Dr Maike de la Roche receives £3.9 million Wellcome Discovery Award

Dr Maike de la Roche has received a Wellcome Discovery Award to dissect the role of Hedgehog signalling in immune cells and reveal new therapeutic targets to treat infections, autoimmunity and cancer.

The Wellcome Discovery Award scheme provides funding for established researchers and teams from any discipline who want to pursue bold and creative research ideas to deliver significant shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing.

Hedgehog signalling is an essential pathway in developmental biology, it is highly conserved throughout evolution occurring in all animals that have a symmetrical left and right side, like humans.  Previously, the de la Roche lab has discovered critical roles of Hedgehog signalling in T cell effector function and guidance for naïve T cells in ‘knowing’ what type of cell they should become.

Over the next eight years, the de la Roche Group will determine which immune cells are dependent on the Hedgehog signalling pathway, both in maintenance condition and during the immune response to cancer and infection. The team will dissect the individual roles Hedgehog plays in each of the immune cell subsets and define the unique adaptions of the signalling pathway in T cells.

Dr Maike de la Roche said “It is a great honour to receive this prestigious award, which will enable us to uncover fundamental pathway mechanics in immune cells. We will not only unravel how the evolutionarily juvenile immune system has adapted the “ancient” Hedgehog signalling pathway but also use the knowledge gained to improve immune responses in infection, autoimmune disease, and cancer.”

The award will provide support to recruit three postdoctoral research associates and two research assistants, who will work to uncover fundamental new insights into Hedgehog signalling and detail unique therapeutic entry points against infection and cancer.

For enquiries about the project or the upcoming research positions, please contact Dr Maike de la Roche.