To mark World Immunology Day, Professor Paul Klenerman talks with Professor Sheena Cruickshank from the MRC Centre of Research Excellence in Exposome Immunology.
Sheena and Paul discuss how environmental and lifestyle exposures, from pollution to microbiome and socioeconomic factors, shape immune responses across the life course and contribute to disease.
They explore the Centre’s integrated three-pillar approach, combining large-scale population data, mechanistic studies, and human experimental medicine to link exposure to immune function. The conversation also covers interdisciplinary team science, patient and community involvement, and how the Centre is building datasets and infrastructure that can support future discovery.
Finally, they discuss the implications of climate change, eco-immunology, and how this work could inform drug repurposing, target identification, and evidence-based policy.
The podcast is part of the To Immunity and Beyond podcast series.