Dr Irina Chelysheva

I am the module leader for Molecular Basis of Human Genetic Disease and Clinical Genetics and Diagnostics on the MSc Medical Genetics and Genomics programme.

I currently co-supervise two DPhil students based at the University of Oxford: Naina McCann and Margarete Paganotti Vicentine. I have previously supervised three DPhil students to successful completion.

At Oxford Brookes, I supervise postgraduate students undertaking computational and bioinformatics-focused research projects.

I hold a Medical Degree from the Russian National Research Medical University, followed by a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Hamburg. I also completed a Master’s degree in Economics at the University of Hamburg, with a focus on Health Economics.

Since 2015, my research has centred on bioinformatics, transitioning from wet-laboratory work to data-driven analysis. I spent five years as a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher and Bioinformatician at the Oxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, contributing to multiple high-impact studies in infectious diseases and genomics. I then moved into teaching, lecturing and tutoring on the MSc in Genomic Medicine at the Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford.

My research bridges the fields of genomics, immunology, and microbiology, with a focus on understanding host-pathogen interactions through advanced computational and experimental approaches. I have extensive experience in vaccine trial analysis, particularly in developing and applying challenge models to evaluate immune responses and efficacy. My current work centers on microbiome research and metagenomic profiling using Oxford Nanopore sequencing technologies, aiming to uncover microbial signatures relevant to health and disease. Previously, I worked extensively with GWAS and RNA-seq to explore genetic and transcriptomic factors underpinning disease susceptibility and vaccine responsiveness.

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Academic Member of British Society for Immunology
• Member of BactiVac (Bacterial Vaccines Network)
• Member of Oxford Microbiome Network
• Associate Member of HIC-Vac Network