Viral and cellular regulation of T-cell amino acid metabolism
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Medicine
Abstract
Approximately 100 years since it was first transmitted to humans, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) now infects almost 40 million people worldwide, and causes more than 1 million AIDS-related deaths every year. It is therefore critical to understand how HIV has been able to replicate and spread, and why HIV infection causes AIDS. "Proteomics" is the large-scale study of "proteins", the critical building blocks of living cells and organisms. During my PhD, I used proteomics to measure changes in the number and quantity of proteins at the surface of cells infected with HIV, and found that >100 proteins were specifically depleted by the virus. Proteins are themselves made up of long chains of "amino acids", and many of the proteins I found to be depleted by HIV are involved in transporting amino acids into cells. These amino acid "transporters" are relatively understudied, and may be attractive candidates for new therapies. I therefore wish to understand why amino acid transporters are targeted by HIV, and the importance of these transporters for "T-cells", the main cells of the immune system infected by HIV and progressively destroyed in patients with AIDS.
Amongst the HIV targets I identified were proteins called SNAT1 and SERINC3/5. I discovered that SNAT1 transports an amino acid called alanine into cells, and that an abundant supply of alanine is essential for normal T-cell function. Likewise, SERINC proteins are thought to incorporate an amino acid called serine into cell "membranes", which surround cells and separate their interiors into compartments. In the first part of my project, I therefore wish to determine why alanine is important for T-cells, and investigate the role of SERINC3/5 in T-cell serine incorporation. "Metabolism" refers to the chemical reactions which take place in living cells and organisms, and a number of these reactions involve amino acids. In other settings, changes in T-cell metabolism are known to be important in regulating T-cell function. In the second part of my project, I therefore wish to investigate in more general terms which metabolic reactions are altered in HIV-infected cells, and understand how these changes benefit the virus. Finally, in the third part of my project, I wish to combine my skills in proteomics with a new technology called "CRISPR" to identify amino acid transporters and metabolic reactions which are critical for normal T-cell function, even in the absence of HIV infection. Taken together, these data will be a valuable resource for other researchers in the field and will, I hope, lead to the development of new treatments for patients targeting amino acid transporters in T-cells.
Amongst the HIV targets I identified were proteins called SNAT1 and SERINC3/5. I discovered that SNAT1 transports an amino acid called alanine into cells, and that an abundant supply of alanine is essential for normal T-cell function. Likewise, SERINC proteins are thought to incorporate an amino acid called serine into cell "membranes", which surround cells and separate their interiors into compartments. In the first part of my project, I therefore wish to determine why alanine is important for T-cells, and investigate the role of SERINC3/5 in T-cell serine incorporation. "Metabolism" refers to the chemical reactions which take place in living cells and organisms, and a number of these reactions involve amino acids. In other settings, changes in T-cell metabolism are known to be important in regulating T-cell function. In the second part of my project, I therefore wish to investigate in more general terms which metabolic reactions are altered in HIV-infected cells, and understand how these changes benefit the virus. Finally, in the third part of my project, I wish to combine my skills in proteomics with a new technology called "CRISPR" to identify amino acid transporters and metabolic reactions which are critical for normal T-cell function, even in the absence of HIV infection. Taken together, these data will be a valuable resource for other researchers in the field and will, I hope, lead to the development of new treatments for patients targeting amino acid transporters in T-cells.
Technical Summary
I previously used TMT-based plasma membrane proteomics to gain a comprehensive, unbiased overview of cell surface proteins regulated by HIV infection, and discovered HIV-mediated downregulation of >100 novel plasma membrane protein targets. Amongst these, the amino acid transporter SNAT1 was downregulated by the HIV accessory protein Vpu, and the putative serine carriers SERINC3/5 were downregulated by Nef. I identified alanine as an endogenous SNAT1 substrate, and showed that uptake of alanine is essential for T-cell mitogenesis. I also saw Nef- and Vpu-independent regulation of numerous other transmembrane transporters, suggesting a general paradigm for HIV-mediated manipulation of nutrient uptake and cellular metabolism. I now wish to (1) characterise the roles of alanine and SERINC3/5 in T-cell amino acid metabolism; (2) discover new metabolic pathways targeted by HIV in T-cells; and (3) identify key amino acid transporters and metabolic pathways required for T-cell mitogenesis.
Along with alanine transport by SNAT1, ER-resident SERINC proteins incorporate serine into membrane phospholipids. In the 1st part of my project, I will therefore use radiolabelled amino acid transport and stable isotope-labelled metabolite tracing techniques to elucidate the role of alanine in T-cell metabolism, and determine whether cell surface SERINC3/5 act as T-cell amino acid incorporators or transporters. In the 2nd part of my project, I will use Antibody-Free Magnetic Cell Sorting (AFMACS) to isolate HIV-infected T-cells, apply a comprehensive, unbiased metabolomic approach to identify dysregulated metabolic pathways, and determine the mechanisms and viral genes responsible. Finally, in the 3rd part of my project, I will develop a combined plasma membrane proteomic and CRISPR-based genetic screening strategy to determine which transmembrane transporters and metabolic pathways are required for T-cell mitogenesis, focussing on mechanisms for glutamine and net amino acid uptake.
Along with alanine transport by SNAT1, ER-resident SERINC proteins incorporate serine into membrane phospholipids. In the 1st part of my project, I will therefore use radiolabelled amino acid transport and stable isotope-labelled metabolite tracing techniques to elucidate the role of alanine in T-cell metabolism, and determine whether cell surface SERINC3/5 act as T-cell amino acid incorporators or transporters. In the 2nd part of my project, I will use Antibody-Free Magnetic Cell Sorting (AFMACS) to isolate HIV-infected T-cells, apply a comprehensive, unbiased metabolomic approach to identify dysregulated metabolic pathways, and determine the mechanisms and viral genes responsible. Finally, in the 3rd part of my project, I will develop a combined plasma membrane proteomic and CRISPR-based genetic screening strategy to determine which transmembrane transporters and metabolic pathways are required for T-cell mitogenesis, focussing on mechanisms for glutamine and net amino acid uptake.
Planned Impact
The primary beneficiaries from my results will be other researchers in the fields of retrovirology, immunology, proteomics and metabolism. In addition to specific results, I will generate a significant quantity of data that could be shared for added benefit, and will provide a useful resource for the research community. An example of this will be the cell surface proteomic map of activated primary human CD4+ T-cells.
In addition, I predict that specific materials generated during the project will be of use to the wider community. As an example, I will construct an HIV virus suitable for Antibody-Free Magnetic Cell Sorting (AFMACS), enabling magnetic selection of HIV-infected cells for use in downstream applications. Based on the number of requests I have previously received for AFMACS plasmids, I anticipate that the relevant molecular clones will be in high demand. It is possible (but not anticipated) that, like AFMACS, some new materials will have the potential for commercialisation, to the benefit of Cambridge Enterprise (the commercialisation arm of the University of Cambridge).
Although my proposal involves basic science rather than clinically directed research, it is focused on areas of particular relevance to human disease, with the ultimate aim to deliver novel therapeutic approaches to the clinic. Metabolic pathways targeted by HIV represent candidate targets for antiviral therapy, because some host proteins may be essential for viral replication but not cellular survival. More immediately, cell surface transporters are readily druggable targets, and cell type specific expression offers the opportunity for focussed immunomodulatory therapies targeting mitogenic pathways such as mTOR in T-cells.
In a wider context, my time in Matthew's Vander Heiden's laboratory in MIT will provide a world-class training in techniques and approaches for the study of metabolism. I will use this as a springboard to further develop my research programme when I return to Cambridge. There is a growing interest in metabolism within the Department of Medicine and on the campus, and I anticipate that further collaborative and inter-disciplinary projects will be readily forthcoming, with beneficial cross-fertilisation of the research of other groups. I will seek to disseminate my research skills as well as data and, if this application is successful, the first beneficiary of this will be my RA.
In addition, I predict that specific materials generated during the project will be of use to the wider community. As an example, I will construct an HIV virus suitable for Antibody-Free Magnetic Cell Sorting (AFMACS), enabling magnetic selection of HIV-infected cells for use in downstream applications. Based on the number of requests I have previously received for AFMACS plasmids, I anticipate that the relevant molecular clones will be in high demand. It is possible (but not anticipated) that, like AFMACS, some new materials will have the potential for commercialisation, to the benefit of Cambridge Enterprise (the commercialisation arm of the University of Cambridge).
Although my proposal involves basic science rather than clinically directed research, it is focused on areas of particular relevance to human disease, with the ultimate aim to deliver novel therapeutic approaches to the clinic. Metabolic pathways targeted by HIV represent candidate targets for antiviral therapy, because some host proteins may be essential for viral replication but not cellular survival. More immediately, cell surface transporters are readily druggable targets, and cell type specific expression offers the opportunity for focussed immunomodulatory therapies targeting mitogenic pathways such as mTOR in T-cells.
In a wider context, my time in Matthew's Vander Heiden's laboratory in MIT will provide a world-class training in techniques and approaches for the study of metabolism. I will use this as a springboard to further develop my research programme when I return to Cambridge. There is a growing interest in metabolism within the Department of Medicine and on the campus, and I anticipate that further collaborative and inter-disciplinary projects will be readily forthcoming, with beneficial cross-fertilisation of the research of other groups. I will seek to disseminate my research skills as well as data and, if this application is successful, the first beneficiary of this will be my RA.
Publications
Aggarwal D
(2022)
Genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in a UK university identifies dynamics of transmission.
in Nature communications
Brevini T
(2023)
FXR inhibition may protect from SARS-CoV-2 infection by reducing ACE2.
in Nature
Description | Membership of Higher Education Mass Testing Universities Expert Panel |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Impact | I designed and led the Asymptomatic COVID-19 Screening Programme at the University of Cambridge. This was the first successful UK implementation of PCR 'swab pooling', and allowed us to screen up to approx. 10,000 students/week, control transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within the University of Cambridge, avoid the major outbreaks seen at other UK universities, minimise over-spill to staff and the wider Cambridge community, and (ultimately) prevent excess admissions to Cambridge University Hospitals. As as a member of the Higher Education Mass Testing Universities Expert Panel, I helped drive the adoption of mass testing for COVID-19 in the UK higher education sector and beyond |
URL | https://www.cam.ac.uk/coronavirus/stay-safe-cambridge-uni/asymptomatic-covid-19-screening-programme |
Description | Membership of NIHR Cambridge BioResource Scientific Advisory Board Membership |
Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
URL | https://bioresource.nihr.ac.uk/centres-programmes/bioresource-centre-cambridge/ |
Description | Membership of joint NHS Blood and Transplant/Public Health England Blood Safety Programme Steering Group |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
URL | https://www.gov.uk/guidance/blood-borne-viruses-unit-bbvu-services#about-blood-borne-virus-unit-bbvu |
Description | Engineered SARS-CoV-2 for rapid live virus neutralising antibody assays |
Amount | £36,255 (GBP) |
Funding ID | PATH 01 |
Organisation | NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2023 |
End | 03/2025 |
Description | Institutional Strategic Support Fund - Regulation of T cell amino acid tranpsort by the tumour microenvironment |
Amount | £56,267 (GBP) |
Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2021 |
End | 03/2023 |
Description | Multiscale analysis of HIV-1-induced small T cell syncytia |
Amount | $2,703,932 (USD) |
Funding ID | R01AI172486 |
Organisation | National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United States |
Start | 07/2023 |
End | 07/2028 |
Description | Reserach Grant - Cell-based assays for COVID-19 therapeutics |
Amount | £17,188 (GBP) |
Funding ID | #900239 |
Organisation | Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust (ACT) |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 06/2021 |
End | 06/2022 |
Description | SARS COV2 vaccine ResPonse In Obesity - SCORPIO study |
Amount | £752,294 (GBP) |
Funding ID | MR/W020564/1 |
Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2021 |
End | 08/2023 |
Description | Small Research Grant - Protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection by neutralising antibodies (a nested case-control study) |
Amount | £43,628 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 119PATH23 |
Organisation | NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2022 |
End | 09/2024 |
Description | Small Reserach Project Grant - Regulation of HIV replication by virion-associated RNA helicases |
Amount | £20,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | British Infection Association (BIA) |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 12/2021 |
End | 06/2023 |
Description | The role of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid mutations in COVID-19 disease |
Amount | £38,976 (GBP) |
Funding ID | REI/1/4943 |
Organisation | King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | Saudi Arabia |
Start | 08/2023 |
End | 08/2024 |
Description | The use of convalescent plasma to treat hospitalised and critically ill patients with COVID-19 disease |
Amount | £3,127,919 (GBP) |
Funding ID | COVID-19-RECPLAS |
Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2020 |
End | 04/2023 |
Description | Transition Support |
Amount | £209,686 (GBP) |
Funding ID | MR/T032413/1 |
Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2021 |
End | 09/2022 |
Title | HIV-AFMACS |
Description | To support my programme of research in HIV, I developed an HIV reporter virus (HIV-AFMACS) displaying a streptavidin-binding affinity tag at the surface of infected cells, allowing facile one-step selection with streptavidin-conjugated magnetic beads. My lab has used this system to obtain pure populations of HIV-infected primary human CD4+ T cells for detailed proteomic analysis, and quantitate approximately 9,000 proteins across multiple donors on a dynamic background of T cell activation. We have therefore provided a high-coverage functional proteomic atlas of HIV infection, and a mechanistic account of host factors subverted by the virus in its natural target cell |
Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Naamati A, Williamson JC, Greenwood EJ, Marelli S, Lehner PJ, Matheson NJ. Functional proteomic atlas of HIV infection in primary human CD4+ T cells. eLife. 2019;8. Epub 2019/03/13. doi: 10.7554/eLife.41431. PMID: 30857592 Marelli S, Williamson JC, Protasio AV, Naamati A, Greenwood EJ, , Matheson NJ. Antagonism of PP2A is an independent and conserved function of HIV-1 Vif and causes cell cycle arrest. eLife. 2020;9. Epub 2020/04/16. doi: 10.7554/eLife.53036. PMID: 32292164 |
URL | https://elifesciences.org/articles/41431 |
Title | Luminescent reporter cell line for authentic SARS-CoV-2 infection |
Description | During the pandemic, I have applied my knowledge and skills in molecular virology to understanding and combating COVID-19. In particular, my lab has developed luminescent 'reporter cells', which emit light when they are infected with SARS-CoV-2. These allow us to test antiviral drugs, and measure 'neutralising antibodies' in blood samples from patients. We have made them available to the research community via the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), catalogue number 101062, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)/BEI Resources, catalog no. NR-58714. This work has contributed to >10 collaborative research projects within the Department of Medicine, with other groups at the University of Cambridge, and with external collaborators. Across these collaborations, we have already tested >1,500 samples (contributing so far to 8 published manuscripts, 3 manuscripts in revision or under review, and several presentations at national conferences). The continuing evolution and spread of new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, with increasing ability to evade the humoral immune response, has highlighted how important it is to have the capability to measure variant-specific neutralising antibodies against authentic viral isolates (such as Omicron BA.1). |
Type Of Material | Cell line |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Brevini T, Maes M, Webb GJ, Fuchs CD, Buescher G, , Matheson NJ, et al. FXR inhibition may protect from SARS-CoV-2 infection by reducing ACE2. Nature. 2022. doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05594-0. PMID: 36470304 Touizer E, Alrubayyi A, , Matheson NJ, Morris E, Peppa D, McCoy LE. Attenuated humoral responses in HIV after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination linked to B cell defects and altered immune profiles. iScience. 2023;26(1):105862. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105862. PMID: 36590902 Shilts J, Crozier TWM, Teixeira-Silva A, , Matheson NJ, Lehner PJ, Wright GJ. LRRC15 mediates an accessory interaction with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. PLoS Biol. 2023;21(2):e3001959. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001959. PMID: 36735681 Pereyra Gerber P, Donde MJ, Matheson NJ, Taylor A. XNAzymes targeting the SARS-CoV-2 genome inhibit viral infection. Nat Commun. 2022;13(1):6716. PMID: 36385143 Pereyra Gerber P, Duncan LM, Greenwood EJD, Marelli S, Naamati A, , Matheson NJ. A protease-activatable luminescent biosensor and reporter cell line for authentic SARS-CoV-2 infection. PLoS Pathog. 2022;18(2):e1010265. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010265. PMID: 35143592 Meng B, Abdullahi A, Ferreira IATM, , Matheson NJ, Sato K, Gupta RK. Altered TMPRSS2 usage by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron impacts tropism and fusogenicity. Nature. 2022. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04474-x. PMID: 35104837 Kotagiri P, Mescia F, Rae W, Bergamaschi L, Tuong Z, , Matheson NJ, et al. B Cell Receptor Repertoire Kinetics after SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Vaccination. Cell Rep. 2022;38(7):110393. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110393. PMID: 35143756 Bergamaschi L, Mescia F, Turner L, Hanson AL, Kotagiri P, , Matheson NJ, et al. Longitudinal analysis reveals that delayed bystander CD8+ T cell activation and early immune pathology distinguish severe COVID-19 from mild disease. Immunity. 2021;54(6):1257-75 e8. Epub 2021/05/30. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2021.05.010. PMID: 34051148 |
URL | https://www.nibsc.org/products/brm_product_catalogue/detail_page.aspx?catid=101062 |
Description | Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease-National Institute of Health Research (CITIID-NIHR) COVID-19 BioResource Collaboration |
Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
Department | NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I am one of the Principal Investigators contributng to the CITIID-NIHR COVID-19 BioResource Collaboration, led by Professor Smith (CITIID) and Professory Bradley (NIHR). My lab has been particularly responsible for measuring neutralising antibody levels against SARS-CoV-2 in blood samples from patients |
Collaborator Contribution | As part of the NIHR BioResource, this collaborative project has allowed people tested in hospital for COVID-19 to participate in research by providing biological samples (such as blood, and the swab used to test for COVID-19) and answering some questions about their lifestyle and mental health. NHS staff undergoing routine screening for COVID-19 have also been asked if they would like to participate, in order to safely collect samples representing a variety of COVID-19 experiences - from those displaying none or mild symptoms to those with more severe experiences. The samples have been used to support current and future research - including on-going research to find new and faster ways to test patients and staff, understand why the virus affects people in different ways and find new ways to treat the disease |
Impact | 30 publications so far indexed on PubMed (PMIDs): 36721385, 36717723, 36451358, 36420270, 36343994, 36330526, 36065116, 36058413, 35963244, 35864233, 35864232, 35224470, 35189575, 35143756, 35104837, 34488225, 34260717, 34192737, 34051148, 33879890, 33706364, 33619509, 33545711, 33398302, 33318491, 32905045, 32838340, 32737467, 32558644, 32392129 |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Collaboration with Thali laboratory |
Organisation | University of Vermont |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I have created a functional proteomic atlas of HIV infection in primary human CD4+ T-cells, in which we identified over 650 specific HIV-dependent changes, including almost 200 proteins not previously identified or known to be regulated in T cell lines |
Collaborator Contribution | Professor Thali has made key contributions to study of HIV, including the development of a novel technique allowing the magnetic selection of HIV-induced T cell syncytia. We continue to collaborate on the proteomic analysis of these syncytia |
Impact | Whitaker EE, Matheson NJ, Perlee S, Munson PB, Symeonides M, Thali M. EWI-2 Inhibits Cell-Cell Fusion at the HIV-1 Virological Presynapse. Viruses. 2019;11(12). Epub 2019/11/24. doi: 10.3390/v11121082. PMID: 31757023 |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | Collaboration with Vander Heiden laboratory |
Organisation | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Department | Koch Institute |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I was a Visiting Scientist in the Vander Heiden laboratory at the David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research (MIT) 2017-18. I learnt to apply stable isotope-based metabolite tracing and metabolic flux analysis in an interdisciplinary project aimed at understanding metabolism in HIV-infected cells. I have subsequently used these skills to set up a GCMS-based metabolomic pipeline at the University of Cambridge. We continue to collaborate on projects related to immunometabolism |
Collaborator Contribution | Professor Vander Heiden has made key contributions in the field of cancer metabolism, and is co-sponsor of my MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship. His laboratory provided training on stable isotope-based metabolite tracing and metabolic flux analysis. We continue to collaborate on projects related to immunometabolism |
Impact | Luengo A, Li Z, Gui DY, Sullivan LB, Zagorulya M, Do BT, Ferreira R... Matheson NJ, Vander Heiden MG. (2020). Increased demand for NAD relative to ATP drives aerobic glycolysis. Mol Cell. 2021 Feb 18;81(4):691-707.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.12.012 Lau AN, Li Z, Danai LV, Westermark AM, Darnell AM, Ferreira R, Gocheva V... Matheson NJ, Yilmaz O, Vander Heiden MG. (2020). Dissecting cell-type-specific metabolism in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. eLife. 2020 Jul 10;9:e56782. doi: 10.7554/eLife.56782 |
Start Year | 2017 |
Title | University of Cambridge Asymptomatic COVID-19 Screening Programme |
Description | I designed and led the Asymptomatic COVID-19 Screening Programme at the University of Cambridge. This was the first successful UK implementation of PCR 'swab pooling', and allowed us to screen up to approx. 10,000 students/week, control transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within the University of Cambridge, avoid the major outbreaks seen at other UK universities, minimise over-spill to staff and the wider Cambridge community, and (ultimately) prevent excess admissions to Cambridge University Hospitals |
Type | Diagnostic Tool - Non-Imaging |
Current Stage Of Development | Small-scale adoption |
Year Development Stage Completed | 2020 |
Development Status | Under active development/distribution |
Impact | As well as helping control COVID-19 in Cambridge, the screening programme has served as an exemplar for the benefits of mass testing in other settings. Its success was recognised by the leadership team at NHS Test and Trace, who used it as a pilot for programmes at other universities. Results were shared with the Chief Medical Officer, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), and senior colleagues at the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department of Education and the Cabinet Office. Ultimately, it therefore helped drive the adoption of mass testing for COVID-19 in the UK higher education sector and beyond |
URL | https://www.cam.ac.uk/coronavirus/stay-safe-cambridge-uni/asymptomatic-covid-19-screening-programme |
Description | 'COVID-19 Clinical Update' webinar series |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Social distancing during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated drastic changes in the practice of hospital medicine, including the cancellation of many educational activities. At the same time, the emergence of a new disease with a rapidly evolving knowledge base has mandated timely educational updates. To resolve this conflict in our hospital, we substituted 'traditional' grand rounds with 'virtual' grand rounds delivered over Zoom, consisting of a local situation report and operational update, followed by a specialtyspecific clinical presentation on management of COVID-19. Attendance was greatly increased (mean 384 attendees) compared to traditional grand rounds (mean 44 attendees) and included a diverse audience of medical professionals. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with >80% of responders stating that the sessions would or might inform their clinical practice. COVID-19 has therefore provided an opportunity to modernise grand rounds, and develop a new model matching the needs of medical education beyond the pandemic. Further details are available in: Sparkes D, Leong C, Sharrocks K, Wilson M, Moore E, Matheson NJ. Rebooting medical education with virtual grand rounds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future Healthc J. Oct 2020, fhj.2020-0180; DOI: 10.7861/fhj.2020-0180 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://cuhstaffportal.co.uk/operational/clinical-updates/ |
Description | 'Weekly COVID-19 Update' webinar series |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | The "Weekly COVID-19 Update" was a webinar series hosted by Dr Nicholas Matheson on behalf of the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID)-based "Cambridge Fighting COVID" collaboration (https://covid19.medschl.cam.ac.uk/weekly-covid-19-update/). Broadcast at 14:00 every Thursday during the first wave of the pandemic, it provided an update on the latest developments in SARS-CoV-2 research, a means of communicating our findings with each other and the wider scientific community, and a showcase for public engagement and education. Watched by hundreds of viewers, it forms an essential part of the communications strategy for the Department of Medicine, and highlights the University of Cambridge's contribution to the fight against COVID-19 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://covid19.medschl.cam.ac.uk/weekly-covid-19-update/ |
Description | Media interviews and reports on mass testing for COVID-19 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Numerous media appearances and press releases including a profile in TheTimes newspaper, and interviews on national (BBC World at One, BBC World Service Newshour, Times Radio) and local (BBC Radio Cambridgeshire) radio. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021 |