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Prof. Sir Andrew J MCMICHAEL
Member of the Scientific Advisory Board

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Sir Andrew J MCMICHAEL is a Professor of Molecular Medicine at the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford, UK. He worked for more than 40 years on cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) responses against viruses, especially influenza

• He first showed that human cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses to influenza virus were HLA restricted and that these T cells could protect against disease (1977)
• He showed that class I HLA molecules present influenza virus peptides to CTL with Alain Townsend (1986)

Expertise:

• Identified the first epitopes seen by CTL in HIV-1 and then show that virus could escape from CTL by mutation, and later showed that this happens with all epitopes, undermining T cell control of the infection with Alain Townsend (1986)
• Introduced HLA tetramers into the study of human infections, with Mark Davis and John Altman (1996)
• Discovered CD1, with Cesar Milstein
• Identified the ligand for the NK cell receptor NKG2/CD94 as a specific peptide bound HLA-E with Veronique Broad
• Explored whether HLA-E restricted T cells are protective against HIV-1
• Is working on HIV-1 vaccine development, harnessing CTL specific for highly conserved epitopes to control and possibly eradicate early infection

Prior Experience:

• Professor of Molecular Medicine, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, UK (1977 - present)
• Fellowship with Dr Hugh McDevitt, Stanford University, US (1974-1976)

Award:

• Knighthood for services to medical science (2008)
• Nature/NESTA Award for Lifetime Mentoring (2006)
• Ernst Chain Prize (2006)
• Member of European Molecular Biology Organization (2004)
• Novartis Prize (1998)
• Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (1998)
• Fellow of the Royal Society (1992)

Education:

• Medicine degree, University of Cambridge (1968)
• PhD in Immunology at the MRC National Institute of Medical Research with Dr Ita Askonas (1971-1974)