Professor Paul Moss OBE FMedSci MB.BS PhD FRCPath

Professor Paul Moss

Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy
Deputy Head of College of Medical and Dental Sciences
Professor of Haematology

Contact details

Telephone
0121 414 2824
Email
p.moss@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy
University of Birmingham
Cancer Sciences Building
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
What is the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium?

Paul Moss is Professor of Haematology within the Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy at the University of Birmingham and Deputy Head of the College of Medical and Dental Sciences. He is an international figure in translational human immunology and an NIHR Senior Investigator. He was previously Chair of the Infection and Immunity Board at the Medical Research Council and also served as Chair of the Clinical and Translational Research Committee at Cancer Research UK.

Professor Moss led the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium (UK-CIC) that brought together leading immunologists from 20 UK universities to understand the immune response to SARS-CoV-2. UK-CIC launched in August 2020 with £6.5 million funding from UKRI and NIHR. It aimed to determine the mechanisms of virus-specific immunity and how these relate to clinical outcome in different patient groups. Published research support by UK-CIC can be viewed online.

He is currently leading the immunity strand of the COVID-19 National Core Studies Programme, initiated by Sir Patrick Vallance in October 2020, that supports research to improve our understanding of immunity against COVID-19.

As well as publishing in leading journals, including Nature, Blood and the European Journal of Immunology, Professor Moss's research has featured in the Financial Times, BBC News and The Economist.

Qualifications

  • M.A. Medical Sciences (University of Cambridge)
  • B.M. B.S. (University of Oxford)
  • Member of Royal College of Physicians UK
  • Fellow of Royal College of Pathologists
  • Ph.D
  • Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences
  • Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Teaching

Teaching Programmes

Teaching Activity

Professor Moss makes substantial contributions to teaching both within the University of Birmingham and beyond. He was previously Programme Director of the Intercalated Bachelor in Medical Sciences (Clinical Sciences) which offered medical students the opportunity to undertake an eight month research project during their undergraduate degree.

Research

Research Themes

Professor Moss’s research programme is based around the immunology of cancer, transplantation and viral infection. His team has an internationally competitive position in cytomegalovirus infection; bone marrow transplantation and cancer immunology. 

Research Activity

Professor Moss’s research is focussed around the application of translational immunological research in the study of human disease. His current research group includes clinical and non-clinical research scientists working on a range of different projects:

The immune response to cancer

The group study the innate, adaptive and stromal response in several human cancers, including leukaemia and lymphoma, as well as pancreatic, ovarian and testicular cancer. Important technologies include flow sorting, CyTOF and single cell RNA-Seq.

Immune control of human viral infection

With over 20 years of contribution within cytomegalovirus infection, the team continue to investigate the mechanisms and impact of chronic viral infection on human health. In recent years, Professor Moss has been making an extensive contribution to research related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. 

Mechanisms of graft-versus-leukaemia following stem cell transplantation

Stem cell (bone marrow) transplantation can cure chemo-resistant cancer and the team are working with colleagues within the College of Medical and Dental Sciences to uncover the mechanisms of this effect.

Additional research is undertaken with Professor Tatjana Stankovic on the genetics of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia and with colleagues within University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust on research using clinical informatics.

Professor Moss's work is supported by research programme grants and collaborations with industry. Several of his discoveries have been taken into clinical trials.

Professor Moss was a member of the UoA1 panel (Clinical Medicine) in REF 2021 and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the MATWIN cancer open-innovation platform in France. 

Other activities

Clinical Activity/NHS Affiliation

Professor Moss is an Honorary Consultant at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. His primary interests are in haemato-oncology and general haematology and he is the Clinical Service Lead for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia. He became an NIHR Senior Investigator in 2018.

He is currently Chair of the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform. He is also Chair of the Innovate/MRC Biomedical Catalyst Major Awards Panel.

In addition he has previously held a number of important academic appointments:

  • Chair of the Infections and Immunity Board and member of Strategy Board at the Medical Research Council
  • Chair of the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Clinical and Translational Research Committee (2008-2012)
  • Member of the Wellcome Trust Clinical Interview Committee

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Loke, J, Upasani, V, Gaskell, C, Fox, S, Fletcher, R, Thomas, C, Hopkins, L, Kumari, A, Tang, T, Yafai, E, Boucher, R, Homer, V, Toth, A, Chan, YLT, Randall, K, Rider, T, O'nions, J, Drew, V, Pillai, A, Dungarwalla, M, Murray, D, Khan, A, Wandroo, F, Moore, S, Krishnamurthy, P, Huang, YJ, Knapper, S, Byrne, J, Zhao, R, Craddock, C, Parry, H, Moss, P, Stanworth, SJ & Lowe, DM 2023, 'Defective T‐cell response to COVID‐19 vaccination in acute myeloid leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndromes', British Journal of Haematology, vol. 202, no. 3, pp. 498-503. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.18894

Verma, K, Croft, W, Pearce, H, Zuo, J, Stephens, C, Nunnick, J, Kinsella, F, Malladi, R & Moss, P 2023, 'Early expression of CD94 and loss of CD96 on CD8+ T cells after allogeneic SCT is predictive of subsequent relapse and survival', Haematologica, vol. 108, no. 2, pp. 433-443. https://doi.org/10.3324/haematol.2021.280497

Dowell, AC, Lancaster, T, Bruton, R, Ireland, G, Bentley, C, Sylla, P, Zuo, J, Scott, S, Jadir, A, Begum, J, Roberts, T, Stephens, C, Ditta, S, Shepherdson, R, Powell, AA, Brent, AJ, Brent, B, Baawuah, F, Okike, I, Beckmann, J, Ahmad, S, Aiano, F, Garstang, J, Ramsay, ME, Azad, R, Waiblinger, D, Willett, B, Wright, J, Ladhani, SN & Moss, P 2023, 'Immunological imprinting of humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in children', Nature Communications, vol. 14, no. 1, 3845. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39575-2

Dowell, AC, Tut, G, Begum, J, Bruton, R, Bentley, C, Butler, M, Uwenedi, G, Zuo, J, Powell, AA, Brent, AJ, Brent, B, Baawuah, F, Okike, I, Beckmann, J, Ahmad, S, Aiano, F, Garstang, J, Ramsay, ME, Moss, P & Ladhani, SN 2023, 'Nasal mucosal IgA levels against SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal coronaviruses are low in children but boosted by reinfection', Journal of Infection. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinf.2023.08.013

Barber, VS, Peckham, N, Duley, L, Francis, A, Abhishek, A, Moss, P, Cook, JA & Parry, HM 2023, 'Protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial examining the effects of temporarily pausing Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy to coincide with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and its impact on immune responses in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia', BMJ open, vol. 13, no. 9, e077946. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077946

Croft, W, Pearce, H, Margielewska-Davies, S, Lim, L, Nicol, SM, Zayou, F, Blakeway, D, Marcon, F, Powell-Brett, S, Mahon, B, Merard, R, Zuo, J, Middleton, G, Roberts, K, Brown, RM, Moss, P & Ng, T 2023, 'Spatial determination and prognostic impact of the fibroblast transcriptome in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma', eLife, vol. 12, 86125. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.86125

Pearce, H, Croft, W, Nicol, S, Margielewska-Davies, S, Powell, R, Cornall, R, Davis, S, Marcon, F, Pugh, M, Fennell, E, Powell-Brett, S, Mahon, B, Brown, RM, Middleton, G, Roberts, K & Moss, P 2023, 'Tissue-resident memory T cells in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma co-express PD-1 and TIGIT and functional inhibition is reversible by dual antibody blockade', Cancer immunology research, vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 435–449. https://doi.org/10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0121

Tut, G, Lancaster, T, Sylla, P, Butler, MS, Kaur, N, Spalkova, E, Bentley, C, Amin, U, Jadir, A, Hulme, S, Ayodele, M, Bone, D, Tut, E, Moss, P, Krutikov, M, Giddings, R, Shrotri, M, Azmi, B, Fuller, C, Baynton, V, Irwin-Singer, A, Hayward, A, Copas, A, Shallcross, L & Moss, P 2022, 'Antibody and cellular immune responses following dual COVID-19 vaccination within infection-naive residents of long-term care facilities: an observational cohort study', The Lancet Healthy Longevity, vol. 3, no. 7, pp. e461-e469. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-7568(22)00118-0

Hassan, N, Eldershaw, S, Stephens, C, Kinsella, F, Craddock, C, Malladi, R, Zuo, J & Moss, P 2022, 'CMV reactivation initiates long-term expansion and differentiation of the NK cell repertoire', Frontiers in immunology, vol. 13, 935949. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.935949

Dowell, AC, Butler, MS, Jinks, E, Tut, G, Lancaster, T, Sylla, P, Begum, J, Bruton, R, Pearce, H, Verma, K, Logan, N, Tyson, G, Spalkova, E, Margielewska-Davies, S, Taylor, GS, Syrimi, E, Baawuah, F, Beckmann, J, Okike, IO, Ahmad, S, Garstang, J, Brent, AJ, Brent, B, Ireland, G, Aiano, F, Amin-Chowdhury, Z, Jones, S, Borrow, R, Linley, E, Wright, J, Azad, R, Waiblinger, D, Davis, C, Thomson, EC, Palmarini, M, Willett, BJ, Barclay, WS, Poh, J, Amirthalingam, G, Brown, KE, Ramsay, ME, Zuo, J, Moss, P & Ladhani, S 2022, 'Children develop robust and sustained cross-reactive spike-specific immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection', Nature Immunology, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 40-49. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-021-01089-8

Comment/debate

Pather, S, Madhi, SA, Cowling, BJ, Moss, P, Kamil, JP, Ciesek, S, Muik, A & Türeci, Ö 2023, 'Corrigendum: SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants: burden of disease, impact on vaccine effectiveness and need for variant-adapted vaccines', Frontiers in immunology, vol. 14, 1232965. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1232965

Letter

Aquino, EN, Moss, P, Hafeez, M, Jasper, R, Kelly, T, Laidlaw, L & Wilkes, V 2023, 'The impact of patient and public involvement on COVID-19 immunology research: experiences from the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium', Research Involvement and Engagement, vol. 9, no. 1, 34. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-023-00446-1

Parry, H, Bruton, R, Roberts, T, Mcilroy, G, Damery, S, Sylla, P, Dowell, AC, Tut, G, Lancaster, T, Bone, D, Willett, B, Logan, N, Scott, S, Hulme, S, Jadir, A, Amin, U, Nicol, S, Stephens, C, Faustini, S, Al-taei, S, Richter, A, Blakeway, D, Verma, K, Margielewska-davies, S, Pearce, H, Pratt, G, Zuo, J, Paneesha, S & Moss, P 2022, 'COVID-19 vaccines elicit robust cellular immunity and clinical protection in chronic lymphocytic leukemia', Cancer Cell, vol. 40, no. 6, pp. 584-586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2022.05.001

Preprint

Croft, W, Pearce, H, Margielewska-Davies, S, Lim, L, Nicol, SM, Zayou, F, Blakeway, D, Marcon, F, Powell-Brett, S, Mahon, B, Merard, R, Zuo, J, Middleton, G, Roberts, K, Brown, RM & Moss, P 2023 'Spatial determination and prognostic impact of the fibroblast transcriptome in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma' bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.01.20.524883

Review article

Pather, S, Madhi, SA, Cowling, BJ, Moss, P, Kamil, JP, Ciesek, S, Muik, A & Türeci, Ö 2023, 'SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants: burden of disease, impact on vaccine effectiveness and need for variant-adapted vaccines', Frontiers in immunology, vol. 14, 1130539. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1130539

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

Cancer 

Immune response to cancer; immunity to viruses and related health problems; evolution in clinical medicine.

SARS-CoV-2 

Immune response; vaccinations.

Media experience

Multiple national and international media have quoted Professor Moss, including BBC News, The Economist, Reuters, The Guardian, and the Financial Times. Professor Moss has also delivered several press meetings through the Science Media Centre regarding the SARS-CoV-2 virus. 

Alternative contact number available for this expert: contact the press office

Expertise

Health

Cancer, including immune response to cancer and evolution in clinical medicine.

Haematology.

SARS-CoV-2.

Culture and collections

Schools, institutes and departments

Services and facilities