Paediatric Allergy Research Group
The main research interest of the Paediatric Allergy Research Group is gastrointestinal allergic conditions. The group's research focuses on achieving a better understanding of the pathophysiology of gastrointestinal allergic diseases (especially of non IgE-mediated food allergic diseases). It is anticipated that this will contribute to the development of non-invasive or minimally invasive diagnostic tools and new therapeutic strategies; possibly through dietary intervention, inducing tolerance and potential preventing food allergy.
Additionally, the group aims to raise awareness and develop strategies for primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of allergy to promote patient care, experience and safety in every environment.
The group consists of experts in different areas; from immunologists and nutritionists to public health specialists within Glasgow and beyond. Ongoing work spans from pre-clinical mechanistic studies to clinical intervention trials.
Research Contacts
Dr George Raptis
Dr George Raptis is an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer and Consultant in Paediatric Allergy, based at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow. George's main interest is to understand further the pathophysiology of gastrointestinal allergy in children. Better understanding of the microenvironment of the gastrointestinal mucosa and mechanisms of allergy will enable researchers and clinicians to develop means to prevent or induce immunological tolerance. Additionally, he is striving to develop a model of care for allergic patients that aims to consider each stage of the allergic disease continuum and propose a number of strategies to provide consumer-focussed, best care. Dr Raptis is committed to contributing to the development of research in this field in order to alleviate the impact of allergies on sufferers.
Dr Konstantinos Gerasimidis
Dr Konstantinos Gerasimidis is a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Nutrition. He graduated in Nutrition and Dietetics and completed his postgraduate studies in Clinical Nutrition. During his doctoral research at the University of Glasgow, he explored the effect of exclusive enteral nutrition on the gut microbiota and nutritional status of children with Crohn's disease. He holds an honorary contract as Clinical Paediatric Nutrition Scientist with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Professor Simon Milling
The lab work of Professor Simon W Milling focuses on the biology of dendtritic cells in the intestine and on how these cells respond to infectious or inflammatory stimuli, studying the functions of dendritic cell subsets in vivo, using samples from mice and humans. The aim of this work is to understand the vital roles that dendritic cells play, both in the induction and polarisation of adaptive immune responses against pathogens, and in the pathology of inflammatory diseases. They hope to use this information to manipulate the immune response, either to generate improved strategies for vaccination, or to inhibit inflammatory pathology.
Professor Richard Russell
Richard Russell is an Honorary Clinical Associate Professor and Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist based at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow. His main research interest focuses on the gastrointestinal mucosal microbiota and its importance in paediatric disease, particularly inflammatory bowel disease. Richard is actively involved in research supervision, currently so-supervising three PhD students and an MD student.
Caroline Kerbiriou
Caroline Kerbiriou graduated in Cell Biology and Animal Physiology from Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France in 2015, before completing an MSc in Digestive Health and Nutrition in 2017. During the MSc, she studied the gut microbiome and immune system in intestinal and metabolic diseases including Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and Diabetes. In 2017, she started her PhD aiming to investigate the gut microbiome and immune profile in infants with non-IgE-mediated Cow's Milk Protein Allergy.
Dr Evi Germeni
Dr Evi Germeni is a Lecturer in Qualitative Methods for Health Research and also leads the Incorporating Perspectives and Experiences (IPE) research programme within the Health Economics and Health Technlology Assessment (HEHTA) group. Her work broadly focuses on employing qualitative approaches to understand experiences of health and illness and to provide a patient-centred assessment of complex health technologies by investigating, for example, whether a technology that has shown to be effective and cost-effective, is also acceptable to its target audience. Before coming to Glasgow, she held postdoctoral research fellowships at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences of the University of Oxford, the Institute of Health Research of the University of Exeter, and the Institute of Communication and Health of the University of Lugano in Switzerland.
Rebecca Totterdell
Rebecca Totterdell completed her undergraduate degree in Physiology at the University of Aberdeen in 2007. She went onto study for a MSc in Human Nutrition at the University of Glasgow, specialising in Public Health Nutrition. During this time she studied the design, implementation and evaluation of health improvement programs. In 2018 she began her PhD, aiming to improve school preparedness in the management of pupils with allergic disease. Rebecca is also a registered associate nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition.