Medicine, University of Southampton

Professor Arshad was appointed to the Chair of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in 2009. He is also a consultant Physician at Southampton University Hospital Trust and Director of The David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre in Isle of Wight. Having graduated in Medicine from the University of Karachi, he trained in General Medicine and then specialised in Respiratory Medicine in the UK. He completed his DM from Southampton University working on prediction and prevention of asthma and allergic disease. Following a post-doc fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and a Senior Lectureship at Keele University, he was appointment to his current position in Southampton.

Professor Arshad leads a group that investigates natural history, genetic and environmental risk factors and prevention of asthma and allergic disease. He is a clinical epidemiologist with expertise in birth cohort studies, clinical trials, and the immunological and genetic basis of asthma and allergy. His research is based within the Faculty of Medicine and at The David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre on the Isle of Wight. The group includes both clinical and non-clinical scientists, clinical research fellows and nurses.

In the last 10 years, Professor Arshad has attracted grants of over £6 million, published over 100 articles in peer reviewed journals, authored or edited 8 books and 5 book chapters, and supervised several MSc, DM and PhD students. He has contributed to national and international guidelines, including the Department of Health’s report on allergy services in 2006 and the European guidelines for asthma and allergy prevention. He is also a member of the expert panel of the National Institute of Health (US), formulating guidelines and reviewing grants. He was awarded Pfizer Visiting Professor to the Michigan State University, Michigan, USA in 2004.

Qualifications

MBBS, Medicine and Surgery, Dow Medical College, (1979)
MRCP, Medicine, Royal College of Physicians (UK), (1986)
DM, Allergy, University of Southampton, (1993)
FRCP, Medicine, Royal College of Physicians (London), (2002)

Appointments held

Clinical Research Fellow, David Hide Asthma and Allergy Centre and University of Southampton. 1988-2002

Post-doctorate Fellow, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. 1993-1994

Consultant Physician, St. Mary’s Hospital, Isle of Wight and Director of David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, Isle of Wight. 1997-2003

Senior lecturer, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire. 2003-2007

Reader, III Research Division, University of Southampton. 2007-2009

Professor of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of Southampton. 2009-present

Professor Arshad’s research covers 4 linked areas; (i) epidemiology, genetic, epigenetic and environmental risk factors in asthma and allergy, (ii) allergy prevention, (iii) pathogenetic mechanisms in the development and persistence of asthma and allergy (iv) prevalence and diagnosis of food allergy. His research aims to improve the understanding of the development and persistence of asthma and allergic disease and test novel strategies for primary prevention.

(i) Epidemiology, natural history, genetic and environmental risk factors and epigenetic mechanisms in the origins and progression of asthma and allergy: Professor Arshad recruited the Isle of Wight birth cohort and has overseen regular assessments of these children from birth to 18 years of age. He oversees a programme of studies investigating gene-gene and gene-environment interactions and epigenetic regulation in the development of asthma and allergy, using the longitudinally collected cohort data and samples. These studies have been supported by several project grants from the National Institute of Health, USA. There is close collaboration with national and international groups working in this area. He holds joint grants and publications with Professor Karmaus, an epidemiologist from the University of South Carolina and Professor Ewart, a geneticist at Michigan State University. A further project relates to the recruitment of children born to the participants of the Isle of Wight birth cohort (now aged 22) into a study investigating genetic, epigenetic, and environmental exposures in the development of asthma and allergic disease. Specifically, he is investigating if certain environmental factors influence genetic expression via epigenetic mechanism (e.g. DNA methylation), if the effect on immune responses can be passed on to the subsequent generation and what factors inhibit or reverse this process. Another aim is to predict disease developemnt using epigenentic markers.

(ii) Primary and secondary prevention of asthma and allergy: His translational studies in this research area are funded by the National Institute of Health Research. The Isle of Wight primary prevention study was the first to test the effectiveness of a strict food and house dust mite allergen avoidance regime during infancy aimed at preventing allergic disease in high risk children. Contrary to findings of single allergen reduction strategies that have little or no clinical effect, the use of multifaceted interventions started from birth reduced allergic sensitisation and asthma by 25% to 50% (compared to control group). Another ongoing project, as part of the Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, is investigating the effect of house-dust mite sub-lingual immunotherapy for primary prevention of asthma and allergy in high risk children. The first results of this randomised controlled trial will be available in 2012/13. A third project has just been completed, investigating whether a low allergen environment, in specially built houses, improves symptom control and reduces medication requirement in house dust mite allergic asthmatics.

(iii) Understanding the mechanism of development and persistence of asthma. (a) Early life immune responses and development of allergic disease: As part of the Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, 300 infants at high and 60 infants at low heredity risk of allergy were recruited from birth. Assessments and sample collection during early childhood will improve understanding of the development of immune responses in early life and how immune tolerance develops naturally or induced, for example, by allergen immunotherapy. (b) Activation of the epithelial mesenchymal trophic unit (EMTU) and persistence of asthma: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the conducting airways with distinct structural and functional abnormalities. In a Medical Research Council funded programme grant, adolescents from the birth cohort, with persistent and remitted asthma, will be recruited and further characterized to assess airway function, bronchial responsiveness and atopy. Bronchial brushings and biopsies will be obtained for immunohistochemistry and tissue engineering studies investigating activation of the EMTU and tissue remodelling in vivo and in vitro.

(iv) Food/Nut allergy: Professor Arshad has investigated the prevalence, natural history and diagnosis of peanut and brazil nut allergies over two decades. Recently, in association with Professor Tara Dean of Portsmouth University, he has assessed the prevalence of food sensitization and allergy in four cohorts of children on the Isle of Wight. Further studies are planned to investigate the role of component resolved diagnosis in nut allergy and immunobiology of food allergy.

Academic unit:  Clinical and Experimental Sciences