Photo of Professor Lance Turtle

Professor Lance Turtle BSc PhD MBBS FRCP DTMH

Chair and Honorary Consultant Physician in Infectious Diseases; Deputy head of Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology Clinical Infection, Microbiology & Immunology

    Research

    Research Overview

    Research Projects:

    FlaviPrime - the FlaviPrime study is looking at the cross-reactivity between flaviviruses in a model system, using an infectious attenuated vaccine in a unique human experimental system. We have used the recombinant Japanese encephalitis vaccine IMOJEV in Europe for the first time. We have studied the new antibody response using single cell sequencing of plasmablasts, and we have cloned antibodies to study their specificity and cross-reactivity. We are also studying T cell responses to vaccines against Japanese encephalitis.

    ZikaVac - ZikaVac (lead: Prof Neil French) is taking a novel Zika vaccine designed to generate a broad and physiological immune response into first in human trials. I am responsible for the immune endpoint work for the study, and partly for the clinical conduct of the study.

    PITCH/SIREN - I am co-PI of the SIREN study in Liverpool, and I run the Liverpool arm of the PITCH consortium (lead: Prof Susie Dunachie) alongside Dr Dan Wootton. PITCH (Protective Immunity from T Cells in Healthcare workers) is a collaboration between 6 universities and UK-HSA

    ARBO-UK - the ARBO-UK study is lead by Dr Lynsey Goodwin and is prospectively collecting cases of arbovirus infection imported into the UK. ARBO-UK is funded by NIHR, through the HPRU in emerging and zoonotic infections, in collaboration with UK-HSA and Dr Tom Fletcher

    Cross-reactive T cells in human virus infection - we are studying the potential of cross-reactive T cells to kill cells infected with viruses that have never infected the host. We hope to identify common T cell antigens that could form the basis of of multi-valent vaccines.

    CCP Cancer - I am co-CI of the CCP cancer study alongside Prof Carlo Palmieri. This study is examining the effects of COVID-19 on patients with cancer.

    A full list of publications can be found here (Google Scholar) or here (Pubmed)

    Research Interest 1

    Neurological infections, immunology of Flavivirus infections, T lymphocytes, T cells receptor cross reactivity.

    Research Group Membership

    Research Grants

    University of Liverpool - NIMHANS Collaborative Programme

    PRATIKSHA TRUST (INDIA)

    November 2023 - October 2029

    Design of a common epitope vaccine between Japanese encephalitis virus and Zika virus

    ROYAL SOCIETY

    March 2023 - March 2025

    Protective immunity from T cells to COVID-19 in Healthcare workers (PITCH)-2

    MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

    December 2022 - November 2024

    Interim support for ISARIC4C Clinical Characterisation Protocol (CCP) activation for acute severe hepatitis in children of unknown cause

    MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

    June 2022 - September 2024

    Understanding host interactions with high consequence pathogens using super resolution light microscopy in biocontainment

    BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

    August 2022 - July 2023

    A UK underpinning platform to study immunology and immunopathology of COVID-19:The UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium

    MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

    August 2020 - August 2022

    CCP–CANCER UK: Clinical Characterisation Protocol for Severe Emerging Infections in the UK (CCP-UK) – a prospective companion study for patients with Cancer and COVID-19.

    MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL, THE CLATTERBRIDGE CANCER CHARITY (UK)

    June 2020 - February 2023

    COVID-19 vaccine responses in follicular lymphoma: impact of frontline therapy options

    UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (UK)

    April 2021 - September 2022

    NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections (HPRU EZI)

    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)

    April 2020 - March 2025

    COVID-19 vaccine responses in follicular lymphoma: impact of frontline therapy options (PETReA)

    BLOOD CANCER UK (UK)

    May 2021 - November 2022

    CCP - UK

    MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

    March 2020 - September 2022

    How well do new vaccines against COVID-19 work in people with follicular lymphoma

    UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (UK)

    January 2021 - March 2021

    Characterization of severe coronavirus infection in humans and model systems for medical countermeasure development and evaluation

    FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTATION (USA)

    September 2020 - September 2025

    Investigation of proven vaccine breakthrough by SARS-CoV-2 variants in established UK healthcare worker cohorts: SIREN consortium & PITCH Plus Pathway

    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK), MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

    November 2020 - February 2023

    NIHR Global Health Research Group on Improving the Management of Acute Brain Infections at University of Liverpool

    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)

    April 2018 - December 2022

    Understanding cross-reactive immunity to Japanese encephalitis virus (FlaviPrime)

    WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

    July 2017 - June 2022

    A phase I study of recombinant poxvirus Zika vaccines

    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)

    September 2017 - March 2022

    Adjuvant free vaccines and companion diagnostics to control emerging flaviviruses

    INNOVATE UK (UK)

    May 2017 - April 2018

    Zika Preparedness Latin American Network — ZikaPLAN

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION

    October 2016 - March 2021

    Human T lymphocyte responses in Japanese encephalitis

    WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

    October 2009 - January 2014