Andrew N. J. McKenzie

For other people named Andrew McKenzie, see Andrew McKenzie (disambiguation).

Andrew Neil James McKenzie is a British molecular biologist who is a group leader in the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB).^[2]

Andrew McKenzie FRS FMedSci
McKenzie in 2017
Born	Andrew Neil James McKenzie
Education	University of London (PhD)
Scientific career
Fields	Immunology Autoimmunity Molecular biology
Institutions	Laboratory of Molecular Biology University of Cambridge National Institute for Medical Research[1]
Thesis	Cellular and humoral aspects of the immune response of the larval stages of Calliphora vomitoria L. (Insecta: Diptera) (1988)
Website	www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/group-leaders/h-to-m/andrew-mckenzie/

Education

McKenzie was educated at the University of London where he was awarded a PhD for research on the immune response of the bluebottle fly (Calliphora vomitoria),^[3] covering both humoral immunity and cell-mediated immunity.

Research and career

McKenzie's research investigates how the innate immune system and adaptive immune system protect the body from infection, but can also lead to inflammation and pathology.^[4] He has defined and characterised how biological networks orchestrate responses to pathogens and how dysregulation of these biological pathways can lead to diseases such as asthma and allergy.^[4][5]

His identification of the cytokine Interleukin 13 and the subsequent unearthing of its central role in allergic asthma led to his discovery of type-2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2).^[6][7] These cells secrete large quantities of cytokines and represent a new druggable biological target for intervention in inflammation and infection.^[4]

Awards and honours

McKenzie was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2017^[4] and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci) in 2011.^[8]