Investigating T cell fate after gluten exposure in coeliac disease

• Honours
• PhD

Coeliac disease offers a unique window into human autoimmunity, where gluten exposure triggers pro-inflammatory T cell responses. In this project, you will investigate how gluten drives activation and exhaustion of T cells, key players in disease progression and control.

Using our established gluten challenge model in patients, you will characterise how acute and chronic gluten exposure shapes T cell phenotype and function in both circulating T cells and those from the gut.

A central focus is to uncover how T cell exhaustion develops and whether it can be harnessed to suppress harmful immune responses. These discoveries could pave the way for innovative therapies for coeliac disease and other autoimmune illnesses. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to translational research with real clinical impact.

The Coeliac Research Laboratory is at the forefront of uncovering the immune mechanisms driving coeliac disease, with the aim of developing better diagnostics and novel treatments for patients with this common autoimmune illness.

Our team has pioneered immune approaches including a gluten challenge model to gain insights into disease biology. We are a multidisciplinary team of scientists, clinicians, nurses and students working in a supportive and collaborative environment.

Our research is regularly presented at leading international conferences and published in highly impactful journals such as Gastroenterology, Gut and Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol.

We partner with immunologists, bioinformaticians, grain scientists, advocacy groups, and industry, ensuring a multidisciplinary, translational approach. If you are passionate about impactful, patient-focused research, our lab offers outstanding training and career development opportunities.