CIO Professor Sir Andrew McMichael's pioneering research has profoundly influenced immunology, providing critical insights into T cell biology and informing the development of vaccines and immunotherapies. In recognition of his substantial contributions to science, he was elected as an international member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in May 2025, one of the highest honors in the scientific community.
Born in London in 1943, McMichael studied medicine at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and completed his PhD at the National Institute for Medical Research. He served as Director of the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Oxford and founded the MRC Human Immunology Unit. Throughout his career, he has mentored over 55 doctoral students, many of whom have become leading immunologists.
Some examples of the key contributions to science from Professor Sir Andrew McMichael:
Discovery of HLA Restriction in T Cells
In the 1970s, McMichael was among the first to demonstrate that human cytotoxic T lymphocytes recognize viral peptides presented by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules on infected cells. This foundational work transformed the field of cellular immunology and underpins many modern vaccine strategies and cancer immunotherapies.
HIV Immune Escape Mechanisms
McMichael's research revealed how HIV can evade immune control by mutating the viral peptides recognized by T cells.This insight has been critical in understanding HIV pathogenesis and guiding vaccine design efforts.
Vaccine Development
His team developed HIV vaccine candidates, including those based on Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara (MVA), which have progressed to phase 1 clinical trials. These efforts aim to stimulate robust T cell responses against HIV.
HLA-E and Universal Immunotherapies
McMichael's group discovered that the non-classical HLA-E molecule can present viral peptides to T cells, a finding that opens avenues for developing universal immunotherapies due to HLA-E's limited genetic variability
