School of Life Course & Population Sciences

Maternal & Child Immunology and Allergy

The immune system is the key gatekeeper of health in the context of multiple environmental exposures throughout the life course, since birth, and even before birth.

In utero exposures, maternal immunological status, and the first 1000 days of life impact on child immunological development.

Allergen exposure in infancy can influence the risk of developing allergic disease.

The Maternal and Child Immunology and Allergy Theme is actively working on several research priority areas to:

Determine how the maternal immune system can be used to predict pregnancy outcome
Understand the regulation the immune responses in the maternal-fetal interface and influence on pregnancy success
Explore how exposures during pregnancy influence fetal development and risk of childhood auto-immunity and type 1 diabetes
Define the immunological development of preterm babies
Determine how probiotic supplementation to breast feeding infants born by Caesarean section can improve gut health
Determine the accuracy of novel diagnostic tests for food allergy and implement them in clinical practice
Assess the effect of early introduction of allergenic foods and proactive treatment of eczema in prevention of food allergy
Identify new targets for treatment of food allergy through research of allergen-specific immune responses in IgE-sensitised but tolerant children
Explore the immunological basis of anxiety in food allergic children and adolescents

Theme Contact

Alexandra Santos

Alexandra.santos@kcl.ac.uk

Related Departments:

Our Research Groups

Global Maternal Health

Global Maternal Health Research Group

Shangaris Group

Our lab is dedicated to exploring and advancing prenatal therapy and pregnancy immunology.

Tribe Lab

Our combined clinical and scientific research strategy focuses on understanding the physiological…

Santos Group

The Santos Group is led by Professor Alexandra Santos.and leads a research programme on food…

Clinical Diagnostics Development Unit (CDDU)

The CDDU ethos is to harmonise all methods used within the labs for the processing of clinical…

Our People

Dr Ashley Boyle

Lecturer
Professor Helen Brough

Consultant in Paediatric Allergy
Professor Deena Gibbons

Professor in Early Life Immunology
Professor Gideon Lack

Professor of Paediatric Allergy
Professor Alexandra Santos

Clinical Professor of Paediatric Food Allergy
Dr Panicos Shangaris

Clinical Senior Lecturer and Consultant in Maternal and Fetal Medicine
Professor Rachel Tribe

Vice Dean (Research & Impact)