Philip Goulder

Philip Goulder is Professor of Immunology at the University of Oxford with cross-appointments as Honorary Professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Research Associate at CAPRISA, Adjunct Faculty at AHRI, and Research Associate at The Ragon Institute. He holds clinical roles as Honorary Consultant Paediatrician at John Radcliffe Hospital and Great Ormond St Hospital, and is a Fellow at Brasenose College Oxford.

His educational trajectory includes Zoology at Oxford (1982), Medicine at Cambridge (1986), and paediatric training across Edinburgh, Oxford, Duke University, and Melbourne. His research career commenced with a DPhil under Andrew McMichael (1993) followed by post-doctoral work with Bruce Walker at Harvard.

Goulder's research centers on HIV pathogenesis in children, focusing on two interconnected themes: HIV cure strategies in paediatric infection and prenatal origins of immune sex differences. His 'Baby Cure' study in KwaZulu-Natal (enrolling >250 mother-child pairs) investigates ultra-early ART initiation and broadly neutralising antibodies for cure, while his discovery of 2-3x higher female fetal susceptibility to in utero HIV transmission reveals fundamental immune sex differences present at birth.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2004-2020) shows consistent focus on HIV immune mechanisms, with emerging themes of sex-specific viral control, HLA-mediated pathogenesis, and paediatric-adult immune divergence. His work uniquely bridges basic immunology, clinical paediatrics, and global health implementation.

Key scientific recognition includes:

• Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation Scientist Award (1999)
• Wellcome Trust Senior Clinical Fellowship (2002-2015)
• Wellcome Trust Investigator Award (2015-2021)

He maintains continuous NIH RO1 funding (2000-present) and supervises D.Phil researchers across Oxford, Durban, and Kimberley sites. His leadership extends to cofounding the UKZN HIV Pathogenesis Programme (1998) and directing the Oxford-based HIV Research Group.

Goulder's international research infrastructure spans The Peter Medawar Building in Oxford, Durban laboratories at AHRI, and Kimberley clinical sites, facilitating his dual focus on cure strategies and developmental immunology using HIV as a model system.