Dr Katy Dodds is currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Manchester. Her project is entitled ‘Optimising the Management of Myasthenia Gravis’ and is looking at aspects of the clinical management of patients with myasthenia gravis.

In Dr Dodds' project, flow cytometry will be used to analyse blood samples from different patients with varying severities of myasthenia gravis, altering sub-type (early and late onset), as well as patients who are being treated with various immunosuppressive medications. They will be looking at T cells, which are a type of white blood cell that help fight against infection.

T cells play a role in myasthenia gravis as they help drive the immune response that results in symptoms such as muscle fatigue. On the surface of T cells there are markers that can influence the ability of the cell to successfully aid in fighting infection or providing an immune response.

It is the hope that by separating these cells and investigating the markers present on their surface, Dr Dodds will be able to obtain information on the specific way these cells link with severity of myasthenia gravis and other factors relating to disease progression.

To read more about the variety of research taking place in Oxford for myasthenia, visit the research page at the University of Oxford website.

Myaware research