School of Infection & Immunity

Dr Gillian Wilson

  • Research Fellow (Immunology & Infection)

Biography

I am currently working as a Research Associate with Gerry Graham within the Chemokine Research Group studying the role of chemokines and their receptors in mammary gland development.

Prior to this I worked as a post doc at the University of Aberdeen with Prof. Gordon Brown, where we showed the C-type lectin receptor CLECSF8 is a key receptor on immune cells essential for anti-mycobacterial immunity. I completed my PhD at the University of Edinburgh in 2011 with Prof. Ross Fitzgerald and Prof. Ivan Morrison. During this time we discovered a novel superantigen important in the pathogenesis of nectrotising pneumonia.

Research interests

I am working on the role of chemokines and their receptors in mammary gland development. I have a particular interest in studying chemokine directed positioning of immune cells and interactions between the stroma and epithelium in the mammary gland. This will provide key insights into our understanding of development but could also help us understand how inflammation is regulated and how breast cancers arise.

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2011
Number of items: 23.

2026

Wilson, G. et al. (2026) ACKR2 aids the regulation of bone marrow eosinophils to promote monocyte differentiation and anti-bacterial immunity. Nature Communications, (doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-75964-z) (Early Online Publication)

Bartolini, Robin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6875-6734, Sharma, Deepika, Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Dunphy, Gillian, Cavanagh, Jonathan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0640-8050, Halawa, Heba A., Cole, John, Weidt, Stefan, Gardner-Stephen, Kirstyn and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2026) Macrophages drive inguinal fat pad and lymph node remodelling in response to peripheral inflammation. eLife, (doi: 10.7554/eLife.110836.1) (Early Online Publication)

2025

Kapoor, S. et al. (2025) Mast cells are not essential for pubertal mammary gland branching. European Journal of Immunology, 55(8), e70036. (doi: 10.1002/eji.70036) (PMID:40820378) (PMCID:PMC12358710)

2024

Hayes, A. J. et al. (2024) Enhanced CCR2 expression by ACKR2-deficient NK cells enhances increases tumoricidal cell therapy efficacy. Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 116(6), pp. 1544-1553. (doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiae162) (PMID:39052923)

Wilson, G. J. et al. (2024) Eosinophils promote monocyte to macrophage differentiation and anti-bacterial immunity. bioRxiv, (doi: 10.1101/2024.11.25.625164)

Fukuoka, Ayumi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6752-7814, Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Pitmon, Elise, Koumbas Foley, Lily, Johnsson, Hanna, Pingen, Marieke ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5689-9076 and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2024) Disruption of placental ACKR3 impairs growth and hematopoietic development of offspring. Development, 151(4), dev202333. (doi: 10.1242/dev.202333) (PMID:38300826) (PMCID:PMC10911115)

2023

Fukuoka, Ayumi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6752-7814, Wilson, Gillian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Pitmon, Elise, Koumbas Foley, Lily, Johnssen, Hanna, Pingen, Marieke ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5689-9076 and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2023) Disruption of maternal ACKR3 has profound effects on embryos and offspring. bioRxiv, (doi: 10.1101/2023.06.15.545186)

2022

Medina-Ruiz, L. et al. (2022) Analysis of combinatorial chemokine receptor expression dynamics using multi-receptor reporter mice. eLife, 11, e72418. (doi: 10.7554/eLife.72418) (PMID:35699420) (PMCID:PMC9236609)

Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Fukuoka, Ayumi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6752-7814, Vidler, Francesca and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2022) Diverse myeloid cells are recruited to the developing and inflamed mammary gland. Immunology, 165(2), pp. 206-218. (doi: 10.1111/imm.13430) (PMID:34775606)

2020

Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Fukuoka, Ayumi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6752-7814, Love, Samantha R., Kim, Jiwon, Pingen, Marieke ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5689-9076, Hayes, Alan J. and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2020) Chemokine receptors coordinately regulate macrophage dynamics and mammary gland development. Development, 147(12), dev187815. (doi: 10.1242/dev.187815) (PMID:32467242) (PMCID:PMC7328164)

Hansell, Christopher A.H., Love, Samantha, Pingen, Marieke ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5689-9076, Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Macleod, Megan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1843-8580 and Graham, Gerard ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2020) Analysis of lung stromal expression of the atypical chemokine receptor ACKR2 reveals unanticipated expression in blood endothelial cells. European Journal of Immunology, 50(5), pp. 666-675. (doi: 10.1002/eji.201948374) (PMID:32114694)

2019

Lee, Kit Ming, Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Pingen, Marieke ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5689-9076, Fukuoka, Ayumi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6752-7814, Hansell, Christopher A.H., Bartolini, Robin, Medina-Ruiz, Laura and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2019) Placental chemokine compartmentalisation: a novel mammalian molecular control mechanism. PLoS Biology, 17(5), e3000287. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000287) (PMID:31141500) (PMCID:PMC6557524)

2018

Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Tuffs, Stephen W., Wee, Bryan A., Seo, Keun Seok, Park, Nogi, Connelley, Timothy, Guinane, Caitriona M., Morrison, W. Ivan and Fitzgerald, J. Ross (2018) Bovine Staphylococcus aureus superantigens stimulate the entire T cell repertoire of cattle. Infection and Immunity, 86(11), e00505-18. (doi: 10.1128/IAI.00505-18) (PMID:30201699) (PMCID:PMC6204692)

Hansell, C. A.H. et al. (2018) The atypical chemokine receptor Ackr2 constrains NK cell migratory activity and promotes metastasis. Journal of Immunology, 201(8), pp. 2510-2519. (doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1800131) (PMID:30158126) (PMCID:PMC6176105)

2017

Dyer, Douglas P. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5567-6241, Pallas, Kenneth, Medina Ruiz, Laura, Schuette, Fabian, Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437 and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2017) CXCR2 deficient mice display macrophage-dependent exaggerated acute inflammatory responses. Scientific Reports, 7, 42681. (doi: 10.1038/srep42681) (PMID:28205614) (PMCID:PMC5311995)

Graham, G. et al. (2017) Spread of psoriasiform inflammation to remote tissues is restricted by the atypical chemokine receptor ACKR2. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 137(1), pp. 85-94. (doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2016.07.039) (PMID:27568525) (PMCID:PMC5176004)

Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Hewit, Kay D., Pallas, Kenneth J., Cairney, Claire J., Lee, Kit M., Hansell, Christopher A., Stein, Torsten ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9946-1549 and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2017) Atypical chemokine receptor ACKR2 controls branching morphogenesis in the developing mammary gland. Development, 144, pp. 74-82. (doi: 10.1242/dev.139733) (PMID:27888192) (PMCID:PMC5278629)

2016

Kerscher, Bernhard, Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Reid, Delyth M., Mori, Daiki, Taylor, Julie A., Besra, Gurdyal S., Yamasaki, Sho, Willment, Janet A. and Brown, Gordon D. (2016) Mycobacterial receptor, Clec4d (CLECSF8, MCL), is coregulated with Mincle and upregulated on mouse myeloid cells following microbial challenge. European Journal of Immunology, 46(2), pp. 381-389. (doi: 10.1002/eji.201545858) (PMID:26558717)

2015

Spoor, L. E. et al. (2015) Recombination-mediated remodelling of host–pathogen interactions during Staphylococcus aureus niche adaptation. Microbial Genomics, 1(4), (doi: 10.1099/mgen.0.000036)

Wilson, G. J. et al. (2015) The C-type lectin receptor CLECSF8/CLEC4D is a key component of anti-mycobacterial immunity. Cell Host and Microbe, 17(2), pp. 252-259. (doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2015.01.004) (PMID:25674984) (PMCID:PMC4334100)

2014

Hoving, J. Claire, Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437 and Brown, Gordon D. (2014) Signalling C-Type lectin receptors, microbial recognition and immunity. Cellular Microbiology, 16(2), pp. 185-194. (doi: 10.1111/cmi.12249) (PMID:24330199) (PMCID:PMC4016756)

2011

Wilson, G. J. et al. (2011) A novel core genome-encoded superantigen contributes to lethality of community-associated MRSA necrotizing pneumonia. PLoS Pathogens, 7(10), e1002271. (doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002271) (PMID:22022262) (PMCID:PMC3192841)

Bannoehr, J. et al. (2011) Genomic and Surface Proteomic Analysis of the Canine Pathogen Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Reveals Proteins That Mediate Adherence to the Extracellular Matrix. Infection and Immunity, 79(8), pp. 3074-3086. (doi: 10.1128/IAI.00137-11) (PMID:21576333) (PMCID:PMC3147560)

This list was generated on Sun Aug 23 08:04:33 2026 BST.
Jump to: Articles
Number of items: 23.

Articles

Wilson, G. et al. (2026) ACKR2 aids the regulation of bone marrow eosinophils to promote monocyte differentiation and anti-bacterial immunity. Nature Communications, (doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-75964-z) (Early Online Publication)

Bartolini, Robin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6875-6734, Sharma, Deepika, Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Dunphy, Gillian, Cavanagh, Jonathan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0640-8050, Halawa, Heba A., Cole, John, Weidt, Stefan, Gardner-Stephen, Kirstyn and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2026) Macrophages drive inguinal fat pad and lymph node remodelling in response to peripheral inflammation. eLife, (doi: 10.7554/eLife.110836.1) (Early Online Publication)

Kapoor, S. et al. (2025) Mast cells are not essential for pubertal mammary gland branching. European Journal of Immunology, 55(8), e70036. (doi: 10.1002/eji.70036) (PMID:40820378) (PMCID:PMC12358710)

Hayes, A. J. et al. (2024) Enhanced CCR2 expression by ACKR2-deficient NK cells enhances increases tumoricidal cell therapy efficacy. Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 116(6), pp. 1544-1553. (doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiae162) (PMID:39052923)

Wilson, G. J. et al. (2024) Eosinophils promote monocyte to macrophage differentiation and anti-bacterial immunity. bioRxiv, (doi: 10.1101/2024.11.25.625164)

Fukuoka, Ayumi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6752-7814, Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Pitmon, Elise, Koumbas Foley, Lily, Johnsson, Hanna, Pingen, Marieke ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5689-9076 and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2024) Disruption of placental ACKR3 impairs growth and hematopoietic development of offspring. Development, 151(4), dev202333. (doi: 10.1242/dev.202333) (PMID:38300826) (PMCID:PMC10911115)

Fukuoka, Ayumi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6752-7814, Wilson, Gillian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Pitmon, Elise, Koumbas Foley, Lily, Johnssen, Hanna, Pingen, Marieke ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5689-9076 and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2023) Disruption of maternal ACKR3 has profound effects on embryos and offspring. bioRxiv, (doi: 10.1101/2023.06.15.545186)

Medina-Ruiz, L. et al. (2022) Analysis of combinatorial chemokine receptor expression dynamics using multi-receptor reporter mice. eLife, 11, e72418. (doi: 10.7554/eLife.72418) (PMID:35699420) (PMCID:PMC9236609)

Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Fukuoka, Ayumi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6752-7814, Vidler, Francesca and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2022) Diverse myeloid cells are recruited to the developing and inflamed mammary gland. Immunology, 165(2), pp. 206-218. (doi: 10.1111/imm.13430) (PMID:34775606)

Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Fukuoka, Ayumi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6752-7814, Love, Samantha R., Kim, Jiwon, Pingen, Marieke ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5689-9076, Hayes, Alan J. and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2020) Chemokine receptors coordinately regulate macrophage dynamics and mammary gland development. Development, 147(12), dev187815. (doi: 10.1242/dev.187815) (PMID:32467242) (PMCID:PMC7328164)

Hansell, Christopher A.H., Love, Samantha, Pingen, Marieke ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5689-9076, Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Macleod, Megan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1843-8580 and Graham, Gerard ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2020) Analysis of lung stromal expression of the atypical chemokine receptor ACKR2 reveals unanticipated expression in blood endothelial cells. European Journal of Immunology, 50(5), pp. 666-675. (doi: 10.1002/eji.201948374) (PMID:32114694)

Lee, Kit Ming, Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Pingen, Marieke ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5689-9076, Fukuoka, Ayumi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6752-7814, Hansell, Christopher A.H., Bartolini, Robin, Medina-Ruiz, Laura and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2019) Placental chemokine compartmentalisation: a novel mammalian molecular control mechanism. PLoS Biology, 17(5), e3000287. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000287) (PMID:31141500) (PMCID:PMC6557524)

Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Tuffs, Stephen W., Wee, Bryan A., Seo, Keun Seok, Park, Nogi, Connelley, Timothy, Guinane, Caitriona M., Morrison, W. Ivan and Fitzgerald, J. Ross (2018) Bovine Staphylococcus aureus superantigens stimulate the entire T cell repertoire of cattle. Infection and Immunity, 86(11), e00505-18. (doi: 10.1128/IAI.00505-18) (PMID:30201699) (PMCID:PMC6204692)

Hansell, C. A.H. et al. (2018) The atypical chemokine receptor Ackr2 constrains NK cell migratory activity and promotes metastasis. Journal of Immunology, 201(8), pp. 2510-2519. (doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1800131) (PMID:30158126) (PMCID:PMC6176105)

Dyer, Douglas P. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5567-6241, Pallas, Kenneth, Medina Ruiz, Laura, Schuette, Fabian, Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437 and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2017) CXCR2 deficient mice display macrophage-dependent exaggerated acute inflammatory responses. Scientific Reports, 7, 42681. (doi: 10.1038/srep42681) (PMID:28205614) (PMCID:PMC5311995)

Graham, G. et al. (2017) Spread of psoriasiform inflammation to remote tissues is restricted by the atypical chemokine receptor ACKR2. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 137(1), pp. 85-94. (doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2016.07.039) (PMID:27568525) (PMCID:PMC5176004)

Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Hewit, Kay D., Pallas, Kenneth J., Cairney, Claire J., Lee, Kit M., Hansell, Christopher A., Stein, Torsten ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9946-1549 and Graham, Gerard J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7801-204X (2017) Atypical chemokine receptor ACKR2 controls branching morphogenesis in the developing mammary gland. Development, 144, pp. 74-82. (doi: 10.1242/dev.139733) (PMID:27888192) (PMCID:PMC5278629)

Kerscher, Bernhard, Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437, Reid, Delyth M., Mori, Daiki, Taylor, Julie A., Besra, Gurdyal S., Yamasaki, Sho, Willment, Janet A. and Brown, Gordon D. (2016) Mycobacterial receptor, Clec4d (CLECSF8, MCL), is coregulated with Mincle and upregulated on mouse myeloid cells following microbial challenge. European Journal of Immunology, 46(2), pp. 381-389. (doi: 10.1002/eji.201545858) (PMID:26558717)

Spoor, L. E. et al. (2015) Recombination-mediated remodelling of host–pathogen interactions during Staphylococcus aureus niche adaptation. Microbial Genomics, 1(4), (doi: 10.1099/mgen.0.000036)

Wilson, G. J. et al. (2015) The C-type lectin receptor CLECSF8/CLEC4D is a key component of anti-mycobacterial immunity. Cell Host and Microbe, 17(2), pp. 252-259. (doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2015.01.004) (PMID:25674984) (PMCID:PMC4334100)

Hoving, J. Claire, Wilson, Gillian J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-8437 and Brown, Gordon D. (2014) Signalling C-Type lectin receptors, microbial recognition and immunity. Cellular Microbiology, 16(2), pp. 185-194. (doi: 10.1111/cmi.12249) (PMID:24330199) (PMCID:PMC4016756)

Wilson, G. J. et al. (2011) A novel core genome-encoded superantigen contributes to lethality of community-associated MRSA necrotizing pneumonia. PLoS Pathogens, 7(10), e1002271. (doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002271) (PMID:22022262) (PMCID:PMC3192841)

Bannoehr, J. et al. (2011) Genomic and Surface Proteomic Analysis of the Canine Pathogen Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Reveals Proteins That Mediate Adherence to the Extracellular Matrix. Infection and Immunity, 79(8), pp. 3074-3086. (doi: 10.1128/IAI.00137-11) (PMID:21576333) (PMCID:PMC3147560)

This list was generated on Sun Aug 23 08:04:33 2026 BST.

Grants

Grants and Awards listed are those received whilst working with the University of Glasgow.

  • Single cell analysis to reveal the effect of inflammation on mammary gland development
    Wellcome Trust
    2021 - 2022
     

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