Professor Claudio Mauro MSc PhD FHEA

Claudio Mauro

Department of Inflammation and Ageing
Professor of Metabolism and Inflammation
British Heart Foundation Senior Basic Science Research Fellow

Contact details

Address
Department of Inflammation and Ageing
College of Medicine and Health
University of Birmingham
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Mindelsohn Way
Birmingham, B15 2WB

Professor Mauro trained as biochemist and cellular biologist before starting to approach immunological questions with his own group, motivated by the recent ‘renaissance’ in the interest in metabolism in widespread fields of the basic and clinical science.

Professor Mauro holds a Senior Basic Science Fellowship from the British Heart Foundation. He jointly leads a new Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network called UNION, which is bringing together leaders in frailty, ageing biology and medicine, inflammation, immunosenescence, immunometabolism and stem cell biology to train early career researchers.

He is also currently an editor of Clinical and Experimental Immunology and the British Journal of Pharmacology, an advisor on the board of Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, and sits on the College of Experts of Wellcome Trust and UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowships, as well as the Versus Arthritis Early Detection and Targeted Treatments, "Discovery" Panel.

Read more online about the Mauro Research Group

Per i lettori italiani: Nel laboratorio del Professor Claudio Mauro, tra passione e successo.

Entrepreneurships:

  • Lmito Therapeutics Scientific Advisory Board Member
  • Solute Guard Therapeutics (SGTx) CSO and Founder: launched a spin-out company to commercialise a pipeline of therapeutics against a variety of inflammatory diseases.

Qualifications

  • Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale (ASN) a Professore di I Fascia (Italy), 2023
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA, UK), 2016
  • PhD in Molecular Oncology and Endocrinology, University of Naples Federico II (Italy), 2007
  • Medical Biotechnology Degree (combined 5 year BSc and MSc programme, 1st class Honours), University of Naples Federico II (Italy), 2002
  • Classical Humanities High School Diploma, Virgilio Institute, Lecce (Italy), 1997

Biography

Professor Mauro graduated from the University of Naples “Federico II” in Italy with a combined 5-year BSc and MSc degree in Medical Biotechnology in 2002 followed by a PhD in Molecular Oncology and Endocrinology in 2007.

Postgraduate supervision

Professor Mauro has supervised the following individuals during their MSc, PhD or during their post-doc. The next position of past members of the group is noted in brackets:

PhD students
DateName
Oct 24 -  Ms Tompkins, MRC AIM (Co-Supervisory Team) 
Oct 24 -  Ms Ali, MRC AIM (2nd Supervisor)
Oct 23 – current Ms Gope, British Heart Foundation Senior Fellowship (1st Supervisor)
Oct 23 – current Ms Crastin, Biomedical Research Centre – Sarcopenia Unit (2nd Supervisor)
Oct 23 – current Ms Rudzinska, Biomedical Research Centre – Sarcopenia Unit (2nd Supervisor)
Oct 19 – Dec 23 Dr Conway, Centre for Musculo-skeletal Ageing Research (2nd supervisor)
Oct 19 - Sep 23 Dr Kucuk, Centre for Musculo-skeletal Ageing Research/UoB Professorial Fellowship (1st supervisor; then Research Scientist at Biotech)
Oct 18 – Mar 22 Dr Hussein, Centre for Musculo-skeletal Ageing Research PhD student (2nd supervisor; then post-doc at UoOxford))
Mar 16 – Feb 19 Dr Pucino (MD), AR-UK Clinical Research Fellow (1st supervisor; then clinical fellow at UoB)
Dec 12 – Mar 16 Dr Haas, MRC PhD student (1st supervisor; then post-doc at The Francis Crick Institute)
Feb 12 – Oct 15 Dr Cheung, BHF PhD student (2nd supervisor; then post-doc at QMUL)
Masters students
DateName
Dec 23 - current Mr Konesh, MRes Inflammation and Ageing
Dec 23 - current Ms Oancea, MSci Biomedical Science
Nov 21 - Sep 23 Ms Gope, MRes Inflammation and Ageing (then PhD student at UoBirmingham)
May 23 - Aug 23 Ms Joe, MSc Immunology and Immunotherapy
Dec 22 - Mar 23 Ms Hussain, MSci Biomedical Science
May 22 - Aug 22 Ms Harte, MSc Immunology and Immunotherapy (then research assistant at UoCambridge)
Apr 21 – Aug 21 Mr Owen, MSc Immunology and Immunotherapy (then research assistant at The Binding Site)
Apr 19 – Aug 19 Mr Radvan, MSc Immunology & Immunotherapy (then PhD student at UoVienna)
Feb 18 – Aug 18 Ms Bono, MSc Immunology (then research assistant at QMUL)
Jan 15 – Sep 15 Ms Poojara, MRes Inflammation (then research assistant at ICL)
Jan 15 – Sep 15 Ms Macdougall, MRes Inflammation (then BHF-funded PhD student at QMUL)
Jan 14 – Sep 14 Ms Mistry, MRes Inflammation (then PhD student at QMUL)
Postdoctoral Fellows
DateName
Mar 20 – current Dr Llibre, Marie-Curie Fellow/UoBirmingham Assistant Professor
Jun 17 - current Dr Certo, BHF/UoB Professorial Fellowship/MRC-funded post-doc
May 19 – Dec 23 Dr Niven, UoB Professorial Fellowship-funded post-doc (then post-doc at UoBirmingham)
Aug 16 – Jul 18 Dr Cucchi, BHF-funded post-doc (then post-doc at the Barts Cancer Institute, QMUL)
Apr 13 – Mar 17 Dr Smith, BHF-funded Graduate Research Assistant (then Higher Scientific Officer at ICR Sutton)
Visiting Fellows
DateName
Feb 24 – current Prof Rahimzadeh, visiting professor (Homozigan University, Iran)
Nov 23 – Jan 24 Ms Brescia, visiting PhD student (UoCatanzaro, Italy; then back to UoCatanzaro)
Nov 22 – Oct 23 Dr Bingsheng Wang, visiting post-doctoral fellow (Jinan University, China; then back to Jinan University)
Jan 19 – June 19 Dr Hagar Elkafrawy, visiting lecturer (UoAlexandria, Egypt; then back to UoAlexandria)
Oct 14 – Jul 16 Dr Cucchi, Institute Pasteur Foundation Cenci-Bolognetti Post-doctoral Fellow (then BHF-funded post-doc in the Mauro’s group at QMUL)

If you are interested in studying any of these subject areas please contact Professor Claudio Mauro directly, or for any general doctoral research enquiries, please email mds-gradschool@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

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

Research

The research in the Mauro’s group focuses on the interconnections between metabolic and inflammatory pathways and how systemic and cellular metabolic alterations in diseases with an inflammatory component lead to aberrant immune cell responses, which favour both the establishment and the propagation of inflammation. In particular, they investigate the mechanisms of metabolic control of T cell-mediated immune responses, including migration, differentiation and cytokine production in physiology and under metabolic stress.

  • One key area of their research is how small metabolites, like lactate, which accumulates locally in the inflamed tissue or systemically during acute and chronic inflammation, can impact the fate of the immune-inflammatory response via induction of  intracellular metabolic rewiring with immediate effect on broad range human diseases.
  • Another important aspect of their research is how fatty acids can impact the outcomes of an immune response, with repercussions on obesity-related diseases.

Overall, their studies indicate that interfering with metabolic pathways (i.e., lipid, glucose and oxidative metabolism) alters immune cell effector functions and can be exploited for therapy.

Their main research outputs are:

Professor Mauro research is embedded in the Departments of Inflammation and Ageing (IIA), Cardiovascular Sciences (ICVS) and Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing (CMAR), Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), Centre for Neurogenetics Research, and Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Sarcopenia and Multi-morbidity, Thrombo-Inflammation and Women's Metabolic Health Units.

Professor Mauro is also active on engaging the public and the students communities:

 

Other activities

Editorial Board Memberships

External Committee Memberships

  • Arthritis Research UK Foundation Fellowships (2019)
  • Nutrition-responsiveness of the immune system (NUTRIMMUNE)” international call of the Joint Programming Initiative “a Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life” (JPI HDHL)  (2022)
  • Wellcome Trust CDA and Discovery Awards Immunology Panel (2023)
  • UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships (2023 - current)
  • Versus Arthritis Early Detection and Targeted Treatments, "Discovery" Panel (2024)

Internal Committee Memberships

  • REF2021 Committee, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing (Co-Lead - Outputs) and MDS (2020-21)
  • BHF Accelerator Award Grant Committee (2020-2023)
  • Research Strategy Committee (Co-Lead), Institute of Inflammation and Ageing (2021-2023)
  • BHF Strategy Group (current)
  • PGR Committee, Department of Inflammation and Ageing (current)
  • Research Strategy Committee, Department of Inflammation and Ageing (current)
  • Executive Committee, Department of Inflammation and Ageing (current)

Entrepreneurships

  • Lmito Therapeutics Scientific Advisory Board Member (current)
  • Solute Guard Therapeutics (SGTx) CSO and Founder (launching June/July 2024)

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Conway, J, De Jong, EN, White, AJ, Dugan, B, Paddison Rees, N, Parnell, SM, Lamberte, LE, Sharma‐Oates, A, Sullivan, J, Mauro, C, van Schaik, W, Anderson, G, Bowdish, DME & Duggal, NA 2024, 'Age‐related loss of intestinal barrier integrity plays an integral role in thymic involution and T cell ageing', Aging Cell. https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.14401

ICCARP, Short, E, Calimport, SRG & Bentley, BL 2024, 'Defining an Ageing-Related Pathology, Disease or Syndrome: International Consensus Statement', GeroScience. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-024-01315-9

Griffiths, K, Grand, RJ, Horan, I, Certo, M, Keeler, RC, Mauro, C, Tseng, C-C, Greig, I, Morrell, NW, Zanda, M, Frenneaux, MP & Madhani, M 2024, 'Fluorinated perhexiline derivative attenuates vascular proliferation in pulmonary arterial hypertension smooth muscle cells', Vascular Pharmacology, vol. 156, 107399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vph.2024.107399

Certo, M, Niven, J, Haas, R, Rudzinska, P, Smith, J, Cucchi, D, Hombrebueno, JR & Mauro, C 2024, 'The sedoheptulose kinase CARKL controls T cell cytokine outputs and migration by promoting metabolic reprogramming', Discovery Immunology. https://doi.org/10.1093/discim/kyae016

Bradford, HF, McDonnell, TCR, Stewart, A, Skelton, A, Ng, J, Baig, Z, Fraternali, F, Dunn-Walters, D, Isenberg, DA, Khan, AR, Mauro, C & Mauri, C 2024, 'Thioredoxin is a metabolic rheostat controlling regulatory B cells', Nature Immunology, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 873-885. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-024-01798-w

Wijesinghe, S, Badoume, A, Nanus, D, Sharma-Oates, A, Farah, H, Certo, M, Alnajjar, FAQ, Davis, E, Mauro, C, Lindsay, MA & Jones, S 2023, 'Obesity defined molecular endotypes in the synovium of patients with osteoarthritis provides a rationale for therapeutic targeting of fibroblast subsets', Clinical and Translational Medicine, vol. 13, no. 4, e1232. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1232

Grudzinska, F, Jasper, A, Sapey, E, Thickett, D, Mauro, C, Scott, A & Barlow, J 2023, 'Real-time assessment of neutrophil metabolism and oxidative burst using extracellular flux analysis', Frontiers in immunology, vol. 14, 1083072. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1083072

Comment/debate

Gope, A & Mauro, C 2024, 'When ceramides meet immune senescence, a GIMAP5 connection', Nature Immunology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-023-01736-2

Certo, M, Niven, J & Mauro, C 2023, 'Repurposing SGLT2 inhibitors for autoimmune diseases? YES, WE MAY!', Cell Chemical Biology, vol. 30, no. 9, pp. 1009-1011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.07.020

Editorial

Ruscica, M, Macchi, C & Mauro, C 2024, 'Unravelling the link between immunity and obesity in adolescents', Journal of Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.08.019

Papapetropoulos, A, Alexander, SPH, Cortese-Krott, M, Kendall, DA, Martemyanov, K, Mauro, C, Panettieri, RA, Patel, HH, Schulz, R, Stefanska, B, Stephens, GJ, Teixeira, MM, Vergnolle, N, Wang, XJ & Ferdinandy, P 2023, 'Recent changes in the British Journal of Pharmacology: widening scope and improving author and editor experience', British Journal of Pharmacology, vol. 180, no. 17, pp. 2193-2195. https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.16169

Review article

Maffia, P, Mauro, C, Case, A & Kemper, C 2024, 'Canonical and non-canonical roles of complement in atherosclerosis', Nature Reviews Cardiology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41569-024-01016-y

Certo, M, Rahimzadeh, M & Mauro, C 2024, 'Immunometabolism in atherosclerosis: a new understanding of an old disease', Trends in Biochemical Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibs.2024.06.003

Wang, X, Izzo, AA, Papapetropoulos, A, Alexander, SPH, Cortese-Krott, M, Kendall, DA, Martemyanov, KA, Mauro, C, Panettieri, RA, Patel, HH, Schulz, R, Stefanska, B, Stephens, GJ, Teixeira, MM, Vergnolle, N & Ferdinandy, P 2024, 'Natural product pharmacology: the British Journal of Pharmacology perspective', British Journal of Pharmacology, vol. 181, no. 19, pp. 3547-3555. https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.17300

Papapetropoulos, A, Topouzis, S, Alexander, SPH, Cortese‐Krott, M, Kendall, DA, Martemyanov, KA, Mauro, C, Nagercoil, N, Panettieri, RA, Patel, HH, Schulz, R, Stefanska, B, Stephens, GJ, Teixeira, MM, Vergnolle, N, Wang, X & Ferdinandy, P 2024, 'Novel drugs approved by the EMA, the FDA, and the MHRA in 2023: A year in review', British Journal of Pharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.16337

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