Antonia Ho

Antonia Ho is a researcher at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. She works as an infectious disease and general (internal) consultant at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, and University Hospital Monklands in Airdrie. Antonia is a member of the British HIV Association Vaccine Guidelines Committee.

1. Project: ISARIC - Coronavirus Clinical Characterisation Consortium.

Summary: Research focuses on the clinical epidemiology of influenza and other respiratory viral infections in UK and sub-Saharan Africa. This research aims to: characterise the burden of respiratory viral infections; define risk factors for severe disease; improve the diagnosis of respiratory viral infections; design and evaluate optimum preventative strategies to reduce the burden of ARI.

2. Project: Viral and Immunological Correlates of Clinical Severity and Response to Anti-Viral Therapy for COVID-19.

Summary: The study is led by Professor Carl Goodyear, University of Glasgow. The clinical outcome of COVID-19 is ultimately determined by viral replication in the face of the host immunity. The latter can either control viral infection or exacerbate disease due to uncontrolled inflammatory processes that damages tissues. Hence, in order to establish the efficacy of antiviral therapies and determine whether stratification can aid clinical decisions in COVID19 patients, they need to identify correlates of disease severity and response to treatment. This proposal aims to fully determine the dynamic viral and immunological changes occurring during the different clinical stages of COVID-19. They will use a clinical trial for Favipiravir (GETAFIX, GLA3), an antiviral drug as their test case to develop their biomarkers but can roll this project out to support other trials within ASTERIX (GLA2).

Co-investigators and institutions at University of Glasgow:

Professor Massimo Palmarini
Professor Iain McInnes
Professor Brian Willett
Professor Emma Thomson
Professor Gerard Graham
Professor Paul Garside
Professor Naveed Sattar
Professor Andrew Biankin
Professor David Robertson
Dr Janet Scott
Dr Antonia Ho
Dr Thomas Otto
Dr Ana Da Silva Filipe

Co-investigators and institutions at GGCHB NHS:

Dr Michael Murphy

Funder: Chief Scientist Office

Total award: £319,473
Country: United Kingdom
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