Submitted by Rachel Fellows on Tue, 17/06/2025 - 14:47
It was announced today that Dr James Thaventhiran, principal investigator at the MRC Toxicology Unit and clinical immunologist has received the prestigious Lister Fellowship award with £300,000 research funding commencing in October.
The Lister Institute of Preventative Medicine is dedicated to supporting scientists conducting high-quality research, giving them the freedom to pursue innovative projects. The Lister Institute awards fellowships to remarkable scientists whose work contributes to a greater understanding of disease, the body’s healing mechanisms and supporting the development of new therapeutic approaches.
James’ research group at the MRC Toxicology Unit is centred around vaccines, an essential preventative medicine that protects us from a range of diseases including measles, flu and COVID-19. Complemented by his work in the clinic, Dr Thaventhiran’s group studies responses to vaccines, combining mouse models and human genetics to help us understand how the immune system functions in health and disease.
One focus of the group is understanding why certain people such as those with immune deficiencies, ageing and obesity are less protected by vaccines. The team previously identified new genetic causes of immunodeficiencies in patients (SOCS1, PTPN2, IL6R), shaping treatment decisions including experimental therapies and bone marrow transplantation. James also brought together collaborators in public health and metabolism to form the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine ResPonse In Obesity (SCORPIO) collaboration, which revealed that immunity from the COVID-19 vaccine decreased faster in obese individuals.
Dr Thaventhiran’s group also investigates mRNA vaccines, a growing class of therapeutics that include the COVID-19 vaccines and have the potential to treat a wider range of diseases including cancer. They aim to find ways develop new more effective vaccines and reduce the risk of unintended side-effects.
James said “Modern oligonucleotide therapies offer a radical new frontier for treating rare diseases. The Lister Prize enables my group to build on pandemic-era experience to refine modified mRNA therapies, harnessing their personalised potential to develop next-generation treatments.”
Congratulations to Dr Thaventhiran on joining the Lister Community. James will receive his award and deliver a talk about his research at the Lister Annual Meeting in September. Read more about the Lister Fellows here: https://lister-institute.org.uk/a-warm-welcome-to-our-2025-lister-fellows/