Phil Elks

Dr. Phil Elks is a Senior Lecturer in Innate Immunity at the University of Sheffield, School of Medicine and Population Health. He earned a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Warwick (2004) and a PhD in bone biology from the University of Sheffield (2009). His research focuses on hypoxia signaling in immune responses to infections, particularly tuberculosis.

• BSc (Hons) Biochemistry, University of Warwick
• PhD Bone Biology, University of Sheffield

His work investigates how the HIF (Hypoxia-Inducible Factor) pathway modulates inflammation and infection, using zebrafish models to study host-pathogen interactions in vivo. Key areas include:

• Role of HIF in immune cell activation and bacterial defense
• Neutrophil/macrophage dynamics during infection
• Therapeutic targeting of host genetic pathways
• Development of zebrafish models for disease

His recent articles highlight Tribbles1 and Cop1 in host protection, arginase2 in immune polarization, and type I interferons in mycobacterial resistance. He collaborates with institutions including the University of Leiden and University of Oxford.

Scientific awards include:

• European Respiratory Society Long Term Fellowship (2011)
• Vice-Chancellor’s Fellowship (2013)
• Sir Henry Dale Fellowship (2015, extended 2020)

He supervises students and research assistants working on:

• Zebrafish infection models
• Neutrophil/macrophage polarization
• Genetic pathways in inflammation
• Drug delivery systems for intracellular bacteria

His lab (Microarmy vs Disease) develops in vivo imaging techniques to visualize immune cell behaviors during infections, focusing on macrophages and neutrophils interactions with pathogens like Mycobacterium tuberculosis.