Close

Professor Martin Hibberd

BSc PhD

Professor
of Emerging Infectious Disease

Room
392

LSHTM
Keppel Street
London
WC1E 7HT
United Kingdom

Tel.
0207 927 2691

Martin Hibberd is Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, at the London School Of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. He is also Associate Senior Group Leader for Infectious Disease at the Genome Institute of Singapore. He has visting positions at the National University of Singapore, Depatment of Microbiology and Immunology and the Philippine Genome Centre. He graduated in Applied Biology from Brunel University in 1985 and worked in the (then) Public Health Laboratory Service both at Porton Down, at Centre for Applied Microbiology & Research, (Legionella Reference Laboratory) and at the Central Public Health Laboratory Colindale (Enteric Pathogens); before moving to King’s College, London; where he received his Doctorate, on the immune-genetics of the human T-cell antigen receptor in 1994. Following post doctoral work at Plymouth Post Graduate Medical School, he obtained a lectureship in Paediatric Infectious Disease at Imperial College in 2006. In 2003 he moved to the Genome Institute in Singapore where he developed Human Genetic and Infectious Disease work to become associate director and then joined the LSHTM in 2012. He has a broad scientific background spanning both microbial and human determinants of infectious and inflammatory diseases; with previous achievements including: identification of sources of Legionella disease spread, leading to legislation for water treatment that halted outbreaks in the UK (1988); development work towards an enterotoxigenic E. coli live oral vaccine for the WHO (1990); the development of one of the first quantitative PCR techniques (1992); work with Zenica to identify genetic risk factors for diabetic complications (1996); and Identification of risk factors for meningococcal disease and disease severity identifying new treatment approaches (1999 and 2003). More recently his work has attempted to undertake a more comprehensive analysis of infectious diseases, covering both pathogen and host aspects, understanding how microbial agents cause the observed disease (including pathogen identification and sequence characterization) and why specific individuals are susceptible to the disease (using host genetics on a genomic scale). Approaching infectious disease from these two directions also allows specific host pathogen responses to be investigated (utilizing RNA  sequencing). This work aims to identify key host responses to specific pathogens that could be targeted by new therapies.

Affiliations

Department of Infection Biology
Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases

Centres

Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases (CMMID)
TB Centre
Antimicrobial Resistance Centre

Teaching

Core virology

Molecular virology

Pathogen Genomics

Control of Infectious Disease

Research

Current topics include Dengue, Zika, Tuberculosis and Mtb, Hepatitis B, Kawasaki disease, Influenza and other emerging infectious diseases; often in collaboration with industry as well as Public Health groups. In particular, my work aims to utilize population diversity (human and microbe) to investigate the roles of microbial complexity (including bacterial and virus community diversity, identified by genomic scale diagnosis) on the intricacies of clinical outcome.  

Research Area
Bacteria
Child health
Clinical trials
Diagnostics
Drug discovery and development
Drug resistance
Human genetics
Innate immunity
Public health
Surveillance
Vaccines
Viruses
Capacity strengthening
Disease control
Global Health
Immunisation
Medicines
Methodology
Outbreaks
Discipline
Genetic epidemiology
Genomics
Molecular epidemiology
Bacteriology
Immunology
Microbiology
Mathematical modelling
Molecular biology
Virology
Disease and Health Conditions
Diarrhoeal diseases
Eye diseases
Infectious disease
Leprosy
Measles
Meningitis
Pandemic diseases
Tuberculosis
Dengue
Emerging Infectious Disease
Hepatitis
Hospital acquired infection
Influenza
Respiratory disease
Sepsis
Sexually transmitted infection
Tropical diseases
Vector borne disease
Zoonotic disease
Country
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
China
Cape Verde
Fiji
United Kingdom
Gambia
Hong Kong
Indonesia
Japan
Cambodia
Laos
Myanmar (Burma)
Malaysia
Nepal
Philippines
Papua New Guinea
North Korea
Singapore
Sierra Leone
Thailand
Uganda
Vietnam
South Africa
Region
East Asia & Pacific (all income levels)
Europe & Central Asia (all income levels)
Euro area
Pacific island small states
Sub-Saharan Africa (all income levels)

Selected Publications

A serological framework to investigate acute primary and post-primary dengue cases reporting across the Philippines.
Biggs JR; Sy AK; Brady OJ; Kucharski AJ; Funk S; Reyes MAJ; Quinones MA; Jones-Warner W; Tu Y-H; Avelino FL
2020
BMC medicine
Multifactorial heterogeneity of virus-specific T cells and association with the progression of human chronic hepatitis B infection.
Cheng Y; Zhu YO; Becht E; Aw P; Chen J; Poidinger M; de Sessions PF; Hibberd ML; Bertoletti A; Lim SG
2019
Science immunology
Genome-wide analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis polymorphisms reveals lineage-specific associations with drug resistance.
Oppong YEA; Phelan J; Perdigão J; Machado D; Miranda A; Portugal I; Viveiros M; Clark TG; Hibberd ML
2019
BMC genomics
Using paired serology and surveillance data to quantify dengue transmission and control during a large outbreak in Fiji.
Kucharski AJ; Kama M; Watson CH; Aubry M; Funk S; Henderson AD; Brady OJ; Vanhomwegen J; Manuguerra J-C; Lau CL
2018
eLife
Establishment of the nasal microbiota in the first 18 months of life: Correlation with early-onset rhinitis and wheezing.
Ta LDH; Yap GC; Tay CJX; Lim ASM; Huang C-H; Chu CW; De Sessions PF; Shek LP; Goh A; Van Bever HPS
2018
The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
Diagnosis of Kawasaki Disease Using a Minimal Whole-Blood Gene Expression Signature.
Wright VJ; Herberg JA; Kaforou M; Shimizu C; Eleftherohorinou H; Shailes H; Barendregt AM; Menikou S; Gormley S; Berk M
2018
JAMA Pediatrics
Primary macrophages and J774 cells respond differently to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Andreu N; Phelan J; de Sessions PF; Cliff JM; Clark TG; Hibberd ML
2017
Scientific reports
Host Transcription Profile in Nasal Epithelium and Whole Blood of Hospitalized Children Under 2 Years of Age With Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection.
Do LAH; Pellet J; van Doorn HR; Tran AT; Nguyen BH; Tran TTL; Tran QH; Vo QB; Tran Dac NA; Trinh HN
2017
The Journal of infectious diseases
Inositol-Triphosphate 3-Kinase C Mediates Inflammasome Activation and Treatment Response in Kawasaki Disease.
Alphonse MP; Duong TT; Shumitzu C; Hoang TL; McCrindle BW; Franco A; Schurmans S; Philpott DJ; Hibberd ML; Burns J
2016
Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)
New loci and coding variants confer risk for age-related macular degeneration in East Asians.
Cheng C-Y; Yamashiro K; Chen LJ; Ahn J; Huang L; Huang L; Cheung CMG; Miyake M; Cackett PD; Yeo IY
2015
Nature communications
Direct whole-genome deep-sequencing of human respiratory syncytial virus A and B from Vietnamese children identifies distinct patterns of inter- and intra-host evolution.
Do LAH; Wilm A; van Doorn HR; Lam HM; Sim S; Sukumaran R; Tran AT; Nguyen BH; Tran TTL; Tran QH
2015
The Journal of general virology
Chronic Infection With Camelid Hepatitis E Virus in a Liver Transplant Recipient Who Regularly Consumes Camel Meat and Milk.
Lee G-H; Tan B-H; Teo EC-Y; Lim S-G; Dan Y-Y; Wee A; Aw PPK; Zhu Y; Hibberd ML; Tan C-K
2015
Gastroenterology
Tracking Dengue Virus Intra-host Genetic Diversity during Human-to-Mosquito Transmission.
Sim S; Aw PPK; Wilm A; Teoh G; Hue KDT; Nguyen NM; Nagarajan N; Simmons CP; Hibberd ML
2015
PLoS neglected tropical diseases
Diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis and host RNA expression in Africa.
Anderson ST; Kaforou M; Brent AJ; Wright VJ; Banwell CM; Chagaluka G; Crampin AC; Dockrell HM; French N; Hamilton MS
2014
The New England journal of medicine
Leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B1 is critical for antibody-dependent dengue.
Chan KR; Ong EZ; Tan HC; Zhang SL-X; Zhang Q; Tang KF; Kaliaperumal N; Lim APC; Hibberd ML; Chan SH
2014
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Global gene expression profiling identifies new therapeutic targets in acute Kawasaki disease.
Hoang LT; Shimizu C; Ling L; Naim ANM; Khor CC; Tremoulet AH; Wright V; Levin M; Hibberd ML; Burns JC
2014
Genome medicine
Efficacy and safety of celgosivir in patients with dengue fever (CELADEN): a phase 1b, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof-of-concept trial.
Low JG; Sung C; Wijaya L; Wei Y; Rathore APS; Watanabe S; Tan BH; Toh L; Chua LT; Hou Y
2014
The Lancet infectious diseases
Reduction of HBV replication prolongs the early immunological response to IFNα therapy.
Tan AT; Hoang LT; Chin D; Rasmussen E; Lopatin U; Hart S; Bitter H; Chu T; Gruenbaum L; Ravindran P
2013
Journal of hepatology
A randomized, double-blind placebo controlled trial of balapiravir, a polymerase inhibitor, in adult dengue patients.
Nguyen NM; Tran CNB; Phung LK; Duong KTH; Huynh HLA; Farrar J; Nguyen QTH; Tran HT; Nguyen CVV; Merson L
2012
The Journal of infectious diseases
Genome-wide expression profiling identifies type 1 interferon response pathways in active tuberculosis.
Ottenhoff THM; Dass RH; Yang N; Zhang MM; Wong HEE; Sahiratmadja E; Khor CC; Alisjahbana B; van Crevel R; Marzuki S
2012
PloS one
LoFreq: a sequence-quality aware, ultra-sensitive variant caller for uncovering cell-population heterogeneity from high-throughput sequencing datasets.
Wilm A; Aw PPK; Bertrand D; Yeo GHT; Ong SH; Wong CH; Khor CC; Petric R; Hibberd ML; Nagarajan N
2012
Nucleic acids research
Normal gut microbiota modulates brain development and behavior.
Diaz Heijtz R; Wang S; Anuar F; Qian Y; Björkholm B; Samuelsson A; Hibberd ML; Forssberg H; Pettersson S
2011
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Genome-wide association study identifies susceptibility loci for dengue shock syndrome at MICB and PLCE1.
Khor CC; Chau TNB; Pang J; Davila S; Long HT; Ong RTH; Dunstan SJ; Wills B; Farrar J; Van Tram T
2011
Nature genetics
Genome-wide association study identifies FCGR2A as a susceptibility locus for Kawasaki disease.
Khor CC; Davila S; Breunis WB; Lee Y-C; Shimizu C; Wright VJ; Yeung RSM; Tan DEK; Sim KS; Wang JJ
2011
Nature genetics
Characterization of early host responses in adults with dengue disease.
Tolfvenstam T; Lindblom A; Schreiber MJ; Ling L; Chow A; Ooi EE; Hibberd ML
2011
BMC infectious diseases
Identification of two new loci at IL23R and RAB32 that influence susceptibility to leprosy.
Zhang F; Liu H; Chen S; Low H; Sun L; Cui Y; Chu T; Li Y; Fu X; Yu Y
2011
Nature genetics
Genome-wide association study identifies variants in the CFH region associated with host susceptibility to meningococcal disease.
Davila S; Wright VJ; Khor CC; Sim KS; Binder A; Breunis WB; Inwald D; Nadel S; Betts H; Carrol ED
2010
Nature genetics
Oseltamivir ring prophylaxis for containment of 2009 H1N1 influenza outbreaks.
Lee VJ; Yap J; Cook AR; Chen MI; Tay JK; Tan BH; Loh JP; Chew SW; Koh WH; Lin R
2010
The New England journal of medicine
Genomewide association study of leprosy.
Zhang F-R; Huang W; Chen S-M; Sun L-D; Liu H; Li Y; Cui Y; Yan X-X; Yang H-T; Yang R-D
2009
The New England journal of medicine
Host gene expression profiling of dengue virus infection in cell lines and patients.
Fink J; Gu F; Ling L; Tolfvenstam T; Olfat F; Chin KC; Aw P; George J; Kuznetsov VA; Schreiber M
2007
PLoS neglected tropical diseases
Acquired predisposition to mycobacterial disease due to autoantibodies to IFN-gamma.
Kampmann B; Hemingway C; Stephens A; Davidson R; Goodsall A; Anderson S; Nicol M; Schölvinck E; Relman D; Waddell S
2005
The Journal of clinical investigation
Detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus in blood of infected patients.
Ng LFP; Wong M; Koh S; Ooi E-E; Tang K-F; Leong H-N; Ling A-E; Agathe LV; Tan J; Liu ET
2004
Journal of clinical microbiology
See more Publications