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Jayne Hope
Research focuses on cellular immune responses in cattle, specifically the interactions of dendritic cells with other cells of the innate immune system: natural killer cells and gamma delta TCR+ T lymphocytes. The overall aim is to define the functional and phenotypic characteristics of bovine innate immune cells and to assess their role in protective immunity to mycobacterial pathogens including Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis. These pathogens cause economically important diseases: bovine tuberculosis and Johne’s disease. In both cases disease control requires the development of effective vaccines and/or diagnostic tests: this requires detailed knowledge of protective immune mechanisms. The development of new immunological tools, reagents and assays for ruminant immunology is also an important area of research. This will provide the capacity to determine immunological correlates of protection against ruminant diseases.