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Dr Elizabeth A Miles BSc, PhD, FHEA

Lecturer in Nutritional Immunology

Dr Elizabeth Miles is a Lecturer in Nutritional Immunology within Medicine at the University of Southampton.

Dr Elizabeth Miles is a Lecturer in Nutritional Immunology at the School of Human Development and Health within the Faculty of Medicine. Dr Miles holds an honors degree from Queen Mary College, London. Her PhD investigated early life immunology and the development of allergy. Her research focusses on immunomodulatory actions of nutrients including micronutrients, probiotics and omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Her research has shown that increasing the intake of omega 3 fatty acids in pregnancy in families with an increased risk of allergic disease results in a decrease in ex vivo production of mediators involved in the allergic response. She has published over 80 peer-reviewed research papers, 5 book chapters, and 20 reviews.

Dr Miles teaches on undergraduate and postgraduate courses on allergy and nutrition. She was highly commended for her teaching by the students, highly commended for the SUSU most engaging lecturer award in 2019. She is Deputy Programme Lead for the MSc Allergy at the University of Southampton.

Qualifications:

BSc (Hons), Microbiology with genetics, Queen Mary University of London, 1987

PhD, University of Southampton, 1995

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 2013

Appointments held:

Lecturer in Nutritional Immunology. (2018-present)

Senior Research Fellow, University of Southampton. (2000-2017)

Research Fellow, University of Southampton. (1999-2000)

Postdoctoral Research Assistant, University of Southampton. (1996-1999)

Research Assistant, University of Southampton. (1991-1996)

Research

Publications

Teaching

Contact

Research interests

Dr Miles research focusses on immunomodulatory actions of nutrients including micronutrients, probiotics, and omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. She has researched influences of early nutrition on offspring health and development, and the influence of specific nutrients in the maternal diet on the immune development of the offspring. Early research demonstrated that, the neonatal immune responses of babies who subsequently developed allergic symptoms were different from babies who did not. Dr Miles’ research has also showed that in healthy humans, supplementation with omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids results in a dose-dependent increase in omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma and immune cells and decreases ex vivo immune and inflammatory mediator production. Furthermore, increasing the intake of omega 3 fatty acids in pregnancy in families with an increased risk of allergic disease results in a decrease in ex vivo production of mediators involved in the allergic response. Dr Miles has published over 80 peer-reviewed research papers, 5 book chapters and 20 reviews based around her research interests.

PhD supervision

Current

(2018) Andreea Marat: Effects of vitamins C and D, and the mineral zinc on inflammation and immunity studied in vitro. Supervisors: Prof Philip Calder, Dr Elizabeth Miles and Dr Caroline Childs

(2015) Vivian Castro Herrera, Immune System and Inflammation in the Elderly: Effects of Probiotics. Prof Philip Calder, Dr Elizabeth Miles

Completed

(2015) Carina Valenzuela, Effect of 18-carbon cis and trans fatty acids on inflammatory responses of cultured human endothelial cells. Prof Philip Calder, Dr Elizabeth Miles

(2014) Ella Baker, Identifying and understanding anti-inflammatory effects of 18 carbon fatty acids from sustainable plant sources. Prof Philip Calder, Dr Elizabeth Miles

(2014) Helena Fisk, Influence of obesity and omega-3 fatty acids on adipose tissue inflammation. Prof Philip Calder, Dr Elizabeth Miles

(2013) Carolina Paras Chavez, The effect of n-3 PUFA on metabolic and inflammatory markers in normal weight and obese subjects and the modulation of inflammatory signals by different fatty acids in THP-1 derived macrophages. Prof Philip Calder, Dr Elizabeth Miles

Research group

Human Development and Health

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Articles

Book Chapter

Calder, P. C., Kremmyda, L. S., Vlachava, M., Noakes, P., & Miles, E. A. (2011). Papel de los acidos grasos en la programacion temprana del sistema inmunitario. In A. Marcos (Ed.), Inmunonutricion: En La Salud Y La Enfermedad (pp. 102-112). Medica Panamericana.

Letter/Editorial

Childs, C., Calder, P., & Miles, E. (2019). Diet and immune function. Nutrients, 11(8), 1-9. [1933]. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11081933

Reviews

Miles, E., & Calder, P. (2021). Effects of citrus fruit juices and their bioactive components on inflammation and immunity: a narrative review. Frontiers in Immunology, 12, [712608]. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.712608
Miles, E. A., & Calder, P. C. (2017). The influence of the position of palmitate in infant formula triacylglycerols on health outcomes. Nutrition Research, 44, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2017.05.009

Post-graduate Teaching

Dr Miles is the Deputy Programme leader for MSc Allergy. She is Module Leader for MSc Allergy Dissertation and Foundation of Allergic Disease. Dr Miles lectures on early life influences and maternal nutrition during pregnancy and development of allergy in the offspring and primary prevention of allergy. Dr Miles has also successfully supervised over 12 national and international post-graduate MSc project students.

Undergraduate teaching

Dr Miles teaches on the University of Southampton BM5 and BM4 programmes and other undergraduate programmes. She currently lectures on the subjects of maternal nutrition in pregnancy and lactation, infant nutrition, and adverse reactions to food and food allergy.

Dr Elizabeth A Miles
Faculty of Medicine, Room AB215, Mailpoint 801, South Academic Block, University Hospital Southampton, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD

Room Number: SGH/IDS

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