Dr Ivy Dambuza

Interests:

To recognise infection, the immune system utilizes sensors on immune cells called “pattern recognition receptors” which detect invading pathogens. These sensors then trigger a number of responses which are aimed at providing protection against the infection.

Our group is focussed on understanding a particular group of these pathogen sensors, called the C-type lectins (CLRs). One of the first receptors in this class known as Dectin-1, discovered by Prof. Gordon Brown, forms part of my main research focus. Dectin-1 plays a central role in activating innate protective immune responses during fungal infections and identified genetic variants of Dectin-1 in humans can confer susceptibility to disease.

How Dectin-1 and other CLRs shape long term adaptive immunity to fungi is less well understood.

My research is aimed at gaining a more detailed understanding the role of CLRs in adaptive immunity during fungal infection, and exploring the roles and functions of new CLRs that we have recently identified.

Ph.D Clinical Science and Immunology, University of Cape Town

MSc Immunology, University of Cape Town

BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry, University of Cape Town

BSc in Chemical, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Cape Town

2014-19 Wellcome Trust Strategic Award Research Fellow, University of Aberdeen

2013-14 Research Fellow (FTE), National Institutes of Health, USA

2011-13 Visiting Postdoctoral Research Fellow, National Institutes of Health, USA