Centre for Inflammation Research

Dr Christopher Lucas

Our lab is interested in the molecular mechanisms that drive the resolution of inflammation and how these processes engage successful tissue repair after injury.

Dr Christopher Lucas

Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellow / Honorary Consultant in Respiratory Medicine

  • Centre for Inflammation Research

Contact details

Group Members

  • Finn Bruton - Research Technician
  • Naomi Gachanja - PhD student
  • Magdalena Oremek – Research technician
  • Jillian Stephen - Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Research Overview

Lung epithelial injury is the near-universal outcome of multiple pulmonary insults.  Rapid restoration of epithelial integrity prevents organ dysfunction and superadded bacterial infection, but aberrant tissue repair is a frequent and often fatal outcome in disease.  By understanding how the immune response assists with lung regeneration we aim to develop new treatments that promote lung repair after serious infection or damage.  In particular, macrophage-derived signals are critical in regeneration but these remain poorly understood.  We are investigating how macrophage-epithelial communication contributes to tissue repair and how this can be exploited therapeutically to treat disease.

The following PDF provides a brief visual summary of this group’s current research.

 

You can view a full catalogue of graphical research summaries for each group in the Centre for Inflammation Research by visiting our Research page.

Visit CIR’s Research page

Biographical Profile

I undertook medical training and a BSc (Hons) in Physiology at the University of Edinburgh.  I subsequently completed a Wellcome Trust funded PhD at the MRC Centre for Inflammation Research under the Edinburgh Clinical Academic Track (ECAT) scheme, investigating the role of immune cell apoptosis in the resolution of infection-driven lung inflammation under the supervision of Professors Adriano Rossi and Chris Haslett.  I then completed my clinical training in respiratory medicine and am currently a Wellcome Trust Clinical Career Development Fellow investigating immune cell driven lung epithelial repair after acute injury.

Honours and Awards

  • Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Career Development Fellowship, 2017
  • Scadding-Morriston-Davies Award, 2017
  • Banff International Inflammation Workshop Prize, 2017
  • Myre Sim Travel Grant, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 2016
  • Methven Prize, Scottish Thoracic Society Meeting, 2016
  • Myre Sim Award, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 2015
  • Ker Memorial Prize, Edinburgh Infectious Diseases Society, 2014
  • Myre Sim Award, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 2013
  • UK Adhesion Meeting Prize, 2013
  • Methven Prize, Scottish Thoracic Society Meeting, 2011
  • Banff International Inflammation Workshop Prize, 2011

Alumni

  • Amanda Croasdell Lucchini, Postdoctoral Researcher
  • Jennifer Felton, PhD student
  • Laura Hoodless, MSc student
  • Sidharth Sharma, BSc Hons student
  • Keith Allan, BSc Hons student
  • Mark Tait, BSc Hons student

Other Responsibilities

Honorary Consultant Respiratory Physician, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh

Co-lead investigator ICECAP consortium, a rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  ICECAP website.

Collaborators

  

 Highlighted publications 

  1. Tissue-Specific Immunopathology in Fatal COVID-19. Dorward DA, Russell CD, Um IH, Elshani M, Armstrong SD, Penrice-Randal R, Millar T, Lerpiniere CEB, Tagliavini G, Hartley CS, Randle NP, Gachanja NN, Potey PMD, Dong X, Anderson AM, Campbell VL, Duguid AJ, Al Qsous W, BouHaidar R, Baillie JK, Dhaliwal K, Wallace WA, Bellamy COC, Prost S, Smith C, Hiscox JA, Harrison DJ, Lucas CD. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2021 Jan 15;203(2):192-201. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202008-3265OC.
  2. Mcl-1 protects eosinophils from apoptosis and exacerbates allergic airway inflammation. Felton JM, Dorward DA, Cartwright JA, Potey PM, Robb CT, Gui J, Craig RW, Schwarze J, Haslett C, Duffin R, Dransfield I, Lucas CD, Rossi AG. Thorax. 2020 Jul;75(7):600-605. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2019-213204. Epub 2020 Apr 17.
  3. Interpreting an apoptotic corpse as anti-inflammatory involves a chloride sensing pathway. Perry JSA, Morioka S, Medina CB, Iker Etchegaray J, Barron B, Raymond MH, Lucas CD, Onengut-Gumuscu S, Delpire E, Ravichandran KS. Nat Cell Biol. 2019 Dec;21(12):1532-1543. doi: 10.1038/s41556-019-0431-1. Epub 2019 Dec 2.
  4. A noncanonical role for the engulfment gene ELMO1 in neutrophils that promotes inflammatory arthritis. Arandjelovic S, Perry JSA, Lucas CD, Penberthy KK, Kim TH, Zhou M, Rosen DA, Chuang TY, Bettina AM, Shankman LS, Cohen AH, Gaultier A, Conrads TP, Kim M, Elliott MR, Ravichandran KS. Nat Immunol. 2019 Feb;20(2):141-151. doi: 10.1038/s41590-018-0293-x. Epub 2019 Jan 14.
  5. Mer-mediated eosinophil efferocytosis regulates resolution of allergic airway inflammation. Felton JM, Lucas CD, Dorward DA, Duffin R, Kipari T, Vermeren S, Robb CT, MacLeod KG, Serrels B, Schwarze J, Haslett C, Dransfield I, Rossi AG. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2018 Dec;142(6):1884-1893.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2018.01.029. Epub 2018 Feb 8.

Funding

  • Wellcome Trust
  • UKRI (UK Research and Innovation)
  • Chief Scientist Office
  • Medical Research Scotland
  • Pathological Society
  • NC3Rs

Information on funding at Dr Chris Lucas' Research Explorer profile.