Join us to celebrate a special milestone for our new professors and hear about their inspiring career journeys. Doors for this event will open at 16.45, with the lectures to commence at 17.00. A drinks reception will be held immediately after the lecture at 18:00.

Please note that registration will close at midnight the Sunday before the lecture.

Professor Patricia Barral 

Beyond the usual suspects: the unconventional side of immunity 

Abstract

In my inaugural lecture, I will reflect on my journey as an immunologist, and how my fascination with the immune system has guided my research into the study of the mechanisms that coordinate immune cell functions within the tissues. I will focus particularly on the unconventional side of immunity -those atypical cells and molecules that do not follow the usual immunology rules, yet play essential roles in preserving health. Along the way, I will share the challenges and opportunities that have shaped this path, from chance encounters to unexpected discoveries, and reflect on how collaboration, mentorship, and a supportive environment have been central to my academic journey. 

Biography

Patricia Barral is Professor of Immunobiology and Lead of the Centre for Inflammation Biology and Cancer Immunology in the School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences at King’s College London. Patricia completed her undergraduate degree and her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. She moved to the UK joining the London Research Institute (now part of the Francis Crick Institute) as a Marie-Curie fellow. She was appointed as a Lecturer at King’s to establish her independent lab in 2013 and was promoted to Professor of Immunobiology in 2023.   

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Professor Katie Doores

Fighting infection: How antibodies target viral glycans and proteins

Abstract

Antibodies play a central role in the immune response to viral infection, helping to minimise disease severity and preventing future infections. Understanding how antibodies interact with viruses is critical for vaccine development and pandemic preparedness. This inaugural lecture will reflect on my scientific journey from organic chemist to immunologist and virologist. Driven by my interest in glycobiology, this interdisciplinary path has led to molecular insights into how antibodies target a range biomedically important viruses including HIV-1, SARS-CoV-2, hantaviruses, phleboviruses and New World arenaviruses.  

Biography

Katie is a Professor of Viral Immunology in the Department of Infectious Diseases. She obtained a Master’s degree in Chemistry and PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Oxford. She moved to The Scripps Research Institute, California, for her postdoctoral work where she studied HIV glycobiology and HIV broadly neutralising antibodies with Prof Dennis Burton. Katie was awarded an MRC Career Development Award and moved to King’s College London in 2013 to start her research lab. Katie is an EMBO Young Investigator, Medical Research Foundation Emerging Leader for COVID-19 prize winner (2021) and Biological Sciences Laureate at the Blavatnik Awards UK 2023. Her lab studies antibody responses to pathogenic viruses with a focus on HIV-1 and emerging viruses with pandemic potential.