Dr Christopher Jones
Senior Lecturer
Christopher is a Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science at Chester Medical School and completed his PhD in retrovirology at Queen Mary University of London.
Christopher has an interest in infectious disease, specifically host-pathogen interactions during infection. His research and teaching generally focuses on host-pathogen interactions, with a particular emphasis on identifying opportunities for therapeutic intervention. Additionally his work explores methods to prevent the spread of infectious disease at a population level.
Christopher is programme leader for the BSc Microbiology programme and teaches on various other programmes within Chester Medical School including BSc Biomedical Science, MSc Biomedical Science and MSc Infection and Immunity.
Christopher has recently taught on the following modules:
- MD4008 Introduction to Microbiology
- MD6030 Medical Microbiology
- MD6028 Virology
- MD7006 Clinical Immunology and Microbial Pathology
- MD7025 Infectious Disease
He additionally organises and supervises a number of BSc, MSc and MRes research projects in microbiology, immunology and cancer cell biology.
Christopher’s research involves the molecular mechanisms of HIV infection and immunoevasion, innate cellular mechanisms of antiviral immunity, and immune responses to infection. Specifically, his research investigates the activity of cellular proteins called ‘restriction factors’. These proteins prevent viral infection by inhibiting specific steps in the viral life cycle, however their mechanisms of action and mechanisms of regulation are not well defined. It is hoped that once these proteins are better understood, opportunities to harness their antiviral activity therapeutically will be identified. This research spans across virology, biochemistry, microbiology and immunology.
Ariyo O, Jones CE. Use of long-acting injectable antiretroviral agents for Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A review. J Clin Virol. 2021; 146.
Gibbons J, Marno KM, Pike R, Lee W, Jones CE, Ogunkolade B, Pardieu C, Bryan A, Fu R, Warnes G, Rowley P, Sloan R, McKnight, Á. HIV-1 Accessory Protein Vpr Interacts with REAF/RPRD2 To Mitigate Its Antiviral Activity. J Virol, 2020; 94(4).
Marno KM, O'Sullivan E, Jones CE, Díaz-Delfín J, Pardieu C, Sloan RD, McKnight Á. RNA-Associated Early-Stage Antiviral Factor Is a Major Component of Lv2 Restriction. J Virol. 2017; 91(10).
Jones CE, McKnight Á. Retroviral restriction: Nature’s Own Solution. Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2016; 29(6).
- BSc Biochemistry, University of Leicester, June 2013
- PhD Retrovirology, Queen Mary University of London