The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, along with the MRC CoRE in Exposome Immunology, has announced the appointment of leading immunologist and cytokine biologist Prof. Sarah Gaffen as the new institute director.
Professor Sarah Gaffen will join from the University of Pittsburgh where she currently holds the Gerald P. Rodnan endowed chair in the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology and is director of Basic Rheumatology Research.
Prof. Tracy Hussell, outgoing Lydia Becker Institute Director said: "Every institute benefits from a fresh perspective and I'm thrilled with the appointment of Professor Sarah Gaffen as the next director of the Lydia Becker Institute. She shares the same energy and enthusiasm I have for thinking beyond traditional research silos and boundaries. We also share the desire to promote and nurture people at all stages of their career".
Prof. Gaffen's work focuses on T cell cytokines, especially the interleukin-17 (IL-17) superfamily, where her team has shown how molecular signalling mechanisms protect the body against fungal infections (like Candida albicans) or dysregulate immunity to drive autoimmune diseases including psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Prof. Gaffen earned her BSc from Carnegie Mellon University and her PhD from UC Berkeley, followed by postdoctoral training at UC San Francisco, where her seminal research investigated the molecular aspects of interleukin-2 (IL-2) signalling pathways in lymphocytes.
After launching her independent academic career at the State University of New York at Buffalo, she transitioned to studying the enigmatic IL-17 superfamily of cytokine receptors, becoming one of the first in the field to evaluate its signalling pathways and its role in mucosal infections, in particular oral fungal infections caused by Candida albicans.
She also served as Vice President and President of the International Cytokine & Interferon Society and is a Fellow of the AAAS, American Academy of Microbiology and the American Association of Immunologists.
She said: "I am delighted to take on the role of Director of the Lydia Becker Institute at such an exciting time for immunology at The University of Manchester. The critical role of the immune system in virtually all disease conditions not to mention healthy ageing, next-generation drugs and vaccines, is clear. The ecosystem in Manchester - with its diverse expertise across immunology as well as ties to the NHS trusts - provides opportunities to bridge immunology across disciplines.
"I'm eager to work with partner centres and institutes, including CRUK Manchester Institute and the Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre in fields such as cancer immunology, neuroimmunology, and women's health. I am personally passionate about mentoring and inspiring the next generation of scientists, especially fostering a diverse and inclusive training environment to bring out everyone's best scientific potential.
"Relocating from the US to lead the institute is an exciting, admittedly daunting, new chapter in my career. I am already facing Manchester's ultimate test: choosing my football team!"
Prof. Gaffen will take over leadership of the Becker from our current director Prof. Tracy Hussell on January 1st 2027. Tracy spearheaded the establishment of the institute and will step down after eight years in the role.
Prof. Hussell will now look forward to dedicating more of her time to developing the next generation of scientific talent. Having recently received the Nature Lifetime Achievement Award for Mentoring in Science for her career-long commitment to guiding emerging researchers, she is eager to lean further into this passion.
She said: "I will now focus on my mentorship role and providing assistance to Sarah whenever she needs it. Watch this space, there are exciting times ahead!"
"If I had to pick a few highlight from my eight years as Becker Director, they would be the diversification of Manchester's immunology portfolio through our excellent body of early career fellows, our strength of interaction with Manchester's NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, our interdisciplinary interactions through our Wellcome Trust 4-year Immunomatrix in Complex Disease PhD programme and finally our new MRC Centre of Research Excellence in Exposome Immunology led by Judi Allen and Fiona Powrie.
Prof. Gaffen joins the Lydia Becker Institute at a particularly important time for Manchester immunology as we are just establishing our MRC Centre of Research Excellence in Exposome Immunology and currently uniting many of our core immunology teams within the University's AV Hill Building to form a Becker Immunology Hub.
Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester said: "I am delighted that Sarah will be joining The University of Manchester. She is an outstanding choice to lead the Lydia Becker Institute, bringing internationally recognised expertise in clinically-relevant cytokine biology and a strong commitment to mentoring and developing researchers. Sarah's vision and leadership will build on the Institute's existing strengths, helping to drive innovation, deliver real-world impact, and further enhance our world-leading immunology research."
