Dr Joanne Whittaker (nee Croudace)

Lecturer in Biomedical Science and Course Leader in Medical Sciences

School of Science and the Environment

Biological Sciences

Contact Details

Dr Joanne Whittaker is an Immunologist. Her PhD was undertaken at the University of Birmingham and focussed on Dendritic cell immunotherapy. Following awarding of her PhD she worked in the field of stem cell transplantation, with a particular focus on the early reconstitution of the immune system and the role of T cells in the development of graft vs host disease. As well as having a passion for immunology, Joanne is keen to inspire others through teaching and research supervision.

Qualifications

PhD – Dendritic cell Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham (2009)

MRes – Molecular and cellular immunology and oncology, University of Birmingham (2006)

BSc – Biochemistry and Neuroscience, Keele University (2004)

Teaching

Undergraduate teaching

First year

BIOL1005 Chemistry for the Life Sciences
BIOS1003 Health and disease
BIOS 1400 Professional and Technical Development in Biomedical Science.

Second year

BIOS2201 Molecular and cellular Biology
BIOS2023 Microbiology
BIOS2200 Project and Career Development

Third year

BIOS 3116 Clinical Biochemistry

Research

Joanne is an Immunologist with experience using techniques such as flow cytometry, immunohistochemical and fluorescent staining and tissue culture methods. Her previous research focussed on the development of the immune system post stem cell transplantation and the role of T cells in the development of graft vs host disease.

Joanne has used flow cytometry and immunohistochemical staining to show how the immune system develops early post allogeneic stem cell transplantation, to look at which cellular populations cause pathogenesis of graft versus host disease and to study how the onset of graft versus host disease may be predicted.

Joanne now aims to continue her research in the field of Immunology and Leukaemia research at the University of Worcester.

Publications

Unique features and clinical importance of acute alloreactive immune responses.

Inman CF, Eldershaw SA, Croudace JE, Davies NJ, Sharma-Oates A, Rai T, Pearce H, Sirovica M, Chan YLT, Verma K, Zuo J, Nagra S, Kinsella F, Nunnick J, Amel-Kashipaz R, Craddock C, Malladi R, Moss P.JCI Insight. 2018 May 17;3(10):e97219. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.97219. eCollection 2018 May 17.

NK cells produce high levels of IL-10 early after allogeneic stem cell transplantation and suppress development of acute GVHD.

Chan YLT, Zuo J, Inman C, Croft W, Begum J, Croudace J, Kinsella F, Maggs L, Nagra S, Nunnick J, Abbotts B, Craddock C, Malladi R, Moss P.Eur J Immunol. 2018 Feb;48(2):316-329. doi: 10.1002/eji.201747134. Epub 2017 Oct 27.

A disease-linked ULBP6 polymorphism inhibits NKG2D-mediated target cell killing by enhancing the stability of NKG2D ligand binding.

Zuo J, Willcox CR, Mohammed F, Davey M, Hunter S, Khan K, Antoun A, Katakia P, Croudace J, Inman C, Parry H, Briggs D, Malladi R, Willcox BE, Moss P.Sci Signal. 2017 May 30;10(481):eaai8904. doi: 10.1126/scisignal.aai8904

Memory B-cell reconstitution following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is an EBV-associated transformation event.

Burns DM, Tierney R, Shannon-Lowe C, Croudace J, Inman C, Abbotts B, Nagra S, Fox CP, Chaganti S, Craddock CF, Moss P, Rickinson AB, Rowe M, Bell AI.Blood. 2015 Dec 17;126(25):2665-75. doi: 10.1182/blood-2015-08-665000. Epub 2015 Oct 8.

Chemokine-mediated tissue recruitment of CXCR3+ CD4+ T cells plays a major role in the pathogenesis of chronic GVHD.

Croudace JE, Inman CF, Abbotts BE, Nagra S, Nunnick J, Mahendra P, Craddock C, Malladi R, Moss PA.Blood. 2012 Nov 15;120(20):4246-55. doi: 10.1182/blood-2012-02-413260. Epub 2012 Sep 25.

Identification of distinct human invariant natural killer T-cell response phenotypes to alpha-galactosylceramide.

Croudace JE, Curbishley SM, Mura M, Willcox CR, Illarionov PA, Besra GS, Adams DH, Lammas DA.BMC Immunol. 2008 Dec 3;9:71. doi: 10.1186/1471-2172-9-71

ATP-induced autophagy is associated with rapid killing of intracellular mycobacteria within human monocytes/macrophages.

Biswas D, Qureshi OS, Lee WY, Croudace JE, Mura M, Lammas DA.BMC Immunol. 2008 Jul 15;9:35. doi: 10.1186/1471-2172-9-35

Direct cell-to-cell spread of a pathogenic yeast.

Ma H, Croudace JE, Lammas DA, May RC.BMC Immunol. 2007 Aug 16;8:15. doi: 10.1186/1471-2172-8-15.

Bronchoalveolar lavage invariant natural killer T cells are not increased in asthma.

Mutalithas K, Croudace J, Guillen C, Siddiqui S, Thickett D, Wardlaw A, Lammas D, Brightling C.J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007 May;119(5):1274-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2007.02.021. Epub 2007 Apr 2.

Expulsion of live pathogenic yeast by macrophages.

Ma H, Croudace JE, Lammas DA, May RC.Curr Biol. 2006 Nov 7;16(21):2156-60. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2006.09.032

The 5-deoxy-5-methylthio-xylofuranose residue in mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan. absolute stereochemistry, linkage position, conformation, and immunomodulatory activity.

Joe M, Sun D, Taha H, Completo GC, Croudace JE, Lammas DA, Besra GS, Lowary TL.J Am Chem Soc. 2006 Apr 19;128(15):5059-72. doi: 10.1021/ja057373q