Dr. Nesrina Imami

Biography

Nesrina Imami is an Emeritus Reader in Immunology at Imperial College London. She is also an Honorary Consultant Physician and a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists. Dr. Imami qualified in medicine and has focused her research on viral immunology, particularly related to HIV-1, with a special interest in cell-mediated immunity and the development of immunotherapeutics. Her published work primarily examines T-cell responses to viral infections. She holds a PhD from the University of London, awarded in 1992, and completed a subsequent period of postdoctoral work funded by a Wellcome Trust Fellowship. Throughout her career, she has led a detailed long-term research program assessing HIV-1-specific T-cell immune responses, exploring mechanisms of non-responsiveness and evaluating the effects of drugs, cytokines, and immunomodulators on vaccine responses. Her Wellcome Trust Fellowship enabled her to establish a research group at the forefront of international research on the immunopathogenesis of HIV-1 infection, contributing to the understanding of immune reconstitution in HIV-1 disease. Dr. Imami has completed several novel immunotherapy drug clinical trials and was awarded the prestigious MRC Experimental Medicine Award for her contributions. From 2012 to 2024, she successfully supervised more than seventy research students and fellows, including twenty PhD students, and served as the Deputy Director of Postgraduate Studies (Research). The title of Emeritus was conferred upon her by Imperial College on October 1, 2024.

Research Interests