Dr Claire Bourke

  • Senior Lecturer in Immunology (Immunology & Infection)

Biography

Claire completed her undergraduate in Biological Sciences (Hons. Immunology) and PhD in the immunobiology of human helminth infections at the University of Edinburgh under the supervision of Francisca Mutapi.

She went on to study epidermal immune responses to transcutaneous schistosome infection through a postdoctoral position at the University of York. Moving to Queen Mary University of London, she investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis in children and adults living with HIV, and cellular immune cell function in children with stunting.

Claire was awarded a Wellcome- and Royal Society-funded Sir Henry Dale Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to lead a program of research into anti-bacterial innate immune cell function of children hospitalised with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in collaboration with Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Zimbabwe and Tropical Gastroenterology and Nutrition Research, Zambia. She is co-investigator on several ongoing Zvitambo- and TROPGAN-led projects focused on pregnancy and gut health.

She joined the University of Glasgow as a Senior Lecturer in 2024.

Research interests

Claire’s research focuses on the immunobiology of child malnutrition, including its origins in pregnancy. Whilst malnutrition is most typically associated with diet, nutritional state is closely linked to the immune system and the inflammatory response to environmental exposures.  Children who are shorter than they should be for their age (stunted) or thinner than they should be for their height (wasted) are also more susceptible to more frequent and severe infections than children within a healthy height and weight range. Using cell and tissue samples from affected communities, my group uses translational immunology approaches to understand how the immune system contributes to the short and long-term health inequalities of malnutrition.

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019
Number of items: 18.

2024

Phiri, T. N. et al. (2024) Novel gastrointestinal tools (GI Tools) for evaluating gut functional capacity in adults with environmental enteropathy in Zambia and Zimbabwe: a cross-sectional study protocol. F1000Research, 13, 956. (doi: 10.12688/f1000research.154471.1)

Evans, C. et al. (2024) Inflammation and cytomegalovirus viremia during pregnancy drive sex-differentiated differences in mortality and immune development in HIV-exposed infants. Nature Communications, 15(1), 2909. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-44166-2) (PMID:38632279) (PMCID:PMC11024190)

Sturgeon, J. P. et al. (2024) Inflammation and epithelial repair predict mortality, hospital readmission, and growth recovery in complicated severe acute malnutrition. Science Translational Medicine, 16(736), (doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adh0673) (PMID:38416844) (PMCID:PMC7615785)

2023

Sturgeon, J. P., Njunge, J. M., Bourke, C. D. , Bryan Gonzales, G., Robertson, R. C., Bwakura-Dangarembizi, M., Berkley, J. A., Kelly, P. and Prendergast, A. J. (2023) Inflammation: the driver of poor outcomes among children with severe acute malnutrition? Nutrition Reviews, 81(12), pp. 1652-1636. (doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuad030) (PMID:36977352) (PMCID:PMC10639108)

Phiri, T. N. et al. (2023) Severe acute malnutrition promotes bacterial binding over proinflammatory cytokine secretion by circulating innate immune cells. Science Advances, 9(44), eadh2284. (doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adh2284) (PMID:37910623) (PMCID:PMC10619937)

Sturgeon, J. P. et al. (2023) Risk factors for inpatient mortality among children with severe acute malnutrition in Zimbabwe and Zambia. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 77, 895–904-895–904. (doi: 10.1038/s41430-023-01320-9) (PMID:37553508) (PMCID:PMC10473959)

Jones, H. J., Bourke, C. D. , Swann, J. R. and Robertson, R. C. (2023) Malnourished microbes: host–microbiome interactions in child undernutrition. Annual Review of Nutrition, 43, pp. 353-327. (doi: 10.1146/annurev-nutr-061121-091234) (PMID:37207356)

2022

Smith, L. E. et al. (2022) Child Health, Agriculture and Integrated Nutrition (CHAIN): protocol for a randomised controlled trial of improved infant and young child feeding in rural Zimbabwe. BMJ Open, 12(12), e056435. (doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056435) (PMID:36585147) (PMCID:PMC9809274)

Gonzales, G. B., Bourke, C. D. , Sturgeon, J. P., Njunge, J. M., Robertson, R. C., Kelly, P. M. and Berkley, J. A. (2022) Commentary: Mechanisms of kwashiorkor-associated immune suppression: Insights from human, mouse, and pig studies. Frontiers in Immunology, 13, 959465. (doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.959465) (PMID:35958616) (PMCID:PMC9359071)

Mutasa, K. et al. (2022) Stunting status and exposure to infection and inflammation in early life shape antibacterial immune cell function among Zimbabwean children. Frontiers in Immunology, 13, 899296. (doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.899296) (PMID:35769481) (PMCID:PMC9234645)

Bwakura‐Dangarembizi, M. et al. (2022) Recovery of children following hospitalisation for complicated severe acute malnutrition. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 18(2), e13302. (doi: 10.1111/mcn.13302) (PMID:34939325) (PMCID:PMC8932709)

2021

Murenjekwa, W. et al. (2021) Determinants of urogenital schistosomiasis among pregnant women and its association with pregnancy outcomes, neonatal deaths, and child growth. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 223(8), pp. 1433-1444. (doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiz664) (PMID:31832636) (PMCID:PMC8064048)

Bwakura-Dangarembizi, M. et al. (2021) Risk factors for postdischarge mortality following hospitalization for severe acute malnutrition in Zimbabwe and Zambia. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 113(3), pp. 665-674. (doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa346) (PMID:33471057) (PMCID:PMC7948837)

Bwakura-Dangarembizi, M. et al. (2021) Health outcomes, pathogenesis and epidemiology of severe acute malnutrition (HOPE-SAM): rationale and methods of a longitudinal observational study. BMJ Open, 9, e023077. (doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023077) (PMID:30782694) (PMCID:PMC6361330)

2020

Nadimpalli, M. L., Bourke, C. D. , Robertson, R. c., Delarocque-Astagneau, E., Manges, A. R. and Pickering, A. J. (2020) Can breastfeeding protect against antimicrobial resistance? BMC Medicine, 18, 392. (doi: 10.1186/s12916-020-01862-w) (PMID:33317529) (PMCID:PMC7737306)

Bourke, C. D. and Evans, C. (2020) Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis selects for antimicrobial resistance in human immunodeficiency virus-exposed, uninfected infants. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 71(11), pp. 2869-2871. (doi: 10.1093/cid/ciz1193) (PMID:31832637) (PMCID:PMC7778347)

Gough, E. K., Bourke, C. D. , Berejena, C., Shonha, A., Bwakura-Dangarembizi, M., Prendergast, A. J. and Manges, A. R. (2020) Strain-level analysis of gut-resident pro-inflammatory viridans group Streptococci suppressed by long-term cotrimoxazole prophylaxis among HIV-positive children in Zimbabwe. Gut Microbes, 11(4), pp. 1104-1115. (doi: 10.1080/19490976.2020.1717299) (PMID:32024435) (PMCID:PMC7524282)

2019

Bourke, C. D. and Prendergast, A. J. (2019) The anti-inflammatory effects of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis for people living with human immunodeficiency virus in Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 222(3), pp. 347-350. (doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiz495) (PMID:31714953) (PMCID:PMC7336553)

This list was generated on Mon Mar 24 01:43:20 2025 GMT.
Jump to: Articles
Number of items: 18.

Articles

Phiri, T. N. et al. (2024) Novel gastrointestinal tools (GI Tools) for evaluating gut functional capacity in adults with environmental enteropathy in Zambia and Zimbabwe: a cross-sectional study protocol. F1000Research, 13, 956. (doi: 10.12688/f1000research.154471.1)

Evans, C. et al. (2024) Inflammation and cytomegalovirus viremia during pregnancy drive sex-differentiated differences in mortality and immune development in HIV-exposed infants. Nature Communications, 15(1), 2909. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-44166-2) (PMID:38632279) (PMCID:PMC11024190)

Sturgeon, J. P. et al. (2024) Inflammation and epithelial repair predict mortality, hospital readmission, and growth recovery in complicated severe acute malnutrition. Science Translational Medicine, 16(736), (doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adh0673) (PMID:38416844) (PMCID:PMC7615785)

Sturgeon, J. P., Njunge, J. M., Bourke, C. D. , Bryan Gonzales, G., Robertson, R. C., Bwakura-Dangarembizi, M., Berkley, J. A., Kelly, P. and Prendergast, A. J. (2023) Inflammation: the driver of poor outcomes among children with severe acute malnutrition? Nutrition Reviews, 81(12), pp. 1652-1636. (doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuad030) (PMID:36977352) (PMCID:PMC10639108)

Phiri, T. N. et al. (2023) Severe acute malnutrition promotes bacterial binding over proinflammatory cytokine secretion by circulating innate immune cells. Science Advances, 9(44), eadh2284. (doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adh2284) (PMID:37910623) (PMCID:PMC10619937)

Sturgeon, J. P. et al. (2023) Risk factors for inpatient mortality among children with severe acute malnutrition in Zimbabwe and Zambia. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 77, 895–904-895–904. (doi: 10.1038/s41430-023-01320-9) (PMID:37553508) (PMCID:PMC10473959)

Jones, H. J., Bourke, C. D. , Swann, J. R. and Robertson, R. C. (2023) Malnourished microbes: host–microbiome interactions in child undernutrition. Annual Review of Nutrition, 43, pp. 353-327. (doi: 10.1146/annurev-nutr-061121-091234) (PMID:37207356)

Smith, L. E. et al. (2022) Child Health, Agriculture and Integrated Nutrition (CHAIN): protocol for a randomised controlled trial of improved infant and young child feeding in rural Zimbabwe. BMJ Open, 12(12), e056435. (doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056435) (PMID:36585147) (PMCID:PMC9809274)

Gonzales, G. B., Bourke, C. D. , Sturgeon, J. P., Njunge, J. M., Robertson, R. C., Kelly, P. M. and Berkley, J. A. (2022) Commentary: Mechanisms of kwashiorkor-associated immune suppression: Insights from human, mouse, and pig studies. Frontiers in Immunology, 13, 959465. (doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.959465) (PMID:35958616) (PMCID:PMC9359071)

Mutasa, K. et al. (2022) Stunting status and exposure to infection and inflammation in early life shape antibacterial immune cell function among Zimbabwean children. Frontiers in Immunology, 13, 899296. (doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.899296) (PMID:35769481) (PMCID:PMC9234645)

Bwakura‐Dangarembizi, M. et al. (2022) Recovery of children following hospitalisation for complicated severe acute malnutrition. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 18(2), e13302. (doi: 10.1111/mcn.13302) (PMID:34939325) (PMCID:PMC8932709)

Murenjekwa, W. et al. (2021) Determinants of urogenital schistosomiasis among pregnant women and its association with pregnancy outcomes, neonatal deaths, and child growth. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 223(8), pp. 1433-1444. (doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiz664) (PMID:31832636) (PMCID:PMC8064048)

Bwakura-Dangarembizi, M. et al. (2021) Risk factors for postdischarge mortality following hospitalization for severe acute malnutrition in Zimbabwe and Zambia. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 113(3), pp. 665-674. (doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa346) (PMID:33471057) (PMCID:PMC7948837)

Bwakura-Dangarembizi, M. et al. (2021) Health outcomes, pathogenesis and epidemiology of severe acute malnutrition (HOPE-SAM): rationale and methods of a longitudinal observational study. BMJ Open, 9, e023077. (doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023077) (PMID:30782694) (PMCID:PMC6361330)

Nadimpalli, M. L., Bourke, C. D. , Robertson, R. c., Delarocque-Astagneau, E., Manges, A. R. and Pickering, A. J. (2020) Can breastfeeding protect against antimicrobial resistance? BMC Medicine, 18, 392. (doi: 10.1186/s12916-020-01862-w) (PMID:33317529) (PMCID:PMC7737306)

Bourke, C. D. and Evans, C. (2020) Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis selects for antimicrobial resistance in human immunodeficiency virus-exposed, uninfected infants. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 71(11), pp. 2869-2871. (doi: 10.1093/cid/ciz1193) (PMID:31832637) (PMCID:PMC7778347)

Gough, E. K., Bourke, C. D. , Berejena, C., Shonha, A., Bwakura-Dangarembizi, M., Prendergast, A. J. and Manges, A. R. (2020) Strain-level analysis of gut-resident pro-inflammatory viridans group Streptococci suppressed by long-term cotrimoxazole prophylaxis among HIV-positive children in Zimbabwe. Gut Microbes, 11(4), pp. 1104-1115. (doi: 10.1080/19490976.2020.1717299) (PMID:32024435) (PMCID:PMC7524282)

Bourke, C. D. and Prendergast, A. J. (2019) The anti-inflammatory effects of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis for people living with human immunodeficiency virus in Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 222(3), pp. 347-350. (doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiz495) (PMID:31714953) (PMCID:PMC7336553)

This list was generated on Mon Mar 24 01:43:20 2025 GMT.

Prior publications

Article

Broad J et al. (2024) Maternal inflammatory and microbial drivers of low birthweight in low- and middle-income countries. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1080/20469047.2024.2380974)

Sturgeon JP, Bourke CD, Prendergast AJ (2019) Children With Noncritical Infections Have Increased Intestinal Permeability, Endotoxemia and Altered Innate Immune Responses. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1097/inf.0000000000002311)

Bourke CD et al. (2019) Cotrimoxazole reduces systemic inflammation in HIV infection by altering the gut microbiome and immune activation. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aav0537)

(2019) Current Understanding of Innate Immune Cell Dysfunction in Childhood Undernutrition Researchfish. (doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01728)

Freer JB, Bourke CD, Durhuus GH, Kjetland EF, Prendergast AJ (2017) Schistosomiasis in the first 1000 days. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1016/s1473-3099(17)30490-5)

Bourke CD, Berkley JA, Prendergast AJ (2016) Immune Dysfunction as a Cause and Consequence of Malnutrition. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1016/j.it.2016.04.003)

Fukushige M, Mitchell KM, Bourke CD, Woolhouse ME, Mutapi F (2015) A Meta-Analysis of Experimental Studies of Attenuated Schistosoma mansoni Vaccines in the Mouse Model. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00085)

Appleby LJ, Nausch N, Heard F, Erskine L, Bourke CD, Midzi N, Mduluza T, Allen JE, Mutapi F (2015) Down Regulation of the TCR Complex CD3ζ-Chain on CD3+ T Cells: A Potential Mechanism for Helminth-Mediated Immune Modulation. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00051)

Appleby LJ, Nausch N, Erskine L, Bourke CD, Rujeni N, Midzi N, Mduluza T, Mutapi F (2014) CD16 expression on monocytes in healthy individuals but not schistosome-infected patients is positively associated with levels of parasite-specific IgG and IgG1. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003049)

Bourke CD, Nausch N, Rujeni N, Appleby LJ, Trottein F, Midzi N, Mduluza T, Mutapi F (2014) Cytokine responses to the anti-schistosome vaccine candidate antigen glutathione-S-transferase vary with host age and are boosted by praziquantel treatment. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002846)

Turner JD, Bourke CD, Meurs L, Mbow M, Dièye TN, Mboup S, Polman K, Mountford AP (2014) Circulating CD14brightCD16+ 'intermediate' monocytes exhibit enhanced parasite pattern recognition in human helminth infection. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002817)

Bourke CD, Nausch N, Rujeni N, Appleby LJ, Mitchell KM, Midzi N, Mduluza T, Mutapi F (2013) Integrated analysis of innate, Th1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory cytokines identifies changes in immune polarisation following treatment of human schistosomiasis. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1093/infdis/jis524)

Turner JD, Meurs L, Dool P, Bourke CD, Mbow M, Dièye TN, Mboup S, Polman K, Mountford AP (2013) Schistosome infection is associated with enhanced whole-blood IL-10 secretion in response to cercarial excretory/secretory products. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1111/pim.12028)

Bourke CD et al. (2012) Trichuris suis ova therapy for allergic rhinitis does not affect allergen-specific cytokine responses despite a parasite-specific cytokine response. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2012.04063.x)

Nausch N et al. (2012) Age-related patterns in human myeloid dendritic cell populations in people exposed to Schistosoma haematobium infection. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001824)

Rujeni N, Nausch N, Bourke CD, Midzi N, Mduluza T, Taylor DW, Mutapi F (2012) Atopy is inversely related to schistosome infection intensity: a comparative study in Zimbabwean villages with distinct levels of Schistosoma haematobium infection. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1159/000332949)

Appleby LJ, Nausch N, Bourke CD, Rujeni N, Midzi N, Mduluza T, Allen JE, Mutapi F (2012) Chitinase 3-like 1 protein levels are elevated in Schistosoma haematobium infected children. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001898)

Nausch N, Bourke CD, Appleby LJ, Rujeni N, Lantz O, Trottein F, Midzi N, Mduluza T, Mutapi F (2012) Proportions of CD4+ memory T cells are altered in individuals chronically infected with Schistosoma haematobium. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1038/srep00472)

Paveley RA, Aynsley SA, Turner JD, Bourke CD, Jenkins SJ, Cook PC, Martinez-Pomares L, Mountford AP (2011) The Mannose Receptor (CD206) is an important pattern recognition receptor (PRR) in the detection of the infective stage of the helminth Schistosoma mansoni and modulates IFNγ production. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2011.08.005)

Imai N et al. (2011) Exposure, infection, systemic cytokine levels and antibody responses in young children concurrently exposed to schistosomiasis and malaria. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1017/s0031182011001181)

Mutapi F, Rujeni N, Bourke C, Mitchell K, Appleby L, Nausch N, Midzi N, Mduluza T (2011) Schistosoma haematobium treatment in 1-5 year old children: safety and efficacy of the antihelminthic drug praziquantel. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001143)

Bourke CD, Maizels RM, Mutapi F (2011) Acquired immune heterogeneity and its sources in human helminth infection. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1017/s0031182010001216)

Mutapi F, Imai N, Nausch N, Bourke CD, Rujeni N, Mitchell KM, Midzi N, Woolhouse ME, Maizels RM, Mduluza T (2011) Schistosome infection intensity is inversely related to auto-reactive antibody levels. Europe PubMed Central. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0019149)

Grants

Grants and Awards listed are those received whilst working with the University of Glasgow.

  • Evaluating the influence of dietary carbohydrate on inflammation and immune cell phenotype
    Tenovus Scotland
    2025 - 2026
     
  • Research collaboration and network building with The Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST)
    Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
    2024 - 2024
     
  • Strengthening collaborations between immunologists in Harare, Lusaka & Glasgow
    Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
    2024 - 2024
     

A head and shoulders shot of Dr Claire Bourke

Dr Claire Bourke on Twitter