About
Neil Gow is a microbiologist who investigates the fungi that cause life-threatening human disease and tries to find ways to diagnose and treat these infections. He is Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Impact at the University of Exeter.
Gow is known for his work on the biology and growth of fungi. His studies have focused on the mechanisms of how fungi develop, change shape, and cause disease. He is particularly interested in the fungal cell wall: how it is assembled, as well as how it is targeted by antifungal antibiotics and the human immune system. This work impacts the design of antifungal drugs, diagnostics, and immunotherapies for fungal diseases.
Gow is a founding member of the Aberdeen Fungal Group and was the Director of a Wellcome Trust Strategic Award that coordinates research and training activity in the field of medical mycology and fungal immunology across the UK and in developing countries. He is also co-Director for research of the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, which relocated from Aberdeen to Exeter in 2019.
Thirty of his group alumni now hold their own independent positions in mycology around the world.
Awards
- Sir James Black Medal (Royal Society of Edinburgh), 2017
- Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), 2016
- Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci), 2015
- Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (FAAM), 2004
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE), 2001
Relevant Publications
Walker, L.A., Sood P., Lenardon, M.D., Milne, G.,… Gow, N.A.R. (2018). The viscoelastic properties of the fungal cell wall allow traffic of AmBisome as intact liposome vesicles. MBio,9 (1), e02383-17.
Rudkin, F.M., Raziunaite, I., Workman, H., Essono, S.,… Gow, N.A.R. (2018). Single human B cell-derived monoclonal anti-Candida antibodies enhance phagocytosis and protect against disseminated candidiasis. Nature Communications,9,5288. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-07738-1
Erwig, L.P. & Gow, N.A.R. (2016). Interactions of fungal pathogens with phagocytes. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 14, 163-176.
Brand, A.C., Morrison, E., Milne, S., Gonia, S., Gale, C. & Gow. N.A.R. (2014). Cdc42 GTPase dynamics control directional growth responses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 111, 811-816.
Wagener, J., Malireddi, S. R.K, Lenardon, M.D., Kӧberle, M.,… Gow, N.A.R. (2014). Fungal chitin dampens inflammation through NOD2 and TLR9 activation. PLoS Pathogens, 10(4): e1004050. CONNECT