LSHTM http://tb.lshtm.ac.uk/. The TB Centre brings people together from across the different Departments and Faculties of LSHTM who share a common research interest in TB.  Recognizing the value of sharing ideas and the power of a collective voice, the TB Centre provides a forum through which members can more effectively enhance their own research and influence policy. 

In 2017, I applied for and obtained funding to establish The VALIDATE Network - Vaccine development for complex intracellular neglected pathogens https://www.validate-network.org/.  This is an MRC funded Network of UK and LMIC scientists working to develop vaccines for TB, melioidosis, leishmaniasis and leprosy.  By sharing cross-pathogen, cross-discipline experience we hope to accelerate the development of vaccines for all these pathogens.  I’m co-PI of The VALIDATE Network with Helen McShane at the university of Oxford.

I’m also part of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sponsored “Collaboration for TB Vaccine Development (CTVD)” https://www.ctvd.co/Pages/Strategy.aspx.  In 2016 I become co-chair of the “Conventional T-cell Community” within the CTVD. This a community of global experts in cellular immunology who discuss and identify the major challenges and key experiments needed to develop more effective T cell inducing vaccines for protection against TB.