Prof. Dr. Irah King

Profile

Academic positionFull Professor
Research fieldsImmunology,Parasitology and Biology of Tropical Disease Pathogens
KeywordsMucosal Immunology, Lymphocytes, Cytokines, Animal Models of Disease, Helminth Infection

Current contact address

CountryGermany
CityWürzburg
InstitutionJulius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
InstituteInstitut für Molekulare Infektionsbiologie

Host during sponsorship

Prof. Dr. Emmanuel SalibaInstitut für Molekulare Infektionsbiologie, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg
Start of initial sponsorship12/10/2026

Programme(s)

2026Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award Programme (Global Minds Initiative Germany)

Nominator's project description

Professor King is an internationally recognized leader in immunology whose research has uncovered fundamental principles of how immune cells interact with their local tissue environments to promote health and limit disease. By elucidating the mechanisms governing host–microbe interactions and tissue-specific immunity within the intestine, Professor King has provided critical insights into conditions such as infection, inflammatory bowel disease, and chronic inflammation. In Germany, he will use advanced systems biology approaches to identify where individual genes are expressed within tissues, revealing unprecedented resolution into how spatial context dictates cell function.