Dr Alex Richter MBChB, MRCP, FRCPath, MD

Alex Richter

Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy
Senior lecturer and Consultant in Clinical Immunology

Contact details

Telephone
+44(0)121 414 4069
Fax
+44(0)121 414 3069
Email
a.g.richter@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy
College of Medical and Dental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Alex has been leading a team of experts from the University of Birmingham to develop a SARS-CoV-2 antibody test focussed on improving detection in individuals with mild COVID-19 disease. In collaboration with The Binding Site this is being commercialised.

In collaboration with University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and Birmingham Dental Hospital this test has been used to investigate seroprevalence in NHS medical and dental staff, determine antibody status for Oxford vaccine study and determine COVID -19 to be the cause of a newly emerged multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children.

Qualifications

  • MBChB (Birmingham)
  • MRCP (London)
  • FRCPath
  • MD (Birmingham)

Biography

Dr Alex Richter earned her undergraduate medical degree from the University of Birmingham (UoB) and undertook her junior doctor training within the British Army. After 10 years military service she returned to Birmingham to undertake a doctorate at UoB exploring the immunology of pulmonary vasculitis and interstitial lung disease. She undertook specialist training in Immunology and Allergy, predominantly at the Birmingham Heartlands Hospital and was appointed as Clinical Lecturer at the University of Birmingham to complete her training. This time was spent establishing clinical services at University Hospitals Birmingham, where she is now a Consultant Clinical Immunologist running a comprehensive Immunology and Allergy service. She holds the position of Senior lecturer at the University of Birmingham, where she is developing her research interest in the diverse and emerging field of secondary immunodeficiency. Alex contributes to teaching in the college, including programme lead for the MSc in Blood sciences and module lead for 2nd year medical students, and is a Consultant for the Clinical Immunology Service NHS and research laboratory.

Teaching

  • MSc in Blood Sciences
    • Programme Lead
    • Personal Mentor
  • MBChB
    • 2nd year Immunity, infection and haematology – module lead, lecturer and small group tutor
    • 3rd year Allergy lecturer
    • Personal Mentor
  • BMedSc
    • Clinical Pathology – Lecturer for year 2 & year 3
    • Clinical Sciences – Lecturer and project supervisor
  • MSc in Immunology and Immunotherapy – Lecturer
  • MPharm – 2nd year Immunology module

Postgraduate supervision

Alex currently supervises:

  • 1 PhD student
  • 1 MD student
  • 1 Clinical research fellow
  • 2 MSc students
  • 1 Mpharm student
  • 1 BMedSc Clinical Sciences student

If you are interested in studying with Alex, please contact her on the contact details above, or for any general doctoral research enquiries, please email: dr@contacts.bham.ac.uk or call +44 (0)121 414 5005.

For a full list of available Doctoral Research opportunities, please visit our Doctoral Research programme listings.

Research

Research interests are focused on the emerging field of secondary immunodeficiency; exploring diagnostics, vaccination and management of patients with an immunodeficiency secondary to either haematological malignancy or prolonged immunosuppression for an inflammatory disorder. Grant funding includes: Fight For Sight Small Grant Awards Scheme, MRC Infections & Immunity project grant.

Other activities

  • Clinical lead for Immunology and Allergy services at University Hospitals Birmingham
    Clinical interests include secondary immunodeficiency and complex aeroallergy
  • Clinical Immunology Laboratory service – Consultant
  • Examiner for the FRCPath examination
  • Chair of West Midlands Immunology Network meeting

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Rapson, A, Collman, E, Faustini, S, Yonel, Z, Chapple, I, Drayson, M, Richter, A, Campbell, JP & Heaney, J 2020, 'Free light chains as an emerging biomarker in saliva: biological variability and comparisons with salivary IgA and steroid hormones', Brain, Behaviour, and Immunity, vol. 83, pp. 78-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2019.09.018

Patel, AJ, Richter, A, Drayson, MT & Middleton, GW 2020, 'The role of B lymphocytes in the immuno-biology of non-small-cell lung cancer', Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-019-02461-2

Heaney, J, Campbell, J, Iqbal, G, Cairns, DA, Richter, A, Child, JA, Gregory, WM, Jackson, G, Kaiser, MF, Owen, RG, Davies, FE, Morgan, GJ, Dunn, J & Drayson, M 2018, 'Characterisation of immunoparesis in newly diagnosed myeloma and its impact on progression-free and overall survival in both old and recent myeloma trials', Leukemia, vol. 32, no. 8, pp. 1727–1738. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-018-0163-4

Wall, NA, Dominguez-Medina, CC, Faustini, SE, Cook, CN, McClean, A, Jesky, MD, Perez-Toledo, M, Morgan, MD, Richter, AG, Ferro, CJ, Cockwell, P, Moss, PA, Henderson, IR, Harper, L & Cunningham, AF 2018, 'Humoral immunity to memory antigens and pathogens is maintained in patients with chronic kidney disease', PLoS ONE, vol. 13, no. 4, e0195730. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0195730

Herbert, JA, Kay, EJ, Faustini, S, Richter, A, Abouelhadid, S, Cuccui, J, Wren, B & Mitchell, T 2018, 'Production and efficacy of a low-cost recombinant pneumococcal protein polysaccharide conjugate vaccine', Vaccine, vol. 36, no. 26, pp. 3809-3819. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.05.036

Chanouzas, D, Sagmeister, M, Faustini, S, Nightingale, P, Richter, A, Ferro, C, Morgan, M, Moss, P & Harper, L 2018, 'Subclinical reactivation of cytomegalovirus drives CD4+CD28null T-cell expansion and impaired immune response to pneumococcal vaccination in ANCA-associated vasculitis', The Journal of Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiy493

Haldar, D, Cockwell, P, Richter, AG, Roberts, KJ & Hirschfield, GM 2016, 'An overview of the diagnosis and management of immunoglobulin G4-related disease', Canadian Medical Association Journal. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.151402

David Morgan, M, Richter, A, Al-Ali, S, Flint, J, Yiannakis, C, Drayson, M, Goldblatt, D & Harper, L 2016, 'Association of Low B Cell Count and IgG Levels With Infection, and Poor Vaccine Response With All-Cause Mortality in an Immunosuppressed Vasculitis Population', Arthritis Care & Research, vol. 68, no. 6, pp. 853-60. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.22757

MacLennan, CA, Richter, A, Hodson, J, Faustini, S, Birtwistle, J, Whitelegg, A, Chigiga, J, Singo, M, Walker-Haywood, J, Mulugeta, B, Masuka, S, Mainey, C, Plant, T, Drayson, MT & Manavi, K 2016, 'Brief Report: Immunization of HIV-Infected Adults in the UK With Haemophilus influenzae b/Meningococcal C Glycoconjugate and Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccines', JAIDS, vol. 73, no. 3, pp. 287-293. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000001054

Webb, G, Chen, Y-Y, Li, K-K, Neil, D, Oo, YH, Richter, A, Bigley, V, Collin, M, Adams, DH & Hirschfield, GM 2016, 'Single-gene association between GATA-2 and autoimmune hepatitis: a novel genetic insight highlighting immunologic pathways to disease', Journal of Hepatology, vol. 64, no. 5, pp. 1190–1193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2016.01.017

Parry, HM, Birtwistle, J, Whitelegg, A, Hudson, C, McSkeane, T, Hazlewood, P, Mudongo, N, Pratt, G, Moss, P, Drayson, MT, Murray, J & Richter, AG 2015, 'Poor functional antibody responses are present in nearly all patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, irrespective of total IgG concentration, and are associated with increased risk of infection', British Journal of Haematology, vol. 171, no. 5. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.13455

Dickinson, RE, Milne, P, Jardine, L, Zandi, S, Swierczek, SI, McGovern, N, Cookson, S, Ferozepurwalla, Z, Langridge, A, Pagan, S, Gennery, A, Heiskanen-Kosma, T, Hämäläinen, S, Seppänen, M, Helbert, M, Tholouli, E, Gambineri, E, Reykdal, S, Gottfreðsson, M, Thaventhiran, JE, Morris, E, Hirschfield, G, Richter, AG, Jolles, S, Bacon, CM, Hambleton, S, Haniffa, M, Bryceson, Y, Allen, C, Prchal, JT, Dick, JE, Bigley, V & Collin, M 2014, 'The evolution of cellular deficiency in GATA2 mutation', Blood, vol. 123, no. 6, pp. 863-74. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2013-07-517151

Whitelegg, A, Birtwistle, J, Richter, A, Campbell, J, Turner, J, Ahmed, T, Giles, L, Fellows, M, Plant, T, Ferraro, AJ, Cobbold, M, Drayson, M & MacLennan, C 2012, 'Measurement of antibodies to pneumococcal, meningococcal and haemophilus polysaccharides, and tetanus and diphtheria toxoids using a 19-plexed assay.', Journal of Immunological Methods. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jim.2012.01.007

Letter

Heaney, J, Richter, A, Bowcock, S, Pratt, G, Child, A, Jackson, G, Morgan, G, Truesson, I & Drayson, M 2020, 'Excluding myeloma diagnosis using revised thresholds for serum free light chain ratios and M-protein levels', Haematologica, vol. 105, no. 4, pp. e169-e171. https://doi.org/10.3324/haematol.2019.224360

Review article

Atkin, C, Richter, A & Sapey, E 2018, 'What is the significance of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance?', Clinical Medicine, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 391-396. https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmedicine.18-5-391

View all publications in research portal