Kate Attfield

Senior Postdoctoral Scientist

I joined Professor Lars Fugger’s research group in 2008, initially working on a number of humanized in vivo models for multiple sclerosis (MS). Since then, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and other immunoChip datasets have revealed nearly 100 genomic regions conferring disease risk, which sit outside of the HLA region. In order to interrogate these largely unexplored regions in a high-throughput manner, my research now uses a platform of genetic, epigenetic and RNA-sequencing technologies in order to interrogate disease cause across the immune system. These studies focus on both genotype-specific healthy volunteers (recruited through the Oxford Biobank) as well as samples from MS patients.

Recent publications

Structural and regulatory diversity shape HLA-C protein expression levels.
Journal article

Kaur G. et al, (2017), Nat Commun, 8
Resolving TYK2 locus genotype-to-phenotype differences in autoimmunity.
Journal article

Dendrou CA. et al, (2016), Sci Transl Med, 8
Multiple sclerosis: Molecular mimicry of an antimyelin HLA class I restricted T-cell receptor.
Journal article

Rühl G. et al, (2016), Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm, 3
Class II HLA interactions modulate genetic risk for multiple sclerosis.
Journal article

Moutsianas L. et al, (2015), Nat Genet, 47, 1107 - 1113
CD8⁺ MAIT cells infiltrate into the CNS and alterations in their blood frequencies correlate with IL-18 serum levels in multiple sclerosis.
Journal article

Willing A. et al, (2014), Eur J Immunol, 44, 3119 - 3128

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