Early career researcher acknowledged for work to better understand thymus function

Research Fellow, Dr Emilie Cosway from the Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, has been granted the Gerald J. Gleich Award 2022 by the International Eosinophil Society.

The award, bestowed biennially and announced this week, aims to recognise the most important publication in the field in the last two years.

The award recognises Dr Cosway’s work on understanding thymus regeneration, which was published in Science Immunology earlier in 2022.

The thymus is an important organ where T-cells are made. These cells are vital to mounting an immune response. Under stress, such as an infection or following cancer treatment, the thymus reduces in size and its function can become impaired.

Dr Cosway and team studied the mechanisms that allow the thymus to regenerate following irradiation. A type of white blood cell, called eosinophils, were found to be key to the regeneration mechanism. This understanding could be used to enhance thymus function, for example in patients who have undergone cancer treatment or even in older people where thymus activity reduces over time.

Dr Cosway will collect her award and give a guest lecture at the 12th Biennial Symposium of the International Eosinophil Society in Ontario, Canada in July 2023.