معرفی
Professor Jelena Bezbradica Mirkovic serves as Professor of Immunology at the University of Oxford's Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, where she leads the Bezbradica Mirkovic Group focused on Macrophage Biology in Inflammation. Her research program investigates the fundamental mechanisms controlling inflammatory responses in innate immune cells, with particular emphasis on innate sensing and signaling pathways in myeloid cells such as macrophages.
Dr. Bezbradica Mirkovic completed her PhD training under Professor Sebastian Joyce at Vanderbilt University, USA, followed by postdoctoral fellowships as a Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and Howard Hughes Medical Institute fellow with Professor Ruslan Medzhitov at Yale University and Professor Kate Schroder at The University of Queensland, Australia. She joined the Kennedy Institute in 2016 after serving as a Career Development Fellow of the Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research (KTRR).
Her research centers on understanding how innate immune cells integrate signals from cytokines with those from microbial and tissue-damage sensors to mount appropriate effector responses. A major focus is the NLRP3 inflammasome, a critical cellular sensor that detects disruptions in cell and tissue homeostasis. While essential for protection during infections, dysregulated NLRP3 activity contributes to inflammatory diseases including Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndromes (CAPS), Arthritis, Gout, and aging-associated inflammation. Her laboratory investigates the precise regulatory mechanisms that 'turn on and off' the NLRP3 pathway in healthy individuals to inform future therapeutic interventions.
Professor Bezbradica Mirkovic's publication record demonstrates consistent high-impact contributions to immunology from 2014 through 2025, with particular emphasis on inflammasome regulation and macrophage signaling. Her recent work has explored TBK1 and IKKε as regulatory mechanisms for NLRP3 inflammasome activation, the role of inflammasomes in mechano-immunity, and connections between pyroptosis and rheumatoid arthritis pathology. These studies reveal important insights into how inflammatory responses are precisely controlled at the molecular level.
- Career Development Fellow of the Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research (KTRR)
As principal investigator of the Bezbradica Mirkovic Group, Professor Bezbradica Mirkovic mentors researchers investigating macrophage biology in inflammation. Her laboratory employs advanced molecular and cellular immunology techniques to examine how innate immune cells integrate multiple signals to mount appropriate inflammatory responses, with direct implications for understanding and treating a range of inflammatory conditions. Her research continues to advance our understanding of the delicate balance between protective immunity and pathological inflammation.
The Bezbradica Mirkovic Group is an integral part of the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology at the University of Oxford, where they maintain active collaborations with other research teams investigating inflammatory diseases and immune regulation mechanisms. Their work bridges fundamental immunological discoveries with potential clinical applications for inflammatory conditions affecting millions worldwide.
