Karmella Naidoo

My expertise lies in cutaneous immunity, with a specific focus on atopic dermatitis (AD).

During my PhD, which was at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in New Zealand, I developed a novel model of allergic skin inflammation which closely resembles the disease pathology observed in AD patients. This model serves as a platform for the study of key cells and cytokines that are involved in the initiation and maintenance of skin disease. My doctoral research revealed an important role for eosinophils in driving AD pathology, thus making eosinophils a potential therapeutic target.

Following this, my postdoctoral research focused on the role of mucosal associated invariant T cells (MAIT) in allergic disease. This entailed gaining insight into MAIT cell plasticity and responsiveness to environmental cues, at different barrier sites such as the skin, lung and gut.

My research within the Ogg group will further explore how barrier impairment and the subsequent skin diseases lead to an immune dysregulation. These investigations will contribute to understanding the role of CD1a in the context of various skin inflammatory diseases, delineate its involvement in barrier dysfunction, microbial translocation and potentiating skin immune responses.