lupus research team

Professor Jo Spencer

Jo Spencer.jpg

Jo Spencer has had a career-long interest in human immunology, in particular the structure and function of the gut-associated lymphoid tissue and the origin of human intestinal IgA plasma cells.

It has recently become evidence that intestinal immune system can shape many factors that regulate the entire systemic immune system and that failures in this system can lead to autoimmunity.  Her current research in the Department of Immunobiology at Guy’s hospital focuses on the association between intestinal autoimmunity  and autoimmunity, in particular systemic lupus erythematosus and granulomatosis with polyangiitis.

Professor Deena Gibbons

Professor Deena Gibbons has had a long interest in immunology, in particular the development and function of the immune system in human infants, how this impacts lifelong immunity and subsequently the development of different autoimmune diseases.

Deena currently works in the Department of Immunobiology at Guy’s hospital focusing on B cell phenotype in human infants and how this compares to B cells in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Dr Sahil Jain

Dr Sahil Jain - Post-CCT Senior Clinical Research Fellow, Louise Coote Lupus Unit, Guy’s Hospital. London.

Dr Jain qualified medical school in 2010 from Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, India. Subsequently he completed his post-graduate training in Internal Medicine from India and dual accredited training in Rheumatology and General Internal Medicine from the West of Scotland deanery.

With his special interests in SLE and vasculitis, he relocated to London to work at the prestigious Louise Coote Lupus Unit at Guy’s Hospital.

He is currently working as a post-CCT Senior Clinical Research fellow, and is a sub-investigator for several trials in SLE and vasculitis. Under the tutelage of Professor Jo Spencer and Professor David D’Cruz, he is  investigating the possibility that DNA from gut bacteria could drive the production of anti-DNA antibodies that are a key feature of disease in patients with lupus.

Alana Dalton

Alana Dalton completed her BSc in Biomedical Science at the University of Sussex before specialising in Immunology with a Master's degree at King’s College London.

She subsequently began her PhD at King’s College London under the supervision of Professor Deena Gibbons and Professor Jo Spencer, funded by the Lupus Trust.

Now in the third year of her PhD, her research focuses on B cells in human infants, exploring their development and potential function during bacterial infections.

Xiaowen Sun

Xiaowen Sun achieved a Distinction grade in her Masters degree in Immunology at KCL, graduating in 2025. As part of this course, she did a research project in the Spencer lab where she learned computational methods for analysis of electronic image data.

She is now a Research Assistant funded by the Lupus Trust, studying cells in the human gut and liver tissues that we propose are responsible for identifying and breaking down DNA from gut microbes, to prevent microbial DNA from stimulating an anti-DNA response systemically.

Xiaowen is currently looking for a PhD studentship starting 2026 to support her ambition to become an independent scientist.

Why nightmares and ‘daymares’ could be early warning signs of autoimmune disease

Why nightmares and ‘daymares’ could be early warning signs of autoimmune disease

An increase in nightmares and hallucinations – or ‘daymares’ – could herald the onset of autoimmune diseases such as lupus, say an international team led by researchers at the University of Cambridge and King’s College London.

The researchers argue that there needs to be greater recognition that these types of mental health and neurological symptoms can act as an early warning sign that an individual is approaching a ‘flare’, where their disease worsens for a period.

Amaka Ejibe - Research Trial Coordinator.

Amaka studied a degree in Pharmaceutical Science at Kingston University and graduated in 2004.

She has been working in varying roles within Clinical Research since 2005 and working within Lupus Research since 2015.

Her role as a Clinical Trial Coordinator is to support Doctors, Pharmacy and Research Nurses facilitate Research within the department.

Study finds ‘startling’ levels of hidden mental health symptoms among autoimmune disease patients

Study finds ‘startling’ levels of hidden mental health symptoms among autoimmune disease patients

In a study published today in Rheumatology, researchers found that over half of the patients had rarely or never reported their mental health symptoms to a clinician, and that the range of possible mental health and neurological symptoms is much wider than has been previously reported.

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