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• Professional Certificate in Academic Practice - University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡, 2016
• PhD in Medical Science - University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡, 2006
• MSc in Immunology – Distinction, University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡, 2002
• BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry - First Class, University of Lancaster, 2001

Helen graduated from the University of Lancaster in 2001 with a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry, during this course she spent a year studying aboard at Oregon State University, USA.

She obtained a MSc in Immunology from the University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ in 2002, undertaking a research project looking at neutrophil apoptosis (cell death) with Janet Lord and Dagmar Scheel-Toellner in the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing. She subsequently joined Gerard Nash’s Cardiovascular Rheology Group in the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, where she completed her PhD in Medical Sciences in 2006.

In 2011, she was appointed as a University Fellow in Inflammation Biology within the System Science for Health multidisciplinary translational research consortium at Birmingham and subsequently was was awarded a five year Arthritis Research Career Development Fellowship to explore the role of synovial fibroblasts in regulating leukocyte accumulation during the development of persistent arthritis. Moreover, she was awarded the prestigious “Garrod Prize” by the British Society for Rheumatology in 2016.

Helen continued her research at Birmingham where she successfully established the Inflammation, Vascular and Bone (IVB) research group. IVB focuses on dissecting the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning inflammation and tissue repair in health, with age and in disease, with the view of translating these findings for patient benefit. For more information on the on-going projects in the team see the Research Tab below.

In 2017, Helen was appointed as a Senior Research Fellow (Associate Professor) in Inflammation Biology, and was promoted to Reader in Inflammation and Vascular Biology in 2021.

Helen was the the Director of the Integrated PhD in Life Sciences Doctoral Training Programme (iDTP) in Life Sciences for Health from 2018 - 2024. 

During her time as elected England Representative on the British Society of Immunology (BSI) Members Forum, a member of the BSI Annual Congress Committee, the Deputy President for the UK Cell Adhesion Society and Associate Editor for the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, she is/has been actively involved in supporting others to shape the immunology and leukocyte biology research landscape. She continues to act as a mentor for researchers at all stages of their careers and hosts staff/students as part of research mobility exchange programmes.

Helen was promoted to Professor of Inflammation and Vascular Biology in 2024.

Postgraduate

• Director of the Integrated PhD in Life Sciences Doctoral Training Programme
• Immunology and Immunotherapy MSc
• Cardiovascular Science

Undergraduate

• Medical Science BMedSc - Year 3 Immunity and Inflammatory Diseases
• Medical Science BMedSc - Year 3 Cardiovascular Sciences
• Medicine and Surgery MBChB - Personal Academic Tutor

Widening Participation

Academic Lead

Access to Birmingham – Biomedical Sciences

Assignment Tutor

Access to Birmingham – Biomedical Sciences

Professor McGettrick and her team continue to support the research development of students interested in joining the team for either summer placements, undergraduate or postgraduate dissertation projects or as part of student mobility from partner organisations.

Helen currently supervises PhD students on the following projects:

• Characterising the therapeutic potential of a novel peptide in age-related bone loss, skeletal remodelling and repair 
• Regulators of endothelial cell galectin expression in health and disease
• PEPITEM regulation of innate immune cell phenotype and function in health, with age and in disease
• Investigating the role of Galectin-9 on macrophage polarisation and function

Anyone interested in joining the team please see opportunities on find-a-phd:

For researchers who are considering undertaking a PhD in Life Sciences at Birmingham and have secured funding or are eligible for funding from local sources, please contact idtp@contacts.bham.ac.uk. 

IVB is currently seeking to further our understanding of resilience to stress events (inflammation, age, surgery, menopause) over the life-course and develop innovative biomarkers and/or therapeutics to tackle “stress event” induced frailty within the population.

This research portfolio includes 5 major themes:

• Dissecting the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning resilience to a “stress” event over the life-course, with the view of identifying hallmarks of resilience and/or frailty and potential therapeutic targets/interventions to take into clinical trials [currently funded by Wellcome Leap Dynamic Resilience].
• Characterising the role of PEPITEM in regulating leukocyte and stromal cell biology under homeostatic conditions, in response to tissue injury, acute or chronic inflammation or natural ageing [currently funded by MRC and Connect Immune].
• Dissecting the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning pathology in IBD and identification of novel targets for therapeutic intervention and/or patient stratification [currently funded by F Hoffmann-La Roche Ag].
• Understanding the importance of galectins in regulating endothelial and leukocyte function in health, during inflammation or infection or in cancer [currently funded by Wellcome Trust].
• Creating a stable PEPITEM derivate and conducting a preclinical translational pipeline, for use in rheumatological and/or musculoskeletal disorders.

Editoral Board

• Journal of Leukocyte Biology (2022-present)
• Scientific Reports (2015 - 2021) 
• Annals of Autoimmunity and Research

Committee Membership

External (last 10 years)

• Royal Free London– Research Panel Member (2023 - present)
• European Commission Expert Panel Member and Rapporteur (H2020-DIAMOND) (2023 - present)
• British Society of Immunology Congress Committee (2022-2027)
• Versus Arthritis – Priorities 2023 – Accelerating Diagnosis and Treatment Funding Recommendation Panel (2022-2023)
• Arthritis Research UK – Career Development Fellowship Committee (2022 - present)
• Arthritis Research UK – Foundation Fellowship Committee (2022 - 2023)
• British Society of Immunology Forum Regional Representative for England (2018 - 2023)
• Arthritis Research UK – PhD Studentship Committee (2017 - 2021)
• British Society of Rheumatology – Mentor for Rheumatology researchers mentoring scheme (2017 - 2020)
• European Commission Expert Evaluator and Panel Member (H2020-MSCA-IF) (2016 - present)
• Arthritis Research UK – College of Experts (2016 - present)
• UK Cell Adhesion Society Committee Member (2014 - 2023)
• BSI Leukocyte Migration Affinity Group Committee Member (2013 - 2022)

Internal (last 5 years)

• I&A PGR Committee – International Lead (2023 - present)
• CMH Research Development Fund – Panel Member (2023 - present)
• CMH Global Engagement Group – Member (2021 - present)
• Department of Inflammation and Ageing (IIA) Head of Global Engagement (2021 - present)
• Academic Mentor for CMH ECR (2019 - present)
• CMH Internationalisation Strategy and Recruitment Steering Group – Member (2019 - 2020)
• I&A Committee for Education – Member (2019 - present)
• CMH College Education Committee – Member (2019 - 2023)
• Integrated PhD DTP Management Committee – Chair (2018 - present)
• Director of the Integrated Doctoral Training Programme (DTP) (2018 - present)
• CMH Postgraduate Research Committee – Member (2018 - present)
• I&A Deputy Lead for Education (2018 - 2023)

Conference Organisation (last 6 years)

• BSI - Annual Congress – Belfast (2023)
• BSI - Annual Congress – Liverpool (2022)
• UK Cell Adhesion Society Monthly Seminar Series (2021 - 2023)
• Birmingham Inflammation, Repair and Ageing Conference (BIRA) - Birmingham, UK (2021)
• BSI - “Autoimmunity, Metabolism and Migration” - Liverpool (2019)
• 31st UK Adhesion Society Meeting - Birmingham, UK (2019)
• 3rd BSI Leukocyte Migration Group (LMG) Meeting - Leeds, UK (2017)
• 1st British Microcirculation Society and UK Cell Adhesion Society Joint Meeting - Birmingham, UK (2017)
• BSI/NVVI Congress Session - “Anatomy of an immune response” - jointly hosted by LMG - Manchester (2016)

Membership and Affiliation

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• British Society of Rheumatology
• British Society of Immunology
• Society of Leukocyte Biology

Prizes and Awards

• - British Society of Rheumatology, 2016
• European League of Rheumatism - Basic Science Oral Highlights Session, 2015
• Enterprise Birmingham Innovation Competition - 2nd Place, 2015