Malcolm Sim

The class I human leukocyte antigens (HLA-I) play critical roles in our immune system by presenting peptide antigens on the cell surface for immunosurveillence. We know a lot about how T cell receptors detect these peptides in cancer and infection. In our group, we focus on a different family of receptors expressed on natural killer (NK) cells, which also bind HLA-I molecules in a highly peptide dependent manner. I was awarded an MRC Career Development Award to set up my own research group, starting in September 2023. 

I studied Biochemistry as an undergraduate, followed by a Masters in Immunology. I was awarded a Wellcome Trust/NIH studentship to pursue my PhD, which was awarded 2016 from Imperial College London. I conducted my post-doctoral training at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in the USA. I trained in the laboratories of Dr. Eric Long and Dr. Peter Sun, where I studied NK and T cell recognition of HLA-I simultaneously. I have a strong interest in developing a molecular and structural understanding for how immune receptors detect HLA-I molecules and how HLA-I bound peptides determine these interactions.  

My most recent work forms the basis for the laboratory and is titled 'Innate receptors with high specificity for HLA class I–peptide complexes'. It was published in Science Immunology on the 8th September 2023.

Free access to the paper can be found here: https://www.science.org/stoken/author-tokens/ST-1414/full