Richard K. Grencis

Richard K. Grencis is Professor of Immunology at the University of Manchester, Faculty of Life Sciences, where he has held the Chair in Immunology since 1998. He currently serves as Academic Head of the BSU and is affiliated with the Division of Immunology, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine. His research focuses on understanding immune responses to parasitic infections, particularly gastrointestinal nematodes.

His educational background includes a BSc Hons in Zoology from the University of Nottingham (1976) and a PhD in Immunoparasitology from the University of Glasgow (1982).

Professor Grencis's research interests center on immunity to parasitic infections, with particular emphasis on gastrointestinal nematodes that infect over one billion people worldwide. His work investigates how the immune system responds to these parasites through T lymphocyte populations and cytokine secretion, identifying novel mechanisms of parasite control and host immune modulation. His research has implications for vaccine development and immunotherapy for infectious and non-infectious mucosal diseases.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a continued focus on host-parasite interactions, particularly Trichuris muris infection, with increasing integration of multi-omics approaches, metabolic modeling, and investigation of dietary influences on immune responses to helminths. His work spans fundamental immunology, parasite biology, and translational applications.

His notable scientific recognition includes:

• 2001 Wright Medal from the British Society for Parasitology (the Society's highest award)

Professor Grencis has supervised 19 PhD students to completion and currently mentors 4 students. His editorial roles include Co-Editor in Chief of Parasite Immunology and Associate Editor of Mucosal Immunology. He has served on numerous prestigious committees including the Medical Research Council Grants committees and the Wellcome Trust Infections and Immunity Panel.

His laboratory maintains active research programs investigating the molecular mechanisms of host immunity to parasitic worms, with recent work exploring connections between gut microflora, parasite infections, and immune responses. The team is also involved in the mouse whipworm genome project in collaboration with the Sanger Centre.