Academic staff

HomeAcademic staffDr Claire Atkinson
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I am a senior lecturer in Biomedical Science. I joined LSBU having previously worked in the Institute of Infection and Immunity, University College London as a post-doctoral researcher and the Royal Free Hospital NHS Trust as a lead Biomedical Scientist.

I am a registered Biomedical Scientist and have extensive experience in Medical Microbiology and NHS-linked research which spans over 20 years. I am particularly interested in clinical virology and have published extensively in this field.

I obtained my PhD from University College London having presented work towards a screening program for congenital human cytomegalovirus.

My main research focus is the molecular diagnosis of viral infections, vaccination and host/viral factors contributing to the pathogenesis of viral disease. My main body of work has been on human herpesviruses infection in immunocompromised individuals; in particular solid organ transplant recipients and neonatal infections.

I am a current member of the virology specialist advisory panel and the deputy Chief Examiner for Virology (Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS). This involves setting professional exams, the Specialist portfolio and continuing professional development activities for the discipline.

Courses taught

Biomedical Sciences - BSc (Hons)

Postgraduate Research Supervision
Current
Ms Cecily MartinPiezoelectric Materials for Bio-engineering applications PhD
PhD

University College London

2010
2016
MSc Medical Molecular Biology

University of Westminster

2002
2003
BSc Biomedical Sciences

University of Bradford

1996
2000
Biomedical Scientisr

Health and Care Professions Council

2001
Post Doctoral Project Manager
University College London

2017
2023
Other public sector
Head of Research and Development
Virology Royal Free London NHS Trust

2000
2017
Other public sector
Institute of Biomedical Science
2023
Frontiers inVirology

Associate editor
2023
Reviews in Medical Virology
Journal of Medical Virology
University College London
Honorary research fellow

Human Cytomegalovirus, human herpesviruses & infection in patients with compromised immune systems.

February 2023
Institute of Biomedical Science

IBMS Specialist Advisory Panel - Virology

September 2023
Institute of Biomedical Science

Deputy Chief Examiner for Specialist Advisory Panel in Virology

May 2024

Influenza H1N2 - first human case detected in the UK
Fullerton, C. (2024). Influenza H1N2 - first human case detected in the UK. The Biomedical Scientist Redactive Publishing Limited.

Antibiotic resistance, bacterial transmission and improved prediction of bacterial infection in patients with antibody deficiency
Rofael, S., Babe, C.L., Davrandi, M., Kondratiuk, A.L., Cleaver, L., Ahmed, N., Fullerton, C., McHugh, T. and Lowe, D.M. (2023). Antibiotic resistance, bacterial transmission and improved prediction of bacterial infection in patients with antibody deficiency. JAC-antimicrobial resistance. 5 (6), p. dlad135. https://doi.org/10.1093/jacamr/dlad135

Genomic and geographical structure of human cytomegalovirus
Charles, J., Venturini, C., Gantt, S., Atkinson, C., Griffiths, P., Goldstein, R.S. and Breuer, J. (2023). Genomic and geographical structure of human cytomegalovirus. PNAS. 120 (30), p. e2221797120. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2221797120

A temperature dependent virus binding assay reveals the presence of neutralising antibodies in human cytomegalovirus gB vaccine recipients’ sera
Gomes, A., Baraniak, I., McIntosh, M., Sodi, I., Langstone, T., Siddiqui, S., Fullerton, C., McLean, G., Griffiths, P. and Reeves, M. (2023). A temperature dependent virus binding assay reveals the presence of neutralising antibodies in human cytomegalovirus gB vaccine recipients’ sera. Journal of General Virology. 104 (6). https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.001860

In silico interrogation of the miRNAome of infected haematopoietic cells to predict processes important for human cytomegalovirus latent infection
Fullerton, C., Murray, M. J., Bradley, E., Ng, Y., Thomas, O., Patel, K., Angus, C. and Reeves, M. B. (2023). In silico interrogation of the miRNAome of infected haematopoietic cells to predict processes important for human cytomegalovirus latent infection. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 299 (6), p. 104727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104727

The Cytomegalovirus gB/MF59 vaccine candidate induces antibodies against an antigenic domain controlling cell-to-cell spread
Gomes, A.C., Baraniak, I.A., Lankina, A., Holenya, P., Atkinson, C., Tang, G., Mahungu, T., Kern, F., Griffiths, P.D. and Reeves, M.B. (2023). The Cytomegalovirus gB/MF59 vaccine candidate induces antibodies against an antigenic domain controlling cell-to-cell spread. Nature Communications. 14 (1), pp. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36683-x

HCMV carriage in the elderly diminishes anti-viral functionality of the adaptive immune response resulting in virus replication at peripheral sites.
Davies EL, Noor M, Lim EY, Houldcroft CJ, Okecha G, Atkinson C, Reeves MB, Jackson SE, Wills MR and Fullerton, C. (2022). HCMV carriage in the elderly diminishes anti-viral functionality of the adaptive immune response resulting in virus replication at peripheral sites. Frontiers in Immunology. 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1083230

Haplotype assignment of longitudinal viral deep sequencing data using covariation of variant frequencies.
Venturini C, Pang J, Tamuri AU, Roy S, Fullerton, C., Griffiths P, Breuer J and Goldstein RA (2022). Haplotype assignment of longitudinal viral deep sequencing data using covariation of variant frequencies. Virus Evolution. 8 (2), p. veac093. https://doi.org/10.1093/ve/veac093

Validation of a commercially available indirect assay for SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies using a pseudotyped virus assay.
Murray MJ, McIntosh M, Fullerton, C., Mahungu T, Wright E, Chatterton W, Gandy M and Reeves MB (2021). Validation of a commercially available indirect assay for SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies using a pseudotyped virus assay. Journal of Infection. 82 (5), pp. 170-177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinf.2021.03.010

Mixed cytomegalovirus genotypes in HIV-positive mothers show compartmentalization and distinct patterns of transmission to infants.
Pang J, Slyker JA, Roy S, Bryant J, Fullerton, C., Cudini J, Farquhar C, Griffiths P, Kiarie J, Morfopoulou S, Roxby AC, Tutil H, Williams R, Gantt S and Breuer J (2020). Mixed cytomegalovirus genotypes in HIV-positive mothers show compartmentalization and distinct patterns of transmission to infants. eLife. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.63199

Seronegative patients vaccinated with cytomegalovirus gB-MF59 vaccine have evidence of neutralising antibody responses against gB early post-transplantation
Baraniak I, Gomes AC, Sodi I, Langstone T, Rothwell E, Atkinson C, Pichon S, Piras-Douce F, Griffiths PD, Reeves MB and Fullerton, C. (2019). Seronegative patients vaccinated with cytomegalovirus gB-MF59 vaccine have evidence of neutralising antibody responses against gB early post-transplantation. EBioMedicine. 50 (19), pp. 45-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.11.005

A comprehensive characterization of chronic norovirus infection in immunodeficient hosts.
Brown LK, Ruis C, Clark I, Roy S, Brown JR, Albuquerque AS, Patel SY, Miller J, Karim MY, Dervisevic S, Moore J, Williams CA, Cudini J, Moreira F, Lowe DM and Fullerton, C. (2019). A comprehensive characterization of chronic norovirus infection in immunodeficient hosts. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 144 (5), pp. 1450-1453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2019.07.036

High Viral Diversity and Mixed Infections in Cerebral Spinal Fluid From Cases of Varicella Zoster Virus Encephalitis.
Depledge DP, Cudini J, Kundu S, Atkinson C, Brown JR, Haque T, Houldcroft CJ, Koay ES, McGill F, Milne R, Whitfield T, Tang JW, Underhill G, Breuer J and Fullerton, C. (2018). High Viral Diversity and Mixed Infections in Cerebral Spinal Fluid From Cases of Varicella Zoster Virus Encephalitis. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 218 (10), pp. 1592-1601. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiy358

Islands of linkage in an ocean of pervasive recombination reveals two-speed evolution of human cytomegalovirus genomes
Lassalle, F., Depledge, D.P., Reeves, M.B., Brown, A.C., Christiansen, M.T., Tutill, H.J., Williams, R.J., Einer-Jensen, K., Holdstock, J., Atkinson, C., Brown, J.R., van Loenen, F.B., Clark, D.A., Griffiths, P.D., Verjans, G.M.G.M., Schutten, M., Milne, R.S.B., Balloux, F., Breuer, J. and Fullerton, C. (2016). Islands of linkage in an ocean of pervasive recombination reveals two-speed evolution of human cytomegalovirus genomes. Virus Evolution. 2 (1). https://doi.org/10.1093/ve/vew017

A collaborative study to establish the 1st WHO International Standard for human cytomegalovirus for nucleic acid amplification technology.
Fryer JF, Heath AB, Minor PD, Collaborative Study Group and Fullerton, C. (2016). A collaborative study to establish the 1st WHO International Standard for human cytomegalovirus for nucleic acid amplification technology. Biologicals. 44 (4), pp. 242-251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biologicals.2016.04.005

Effects of donor/recipient human leukocyte antigen mismatch on human cytomegalovirus replication following liver transplantation.
Aldridge RW, Mattes FM, Rolando N, Rolles K, Smith C, Shirling G, Fullerton, C., Burroughs AK, Milne RS, Emery VC and Griffiths PD (2015). Effects of donor/recipient human leukocyte antigen mismatch on human cytomegalovirus replication following liver transplantation. Transplant Infectious Disease. https://doi.org/10.1111/tid.12325

Maternal valacyclovir and infant cytomegalovirus acquisition: a randomized controlled trial among HIV-infected women.
Roxby AC, Fullerton, C., Asbjörnsdóttir K, Farquhar C, Kiarie JN, Drake AL, Wald A, Boeckh M, Richardson B, Emery V, John-Stewart G and Slyker JA (2014). Maternal valacyclovir and infant cytomegalovirus acquisition: a randomized controlled trial among HIV-infected women. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0087855

Respiratory PCR detects influenza after intranasal live-attenuated influenza vaccination.
Lumley S, Fullerton, C. and Haque T (2013). Respiratory PCR detects influenza after intranasal live-attenuated influenza vaccination. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 99 (3). https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2013-305511

Cytomegalovirus replication kinetics in solid organ transplant recipients managed by preemptive therapy.
Atabani SF, Smith C, Fullerton, C., Aldridge RW, Rodriguez-Perálvarez M, Rolando N, Harber M, Jones G, O'Riordan A, Burroughs AK, Thorburn D and Griffiths PD (2012). Cytomegalovirus replication kinetics in solid organ transplant recipients managed by preemptive therapy. American Journal of Transplantation. 12 (9), pp. 2457-2464. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-6143.2012.04087.x