Molecular Parasitologist. Teacher. Fascinated by how parasites interact with our immune system. Rational vaccine designer. Country boy and nature lover. 🏳️‍🌈https://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3mwpognpoqs22“Is the HIV pandemic over?” My first lecture of my tenure at Gresham College is now available on line. Want to know more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaAd4ru56jk30 Sep 2026 06:06 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwpognpoqs22https://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3mtjzn7dklc2fHow do African trypanosomes regulate the complement system? Check out our new study from @BiochemCook, in which he identified a new trypanosome receptor which binds to the core C3bBb convertase of the complement system and blocks its activity. Real all about it! https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.08.17.74521420 Aug 2026 19:55 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjzn7dklc2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3mlxowdcdh22uOur latest study of the scavenger receptor CD163, led by Richard Zhou. This follows our previous study of how CD163 uses its remarkable molecular architecture to bind haptoglobin-haemoglobin. We now show how its flexible arms allow haemoglobin binding, revealing how ligand promiscuity works.16 May 2026 10:59 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlxowdcdh22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3mg6o2qofuc2mIntroducing our new blood-stage malaria vaccine immunogen based on the essential invasion protein PfCyRPA. By understanding where on PfCyRPA the best antibodies bind, we used structure guided design to generate PfCyRPA-EM, which contains only the epitopes of the best antibodies.03 Mar 2026 21:01 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg6o2qofuc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3mcpxoemg3s27We are very much looking forward to being @courbongautier.bsky.social’s new home!! [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Jan 2026 20:27 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcpxoemg3s27https://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3mcpqmjh4vs2lCheck out our latest study on the PfRIPR protein, essential for the malaria parasite to get inside our blood cells. We show how antibodies block the function of PfRIPR by preventing its flexible hinges from bending, or by stopping it from compacting as part of its mechanism.18 Jan 2026 18:21 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcpqmjh4vs2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3m5c7hkspbk24Very proud! [contains quote post or other embedded content]10 Nov 2025 18:03 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5c7hkspbk24https://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3lywq7d3qvk27Delighted to review the latest findings on how malaria parasites get into our blood cells and how we might stop it! [contains quote post or other embedded content]16 Sep 2025 06:50 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lywq7d3qvk27https://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3lyv3qhwr6k2oDelighted to share our review on how those malaria parasites get into our blood cells and how we might stop them. rdcu.be/eGnUl https://rdcu.be/eGnUl15 Sep 2025 15:12 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lyv3qhwr6k2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3luu5zc5jf22fThe Higgins lab are proud to have received a Gold LEAF award, recognising our efforts to minimise the environmental impact of our research. Thanks to lab manager, Hannah Ivison, Alex Cook and to everyone in the lab for working on this together. More to do!26 Jul 2025 08:39 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3luu5zc5jf22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3luilaighqc2bAn exciting opportunity to start an independent position as a research fellow in protozoan parasitology at Christ's College, Cambridge and the Department of Pathology: www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/52020/ https://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/52020/21 Jul 2025 18:04 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3luilaighqc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3lual36ukrk2fDelighted to share the final version of Richard Zhou's study on how the CD163 scavenger receptor cleans up after toxic haemoglobin spills out from our blood cells. An amazing grabber mechanism! rdcu.be/ewPA218 Jul 2025 13:39 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lual36ukrk2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3lsyhsnjris2mIt was a huge privilege to start my research career at LMB. Hugely formative, giving the chance to interact with wonderful scientists, including pioneers of structural biology. [contains quote post or other embedded content]02 Jul 2025 14:54 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsyhsnjris2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3lswbksxia222Honoured to be elected an EMBO member. Looking forward to being part of this wonderful organisation that does so much for European science. Also thanks to Kavli Oxford for always using a picture which makes me look 20 years young. I own you guys! [contains quote post or other embedded content]01 Jul 2025 17:57 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lswbksxia222https://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3lsvdiae33k2iThanks Kavli for highlighting @sam-chamberlain.bsky.social ‘s work with our wonderful collaborators, Shiroh and Hisashi. New insights into how activating KIR receptors might help fight malaria! [contains quote post or other embedded content]01 Jul 2025 08:59 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsvdiae33k2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3lris5hbqs22yOur latest story describes the amazing evolutionary battle between malaria parasite and human. The parasite evolved RIFINs to bind inhibitory KIR receptors and suppress immune cell function while humans have activating KIR receptors to bind these RIFINs to kill parasites!13 Jun 2025 15:52 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lris5hbqs22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3lqpjen4ixc2jLooking for a fully-funded D. Phil. / Ph.D. studentship in structural biology and vaccinology? Come to join our team. Fully and generously funded by a donation from the Kyner-Field family with full fees at overseas level. Join us! www.bioch.ox.ac.uk/studentships03 Jun 2025 14:38 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lqpjen4ixc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3lqjub2p7xk2rNawsad presented our structure-guided design of RH5top, our latest blood stage-malaria vaccine immunogen, in talk and poster at the Malaria Gordon conference. The culmination of many studies from the lab and collaborators and doing well in pre-clinical testing! More soon.01 Jun 2025 08:37 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lqjub2p7xk2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3lkr3ukhxgk27Sam, Shiroh and I wrote a review about the latest on the surface proteins of infected-erythrocytes in malaria. PfEMP1, RIFINs, weird antibodies and immune manipulation. Check it out here: https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S136952742500020719 Mar 2025 21:10 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkr3ukhxgk27https://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3ljwzhaayes2cThe symposium to celebrate Mark Carrington's career is coming soon. You have until 15th to book in. A great day of science, particularly if you are excited about kinetoplastids! And a day of celebration.09 Mar 2025 12:18 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljwzhaayes2chttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3lizcjul7r22cA brilliant, kind, funny colleague gone too soon. We will miss you Bela. https://www.merton.ox.ac.uk/news/remembering-professor-bela-novak-1956-202525 Feb 2025 16:41 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lizcjul7r22chttps://bsky.app/profile/parasitematt.bsky.social/post/3lgxjj4vj7222Another job available in our team! We are seeking a project manager to help us to manage our malaria vaccine development projects. See here: https://my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=17786130 Jan 2025 12:50 +0000at://did:plc:d2izqqflyevibfhqekqu5ls7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lgxjj4vj7222