Mathieu-Benoit Voisin graduated in 2000 from the University of Bordeaux II (France) in Biological Sciences with a specialisation in Immunology. He obtained his PhD from the University of Tours (France) in 2003 and conducted post-doctoral research with Prof. Nourshargh at Imperial College London. In 2007, he relocated to the William Harvey Research Institute and is currently establishing his own independent research programme studying the lymphatic system.

Neutrophils are key effectors of the innate immune response but can also contribute to the development of many acute inflammatory diseases. There is also evidence for neutrophil involvement in the regulation of the adaptive immunity and the pathogenesis of numerous chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. The precise role of neutrophils in this autoimmune disorder is unclear and the focus of my research is to elucidate the mechanisms of neutrophil migration into lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes following antigen-induced arthritis and their role in the regulation of the acquired immunity. The main hypothesis is that neutrophil entry into lymphatic vessels plays an important role in the initiation of autoimmune diseases by changes in their phenotypes and their entry to the lymphatic vascular system. The project thus aims to characterize the mechanisms of neutrophil/lymphatic vessel interactions in vivo as analysed by intravital confocal microscopy and the implications of this response to the development of autoimmune pathologies. Collectively, the project will address a previously unexplored aspect of leukocyte biology and chronic disorders thus making a significant and novel contribution to the field of acute & chronic inflammation.