Long Covid Research Project

Dr Anna Brooks is an immunologist who is focussing on understanding the immune dysfunction experienced by those with Long Covid.

Long COVID, COVID-19 vaccination and ME/CFS research

There is an urgent need to improve our understanding of the underlying biomedical mechanisms and immune dysfunction associated with Long COVID and other post-viral conditions so that better diagnostic and treatments can be developed. Already research is beginning to reveal the similarities between certain lingering symptoms following COVID-19 illness and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), however efforts to understand mechanisms are only just beginning.  
 
The purpose of this study is to better understand the immune dysregulation (immune cell changes/function and immune proteins) and the misfired immune response which can occur following SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19), leading to the onset of Long COVID.  The study aims to track immune cells and inflammatory proteins within the blood of COVID-19 survivors and to track how these markers change in response to COVID-19 vaccination. Given the similarities of Long COVID to ME/CFS, we also aim to include participants living with ME/CFS and also  track their vaccine responses. We will be monitoring immune cell function and changes while also tracking proteins in the blood with the aim of identifying biomarkers.
 
Dr Anna Brooks is an immunologist who is focussed on understanding the cause Long Covid and its relationship to other post-viral conditions. Anna’s core expertise includes dissecting immune cell populations and proteins in the bloods following infection and/or immunisation using leading-edge flow cytometric techniques.
 
Volunteers needed for Covid-19 research
 
Approved by the Health and Disability Ethics Committee in October 2021. Reference number: 2021 EXP 10976