Dr Neil Dufton is a lecturer in Inflammation Sciences at Queen Mary University London. He graduated from the University of Bath with a BSc (Hon) Pharmacology in 2006 before going on to undertake a PhD within the William Harvey Research Institute at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). In 2010 he moved to Canada for two years to work with Professor John Wallace at the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University. He returned to London in 2012 working as a post-doc at Imperial College London. In 2019 he returned to Queen Mary University of London to start his own research group.

Dr Dufton's research focuses on the adaptability and plasticity of endothelial cells in health and disease. The lab has developed new imaging techniques in vitro and in vivo to determine molecular mechanisms the functional impact of changing endothelial phenotypes during inflammatory and fibrotic disease with particular interest in the role of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) and its influence on vascular patterning and directs immune responses through the expression of atypical chemokine receptor. The lab believe that the plasticity and reversibility of EndMT holds the key to unlocking a new generation of vascular and tissue-specific drug targets to combat diseases such as chronic liver disease and cardiomyopathy.

Illustration and Public engagement

Neil has a keen interest communicating his research through art and public engagement projects. These have included being part of a Wellcome Large arts grant producing a interactive animation entitled Battle of Blister with digital artist Genetic Moo and producing a knitted blood vessels (Blood Lines) at Green Man Festival and the Science Museum. Neil also produces his own sciart which have appeared in the National Geographic, the cover of the Journal of Hepatology and has two of his illustrations are available in the Wellcome Image Collection.