Andy van Hateren

Research Interest

Major Histocompatibility Complex class I (MHC-I) molecules are a central part of the adaptive immune system. MHC-I molecules become loaded with peptides inside cells, before progressing to the cell surface where peptide-loaded MHC-I complexes are inspected by cytotoxic cells of the immune system. This can lead to the elimination of infected, or abnormal, cells depending on which peptide is bound by MHC-I.
My research is focused on understanding the process by which peptides may be selected for presentation by MHC-I molecules, while other peptides are not. This knowledge will underpin the modulation of MHC-I peptide selection for therapeutic benefits, such as vaccinations. My key research interests are:
Determining the molecular mechanisms by which tapasin and TAPBPR proteins modulate the selection of peptides for presentation by MHC-I molecules.
Understanding why some MHC-I molecules can select peptides without assistance from tapasin or TAPBPR.
Contrasting peptide selection in highly polymorphic classical MHC-I molecules (e.g. HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C) with that in virtually invariant non-classical MHC-I molecules (e.g. HLA-E).

Background

PhD: Professor Jim Kaufman’s lab, Institute for Animal Health, investigating the evolutionary history of the MHC. In my project, I provided a mechanistic basis for the molecular co-evolution of tapasin and MHC-I in the chicken MHC.
Postdoctoral research: Professor Tim Elliott’s lab, University of Southampton, investigating the molecular mechanisms of MHC-I peptide selection and tapasin function. Key collaborations: with Professor Louise Boyle, we characterised TAPBPR (for TAP-Binding-Protein-Related) as an MHC-I specific peptide editing chaperone; with Professor Paul Skipp (University of Southampton) we used hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry experiments to characterise the dynamic profile of MHC-I molecules; with Professor Tony Purcell (Monash University, Australia), we provided the molecular basis of an MHC-I restricted drug hypersensitivity reaction.
Contributions to education: in my previous positions, I have delivered lectures, facilitated tutorials, lead the dissertation module of a postgraduate MSc course, supervised students (PhD, postgraduate, undergraduate), and was a personal academic tutor.