Welcome to Rick Maizels' Lab

We study the most complex organisms to invade the human body – multicellular helminths – including some which cause widespread tropical diseases and which display fascinating biological properties.  We focus on molecules from parasites that modulate the host immune system, that may offer both new vaccine targets, and reveal novel pathways to treat inflammatory diseases such as asthma and colitis.

The helminth Heligmosomoides polygyrus in a photomicrograph captured by Constance Finney when she was a PhD student in the Maizels Lab and used for the front cover of Journal of Experimental Medicine in 2005.

Check out our dedicated H. polygyrus pages !

About the Lab

The lab

We are a multidisciplinary group of immunologists, parasitologists and molecular biologists who aim to understand the molecular basis for parasites evading the sophisticated mammalian immune system.

We aim to integrate detailed studies at the level of individual parasite molecules, with system immunology which measures responses against not only parasites but bystander antigens such as allergens. Parasite molecules may actively counter host immunity, or act as targets for the immune response, and in either case be potential antigens for new vaccines. Our techniques combine DNA analysis and gene isolation, expression and function of proteins, and immune system biology and lymphocyte culture.

Maizels lab members at the Wellcome Centre retreat in June 2024
From L to R, Shashi Singh, Anna Sanders, Claire Ciancia, Marta Campillo Poveda, Rick Maizels, Emma Ntang, Kyle Cunningham, Nuttanan Jongsrichan and Ruby White.

We study nematode parasites because they display remarkable biological properties and are tractable at a molecular and cellular level. For example, the filarial nematode is transmitted by mosquito and infects 120 million people in developing countries. Parasites can live for 5 years or more, acting as successful tissue transplants. If we can analyse how they achieve this feat, we may discover important new pathways to control both parasites and the immune system.

In particular, we are now testing the hypothesis that helminth parasites exploit the body’s own safety mechanisms which have evolved to minimise the risk of autoimmunity. For example, regulatory T cells naturally arise to limit autoreactivity, but are also associated with chronic helminth infection. The expansion of regulatory T cell populations may underlie the epidemiological association between infection and reduced levels of allergy.

Our Environment

Sir Graeme Davies Building

We are in bright, spacious and well-equipped labs in the Sir Graeme Davies Building at the University of Glasgow. The group occupies a suite of labs with tissue culture facilities and ancillary areas containing a wide range of molecular biology and cellular immunology equipment. On nearby floors are state-of-the-art flow cytometry and microscopy facilities, and we share the space with leading molecular parasitologists and bioinformatics specialists. 

As might be expected for a parasite immunology group, we also have facilities to maintain life cycles of the organisms which we study, in particular Heligmosomoides polygyrus and Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. Links to other key helminth parasite species can be found on the Resources section

We work closely with many other researchers situated in our building and we are lucky to be surrounded by very talented groups. More information on our building and other lab groups can be found on the School of Infection and Immunity website.