Professor Elaine Bignell
Professor in Medical Mycology
Biosciences
University of Exeter
Geoffrey Pope Building
Stocker Road
Exeter EX4 4QD
About me:
Elaine Bignell is an internationally recognised leader in the field of human fungal pathogen research and a Co-Director (Research) for the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter. Her work addresses the mechanistic basis of lung diseases caused by the major mould pathogen of humans, Aspergillus fumigatus. Major contributions to the field have included pioneering work on the role of Aspergillus pH sensing in pathogenicity, transcriptional regulation of host adaptation, and the mechanistic basis of tissue invasion during invasive fungal lung disease.
A molecular geneticist by training, Elaine began her independent research career as an MRC New Investigator, and by securing a fast-track to Lectureship Award at Imperial College London. She later played a major role in establishing the Manchester Fungal Infection Group (MFIG) and in securing its success as a leading International Centre of Excellence for fungal diseases research, having served as a Director of this unit for 5 years (2015 – 2020).
Elaine’s research seeks a mechanistic understanding of fungal lung disease with a view to developing novel diagnostics and antifungal therapies. Her approach integrates infection models which transcend multiple experimental scales to address disease outcomes at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ and whole animal levels. Most recently, via iterative MRC funding awards, Elaine has applied a systems level approach to define pathogenicity in Aspergillus fumigatus, and is now developing inhibitors of fungal pH signalling as novel antifungal drugs, and studying secreted fungal proteins as novel vaccine candidates and diagnostic tools.
Interests:
My research seeks a better mechanistic understanding of diseases caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, the major mould pathogen of human lungs. We take a multi-scale approach, using in vitro, in vivo, and in silico models of the fungal host-pathogen interaction, to identify regulatory foci driving initiation and resolution of disease. Our aim is to develop a molecular understanding of fungal lung disease so that better diagnostics tools and antifungal therapies can be developed.
We are currently working in 5 main areas
- Fungal sensing of and adaptation to extracellular pH
- Secreted effectors of tissue invasion in Aspergillus fumigatus
- A genome scale census of pathogenicity in Aspergillus fumigatus
- From mucin biochemistry to pulmonary immunity: How do mucins promote antifungal lung defences?
- In silico modelling of IFNγ mode of antifungal action
Qualifications:
BSc (Hons) Biochemistry
PhD (Fungal Genetics)
Career:
1992 – 1995 Research Technician Fungal Genetics (Prof. H. Arst) Imperial College
1995 – 1999 PhD Fungal Genetics (Prof. H. Arst) Imperial College London
2000 – 2006 Postdoctoral Researcher Molecular Mycology (Ken Haynes) Imperial College London
2005 – 2006 Imperial College Fast Track to Lecturer Fellowship, Imperial College London
2006 – 2009 Medical Research Council New Investigator
2009 – 2013 Lecturer in Molecular Microbiology, Imperial College London
2013 – 2019 Reader in Applied Mycology, The University of Manchester
2019 – 2020 Professor of Infection Biology, The University of Manchester
2019 – 2020 Head of Division of Infection, Immunity & Respiratory Medicine, The University of Manchester
2020 Professor of Medical Mycology, University of Exeter
2020 Co-Director MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter