fairfaxlab
@bpfairfax.bsky.social
Based in the Department of Oncology at the MRC WIMM, University of Oxford | We study the genetics of immunity with a focus on the determinants of response to cancer immunotherapy.
Genetics, immunology, oncology, science.
Genetics, immunology, oncology, science.
Reposted by fairfaxlab
The murder rate in London is now the lowest in decades, perhaps centuries. (The Times)
November 16, 2025 at 1:27 PM
The murder rate in London is now the lowest in decades, perhaps centuries. (The Times)
Reposted by fairfaxlab
“Critically assessing the literature, we found it beset by conceptual & methodological flaws & limitations, undermining claims that the gut microbiome is causally involved in etiology/pathophysiology of autism”
Crucial PSA from @wiringthebrain.bsky.social @statsepi.bsky.social @deevybee.bsky.social🧪
Crucial PSA from @wiringthebrain.bsky.social @statsepi.bsky.social @deevybee.bsky.social🧪
Conceptual and methodological flaws undermine claims of a link between the gut microbiome and autism
Claims that the gut microbiome causally contributes to autism regularly appear in
the scientific literature and popular press. Mitchell et al. critically examine influential
studies underpinning these...
www.cell.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:18 PM
“Critically assessing the literature, we found it beset by conceptual & methodological flaws & limitations, undermining claims that the gut microbiome is causally involved in etiology/pathophysiology of autism”
Crucial PSA from @wiringthebrain.bsky.social @statsepi.bsky.social @deevybee.bsky.social🧪
Crucial PSA from @wiringthebrain.bsky.social @statsepi.bsky.social @deevybee.bsky.social🧪
Reposted by fairfaxlab
#WIMMReads: New @nature.com study, led by the Simmons & Antanaviciute Groups, used advanced single-cell and spatial analysis techniques to map the cells that drive #Crohn's fistulas - paving the way for targeted treatments 🧪
Learn more 👇
@rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk
Learn more 👇
@rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk
Oxford scientists map the cells that drive Crohn’s disease fistulas
Researchers at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit have identified how rare populations of abnormal cells drive the formation and persistence of fistulas - painful, tunnel-like tracts that dev...
www.imm.ox.ac.uk
November 13, 2025 at 9:34 AM
#WIMMReads: New @nature.com study, led by the Simmons & Antanaviciute Groups, used advanced single-cell and spatial analysis techniques to map the cells that drive #Crohn's fistulas - paving the way for targeted treatments 🧪
Learn more 👇
@rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk
Learn more 👇
@rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk
This is a very interesting study that implicates CMV seropositivity with enhanced spike-specific T cell immunity post covid vaccination.
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
Impact of CMV Infection and Cancer Treatment on Vaccine Efficacy in Oncology Patients
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection leaves lasting effects on the immune system, particularly shaping T-cell populations. In patients with advanced cancer, persistent CMV exposure may influence vaccine re...
www.medrxiv.org
November 9, 2025 at 3:30 PM
This is a very interesting study that implicates CMV seropositivity with enhanced spike-specific T cell immunity post covid vaccination.
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by fairfaxlab
#WIMMReads: Oxford scientists, led by James Davies at the MRC WIMM, have captured the genome’s structure in unprecedented detail. 🧪
Read the full story below 👇
@ox.ac.uk @davieslab.bsky.social @jojdavies.bsky.social @medsci.ox.ac.uk
Read the full story below 👇
@ox.ac.uk @davieslab.bsky.social @jojdavies.bsky.social @medsci.ox.ac.uk
Scientists have the most detailed view yet of how DNA folds and functions inside living cells!
The breakthrough helps us understand how genetic differences lead to disease and opens up fresh routes for drug discovery 👇
shorturl.at/nQjsx
@jojdavies.bsky.social @imm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk
The breakthrough helps us understand how genetic differences lead to disease and opens up fresh routes for drug discovery 👇
shorturl.at/nQjsx
@jojdavies.bsky.social @imm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk
Oxford scientists capture genome’s structure in unprecedented detail
RDM scientists have achieved the most detailed view yet of how DNA folds and functions inside living cells, revealing the physical structures that control when and how genes are switched on.
shorturl.at
November 6, 2025 at 11:26 AM
#WIMMReads: Oxford scientists, led by James Davies at the MRC WIMM, have captured the genome’s structure in unprecedented detail. 🧪
Read the full story below 👇
@ox.ac.uk @davieslab.bsky.social @jojdavies.bsky.social @medsci.ox.ac.uk
Read the full story below 👇
@ox.ac.uk @davieslab.bsky.social @jojdavies.bsky.social @medsci.ox.ac.uk
Great to see our review of the immunomodulatory role of cytomegalovirus and the relationship with cancer and immune checkpoint blockade treatment published as an open access article in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society:
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
The immunomodulatory role of human cytomegalovirus in cancer in the era of checkpoint immunotherapy | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
This review discusses the role of chronic human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in patients receiving immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) treatment against different malignancies, with an especial focus on malignant melanoma. We briefly outline the impact ...
royalsocietypublishing.org
November 6, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Great to see our review of the immunomodulatory role of cytomegalovirus and the relationship with cancer and immune checkpoint blockade treatment published as an open access article in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society:
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Reposted by fairfaxlab
CMV co-evolved with human. It is a master regulator of immunity and knows about our biology more than we do.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Proud of my group and collaborators for this work published today in Nature Medicine. We find Cytomegalovirus, which has a profound impact on T cell immunity, is associated with distinct clinical outcomes in patients receiving checkpoint immunotherapy for melanoma.
Proud of my group and collaborators for this work published today in Nature Medicine. We find Cytomegalovirus, which has a profound impact on T cell immunity, is associated with distinct clinical outcomes in patients receiving checkpoint immunotherapy for melanoma.
CMV serostatus is associated with improved survival and delayed toxicity onset following anti-PD-1 checkpoint blockade - Nature Medicine
Analysis of multiple cohorts of patients with melanoma demonstrates a positive association between cytomegalovirus serostatus and overall survival in patients treated with monotherapy but not combinat...
www.nature.com
April 23, 2025 at 6:38 PM
CMV co-evolved with human. It is a master regulator of immunity and knows about our biology more than we do.
Reposted by fairfaxlab
Super paper from some super talented colleagues… CMV positivity related to better outcomes and lower toxicity with PD1 blockade, and potential protection from MM development. Lots of interesting avenues to follow and very relevant to treatment stratification 👏
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Proud of my group and collaborators for this work published today in Nature Medicine. We find Cytomegalovirus, which has a profound impact on T cell immunity, is associated with distinct clinical outcomes in patients receiving checkpoint immunotherapy for melanoma.
Proud of my group and collaborators for this work published today in Nature Medicine. We find Cytomegalovirus, which has a profound impact on T cell immunity, is associated with distinct clinical outcomes in patients receiving checkpoint immunotherapy for melanoma.
CMV serostatus is associated with improved survival and delayed toxicity onset following anti-PD-1 checkpoint blockade - Nature Medicine
Analysis of multiple cohorts of patients with melanoma demonstrates a positive association between cytomegalovirus serostatus and overall survival in patients treated with monotherapy but not combinat...
www.nature.com
April 24, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Super paper from some super talented colleagues… CMV positivity related to better outcomes and lower toxicity with PD1 blockade, and potential protection from MM development. Lots of interesting avenues to follow and very relevant to treatment stratification 👏
Reposted by fairfaxlab
Related to lively discussion @brownmedicine.bsky.social this morning about the interplay of environment, genetics and immunotherapy - here CMV seropositivity associated with much lower G3 toxicity of colon, lung, muscle, higher in skin. Very intriguing irAE data from @bpfairfax.bsky.social 🤓
April 24, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Related to lively discussion @brownmedicine.bsky.social this morning about the interplay of environment, genetics and immunotherapy - here CMV seropositivity associated with much lower G3 toxicity of colon, lung, muscle, higher in skin. Very intriguing irAE data from @bpfairfax.bsky.social 🤓
Reposted by fairfaxlab
#WIMMReads
Fairfax Group ( @bpfairfax.bsky.social ) map how genetic variation shapes monocyte gene expression and splicing across immune contexts 🧪
Read more 👇
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
#Genomics #Immunology #Transcriptomics
Fairfax Group ( @bpfairfax.bsky.social ) map how genetic variation shapes monocyte gene expression and splicing across immune contexts 🧪
Read more 👇
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
#Genomics #Immunology #Transcriptomics
Genetic determinants of monocyte splicing are enriched for disease susceptibility loci - Nature Communications
Our understanding of variation in monocyte context-specific splicing and transcript usage is limited. Here, the authors find genetic variants that affect gene splicing in monocytes in specific co...
doi.org
October 30, 2025 at 12:04 PM
#WIMMReads
Fairfax Group ( @bpfairfax.bsky.social ) map how genetic variation shapes monocyte gene expression and splicing across immune contexts 🧪
Read more 👇
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
#Genomics #Immunology #Transcriptomics
Fairfax Group ( @bpfairfax.bsky.social ) map how genetic variation shapes monocyte gene expression and splicing across immune contexts 🧪
Read more 👇
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
#Genomics #Immunology #Transcriptomics
Reposted by fairfaxlab
Why are more younger adults having strokes? Come along to our next free public talk on Tues 4 Nov 6pm to hear researcher Linxin Li discuss what is driving the recent increase and how we tackle it oxfordbrc.nihr.ac.uk/brc-event/fr... @ouhospitals.bsky.social
@medsci.ox.ac.uk
@ndcnoxford.bsky.social
@medsci.ox.ac.uk
@ndcnoxford.bsky.social
FREE Public Talk – Why are more younger people having strokes? | NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre
oxfordbrc.nihr.ac.uk
October 6, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Why are more younger adults having strokes? Come along to our next free public talk on Tues 4 Nov 6pm to hear researcher Linxin Li discuss what is driving the recent increase and how we tackle it oxfordbrc.nihr.ac.uk/brc-event/fr... @ouhospitals.bsky.social
@medsci.ox.ac.uk
@ndcnoxford.bsky.social
@medsci.ox.ac.uk
@ndcnoxford.bsky.social
Reposted by fairfaxlab
New CRUK Post-doc position in our group. #mutationalorder #multiomics #cancer.
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
Job Details
my.corehr.com
October 6, 2025 at 10:55 AM
New CRUK Post-doc position in our group. #mutationalorder #multiomics #cancer.
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
Reposted by fairfaxlab
New findings in @natcomms.nature.com demonstrate the impact of allelic variation on monocyte context-specific splicing.
@bpfairfax.bsky.social & colleagues show that many risk polymorphisms lead to differential gene splicing.
➡️Reveals putative mechanisms of diverse disease risk alleles inc. cancer
@bpfairfax.bsky.social & colleagues show that many risk polymorphisms lead to differential gene splicing.
➡️Reveals putative mechanisms of diverse disease risk alleles inc. cancer
Genetic determinants of monocyte splicing are enriched for disease susceptibility loci - Nature Communications
Our understanding of variation in monocyte context-specific splicing and transcript usage is limited. Here, the authors find genetic variants that affect gene splicing in monocytes in specific contexts, including several diseases, and in response to stimulants.
www.nature.com
October 3, 2025 at 11:01 AM
New findings in @natcomms.nature.com demonstrate the impact of allelic variation on monocyte context-specific splicing.
@bpfairfax.bsky.social & colleagues show that many risk polymorphisms lead to differential gene splicing.
➡️Reveals putative mechanisms of diverse disease risk alleles inc. cancer
@bpfairfax.bsky.social & colleagues show that many risk polymorphisms lead to differential gene splicing.
➡️Reveals putative mechanisms of diverse disease risk alleles inc. cancer
Reposted by fairfaxlab
PIWI clade Argonautes are essential for transposon silencing. Without them, animals are sterile due to massive transposon activity.
But how does piRNA-guided target interaction translate into silencing?
PhD student Júlia Portell Montserrat has an intriguing answer
www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
But how does piRNA-guided target interaction translate into silencing?
PhD student Júlia Portell Montserrat has an intriguing answer
www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
September 17, 2025 at 10:39 AM
PIWI clade Argonautes are essential for transposon silencing. Without them, animals are sterile due to massive transposon activity.
But how does piRNA-guided target interaction translate into silencing?
PhD student Júlia Portell Montserrat has an intriguing answer
www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
But how does piRNA-guided target interaction translate into silencing?
PhD student Júlia Portell Montserrat has an intriguing answer
www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
Reposted by fairfaxlab
📣First paper from the lab is out in @science.org! 📣https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu3461 It’s well known that HLA shapes the TCR repertoire — but how does this change under immune checkpoint blockade (ICB)?
Defining the genetic determinants of CD8+ T cell receptor repertoire in the context of immune checkpoint blockade
Immune checkpoint blockade influences the genetically determined relationship between TCR repertoire and HLA alleles in cancer.
www.science.org
July 28, 2025 at 10:09 AM
📣First paper from the lab is out in @science.org! 📣https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu3461 It’s well known that HLA shapes the TCR repertoire — but how does this change under immune checkpoint blockade (ICB)?
Reposted by fairfaxlab
Our paper describing the Range Extender element which is required and sufficient for long-range enhancer activation at the Shh locus is now available at @nature.com. Congrats to @gracebower.bsky.social who led the study. Below is a brief summary of the main findings www.nature.com/articles/s41... 1/
Range extender mediates long-distance enhancer activity - Nature
The REX element is associated with long-range enhancer–promoter interactions.
www.nature.com
July 2, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Our paper describing the Range Extender element which is required and sufficient for long-range enhancer activation at the Shh locus is now available at @nature.com. Congrats to @gracebower.bsky.social who led the study. Below is a brief summary of the main findings www.nature.com/articles/s41... 1/
Reposted by fairfaxlab
It's hard to avoid recalling this passage from the English historian Tony Judt:
July 2, 2025 at 3:51 PM
It's hard to avoid recalling this passage from the English historian Tony Judt:
Reposted by fairfaxlab
"The diminution and marginalization of science are thus central parts of the erosion of democracy itself."
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Will we habituate to the decline of democracy?
The recent attack on science in the US is not only undermining knowledge; it is also undermining democracy. In a healthy democracy, public policy is guided by evidence, and truth is the shared foundat...
www.science.org
July 2, 2025 at 6:02 PM
"The diminution and marginalization of science are thus central parts of the erosion of democracy itself."
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by fairfaxlab
amazing q&a with paul krugman
June 25, 2025 at 1:22 PM
amazing q&a with paul krugman
Reposted by fairfaxlab
No evidence for neutralizing IL1RN autoantibodies in our cohorts of MIS-C, SARS-CoV2 pneumonia or vaccine-induced myocarditis. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... Great work by Anish Behere in Nils Landegren lab, Uppsala university
Evaluating IL1RA‐Autoantibodies Across SARS‐CoV‐2‐Related Diseases
Click on the article title to read more.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 25, 2025 at 6:59 AM
No evidence for neutralizing IL1RN autoantibodies in our cohorts of MIS-C, SARS-CoV2 pneumonia or vaccine-induced myocarditis. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... Great work by Anish Behere in Nils Landegren lab, Uppsala university
Reposted by fairfaxlab
Black people who are diagnosed with melanoma are about five times as likely as White people to die within five years.
Find out how and where to look for the disease.
Find out how and where to look for the disease.
Too often, Black patients get late diagnoses of deadly skin cancer
For Black people, surviving skin cancer begins with knowing what to look for — and where to look.
www.washingtonpost.com
June 16, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Black people who are diagnosed with melanoma are about five times as likely as White people to die within five years.
Find out how and where to look for the disease.
Find out how and where to look for the disease.
Reposted by fairfaxlab
Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872
h\t @gmeric.bsky.social
h\t @gmeric.bsky.social
June 16, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872
h\t @gmeric.bsky.social
h\t @gmeric.bsky.social
Reposted by fairfaxlab
Delighted that our work describing a potential novel treatment approach for B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia is published today in @natcomms.nature.com. 🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
CREBBP inactivation sensitizes B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia to ferroptotic cell death upon BCL2 inhibition - Nature Communications
CREBBP mutations in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) are linked to poor prognosis and chemoresistance. Here, the authors show that genetic or pharmacological inactivation of CREBBP sensitiz...
www.nature.com
May 20, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Delighted that our work describing a potential novel treatment approach for B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia is published today in @natcomms.nature.com. 🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...