Helen M. Dooley

Helen M. Dooley is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, based at the Institute of Marine & Environmental Technology (IMET). She holds a BSc in Genetics, MSc in Antibody Engineering, and PhD in Antibody Engineering from the University of Aberdeen, along with an Associate Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy (HEA). Her career includes postdoctoral research at UMD, industry roles at Wyeth/Pfizer as a Principal Research Scientist, and faculty positions at the University of Aberdeen before returning to UMD.

Dr. Dooley's research focuses on two interconnected areas: evolutionary immunology (studying shark immune systems to understand vertebrate immunity evolution) and therapeutic development (engineering shark-derived antibodies for disease treatment). She utilizes cutting-edge methods including phage display, next-generation sequencing, structural biology, and proteomics. Her work has revealed mechanisms of antibody maturation in ectothermic vertebrates and identified shark IgNAR antibodies as platforms for novel biotherapeutics.

Her recent publications (2020-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on:

• Shark immune system organization (germinal center evolution, lymphoid organ function)
• Antibody engineering applications (SARS-CoV-2 neutralization, cancer immunotherapy)
• Comparative immunology of ancient immune pathways (complement system, TNFSF molecules)
• Diagnostic technology development (microfluidics, point-of-care testing)

Scientific Awards & Honors:

• Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy (HEA)
• Nominated for University of Aberdeen Excellence in Teaching Award (2015)
• Scottish Crucible Award (2015, Co-Investigator)

Grants & Leadership: She has secured significant funding from BBSRC, NERC, Royal Society, and Worldwide Cancer Research for projects on immune evolution and therapeutic development. She leads a research team at IMET focusing on shark immunology and advises PhD students, including recipients of EASTBIO and CGEBM studentships. Current work involves developing VNAR-based therapeutics for cancer/HIV and proteomic platforms for aquaculture vaccines.