Dr Hannah V Siddle is Lecturer in Molecular Biology within Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton.
Career History
2019 - present: Associate Professor in Molecular Immunology, University of Southampton, UK. 2013-2019: Lecturer in Molecular Biology, University of Southampton, UK. 2011-2013: EMBO Postdoctoral Research Fellow. University of Cambridge, UK. 2009-2011: NHMRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow. University of Cambridge, UK.
Academic Qualifications
2005-2009: PhD (Evolutionary genomics and genetics). University of Sydney, NSW, Australia. 1999-2004: Bachelor of Science (Hons Class I/Bachelor of Law). Macquarie University, NSW, Australia.
Research
Publications
Teaching
Contact
Research interests
How does cancer escape from the immune system?
My research is focused on how the immune system distinguishes self from non-self, uncovering the molecular mechanisms that control the recognition of cancer cells, pathogens and non-self cells. This work has applications to understanding how a pathogen interacts with its host and why some cancers are more aggressive and malignant than others.
My laboratory uses non-self and contagious cancers to understand the barrier between self and non-self, immune recognition and pathogen evolution. Cancer is not usually an infectious disease, but in some cases tumour cells acquire the ability to pass between individuals in a population. These cancers can be deadly to the species they infect and also challenge our understanding of how tumours grow and evolve. We focus on two examples in the Tasmanian devil, Devil Facial Tumour Disease 1 and 2, in addition to other cancer models, including choriocarcinoma, a cancer of the foetus that can invade maternal tissues.
The proteins responsible for recognising pathogens and cancer cells are called Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules, which are variable between individuals in a population. These molecules are essential for communicating to the immune system that a cell is self, non-self, infected or malignant. Our research is focused on why and how the MHC system 'breaks down' and fails to recognise these cancers.
Media articles on contagious cancers, immune evasion and vaccine strategies:
Saving The Devil An interactive multimedia from the Your Genome site of the Wellcome Genome Campus, which tells the story of Devil Facial Tumour Disease and outlines what we are doing to save the species. It is aimed at primary school children.
Investigation of the molecular mechanisms behind immune escape and recognition of a contagious cancer. Supervisors: Dr Hannah Siddle and Professor Tim Elliott Funded by the Gerald Kerkut Charitable Trust
Identifying peptide candidates for a vaccine against the contagious cancer, Devil Facial Tumour Disease
Cancer is not usually an infectious disease, but in some cases tumour cells acquire the ability to pass between individuals in a population. We are particularly interested in the two contagious cancers that circulate in the Tasmanian devil population, DFT1 and DFT2. Our research is focused on why and how the MHC system ‘breaks down’ in the case of contagious cancers.
Pye, R. J., Pemberton, D., Tovar, C., Tubio, J. M. C., Dun, K. A., Fox, S., Darby, J., Hayes, D., Knowles, G. W., Kreiss, A., Siddle, H. V. T., Swift, K., Lyons, A. B., Murchison, E. P., & Woods, G. M. (2016). A second transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(2), 374-379. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1519691113
Module Coordinator Biol1025 Fundamentals of Cell Biology and Physiology
Lecturer Biol1025 Fundamentals of Cell Biology and Physiology Biol1027 The Human Genome and Disease BIOL2022 Immunology, Infection and Inflammation BIOL3064 Cancer Chromosome Biology BIOL3022 Cell Signaling in Health and Disease
Dr Hannah V Siddle School of Biological Sciences Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences Life Sciences Building 85 University of Southampton Highfield Campus Southampton SO17 1BJ
