Simon Lea

Simon Lea is a Research Fellow at the University of Manchester's Division of Immunology, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine. His work focuses on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), macrophage biology, and inflammatory mechanisms. Lea holds a PhD from Newcastle University (2008) and a BSc from Durham University (2004).

Research Interests: Lea investigates COPD pathophysiology, macrophage dysfunction in chronic inflammation, bacterial interactions in COPD exacerbations, and corticosteroid insensitivity. His studies integrate immunological, microbiological, and pharmacological approaches to understand airway inflammation and therapeutic targets.

Collaborations: He works with Prof. Dave Singh (Clinical Pharmacology), Prof. Jorgen Vestbo (Respiratory Medicine), and researchers like Dr. Andrew Higham. His team includes postdoctoral associates (e.g., Dr. Jian Li) and research staff (e.g., Agusta Beech).

Publications: Over 48 peer-reviewed articles, including work on corticosteroid mechanisms, Nrf2 activators, and bacterial responses in COPD macrophages. His recent work explores e-cigarette impacts on sputum inflammation and antimicrobial strategies against Haemophilus influenzae.

Teaching: Supervises multiple PhD and MPhil students on topics like COPD macrophage subpopulations, iron metabolism, and MAP kinase pathways. Active in mentoring early-stage researchers in respiratory immunology.