Susanne Hodgson

Susanne Hodgson is a clinician scientist with experience in early-phase vaccine development and efficacy testing in the UK and low-income settings. She has a special interest in controlled human infection studies to assess vaccine efficacy and natural immunity to infection. She is currently working on human monoclonal antibodies targeting VAR2CSA, an important antigen in Plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnancy. Susanne is a practising physician specialising in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology. She has an interest in complex surgical infections and is Chief Investigator of a multicentre, prospective, observational study of Necrotising Otitis Externa (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04950985). Susanne is a Research Fellow and Clinical Lecturer in Medicine at St Peter's College Oxford and organises the University of Oxford Graduate Entry Medicine Course Module for Infection & Immunity and the Infectious Diseases Special Study Module. 

Dr Susanne Hodgson

NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer - Infectious Diseases & Microbiology - University of Oxford

Research Fellow and Lecturer in Clinical Medicine - St Peter's College - University of Oxford

Trainee Chair, National Infection Trainee Collaborative for Audit and Research www.nitcollaborative.org.uk

Chief Investigator: Improving Outcomes in Necrotising Otitis Externa Study (NCT04950985)

My research is focussed upon utilising the controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) model to further understand both naturally acquired immunity and the efficacy of novel malaria vaccines. I initially worked as a clinical research fellow at the Jenner Institute on early stage clinical trials of novel malaria vaccines with Professor Adrian Hill and Professor Simon Draper. I then under took a DPhil at the Jenner Institute and the Kenya Medical Research Institute leading the first CHMI study in Kenya and the first to attempt to use the CHMI model to investigate naturally acquired immunity to P. falciparum. 

I qualified in Medicine from the University of Oxford in 2004. I am a clinical trainee in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology and am currently employed by the University of Oxford as an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer. 

Supervisor: Professor Simon Draper 

Key Publications

Hodgson SH, Muller J, Lockstone JE, Hill AVS, Marsh K, Draper SJ Knight JC. Use of Gene Expression Studies to Investigate the Human Immunological Response to Malaria Infection. Malar J. 2019 Dec 13;18(1):418

Abdi AI, Hodgson SH, Muthui MK, Kivisi CA, Kamuyu G, Kimani D, Hoffman SL, Juma E, Ogutu B, Osier F, Draper SJ, Bejon P, Marsh K, Bull PC. Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite var gene expression is modified by host antibodies: longitudinal evidence from controlled infections of Kenyan adults with varying natural exposure. BMC Infect Dis. 2017 Aug 23;17(1):585.

Hodgson SH, Llewellyn D, Silk SE, Milne KH, Elias SC, Miura K, Jin J, Kamuyu G, Juma EA, Magiri C, Muia A, Long CA, Osier FH, Hoffman SL, Ogutu B, Hill AVS, Marsh K, Draper SJ.  Comparison of Changes in Serological Immunology Measures in UK and Kenyan Adults Post-Controlled Human Malaria Infection. Front Microbiol. 2016 Oct 13;7:1604.  

Hodgson SH, Juma E, Salim A, Magiri C, Njenga D, Molyneux S, Njuguna P, Awuondo K, Lowe B, Billingsley PF, Osier F, Chilengi R, Hoffman SL, Draper SJ, Ogutu B & Marsh K. Lessons Learnt from the First Controlled Human Malaria Infection Study Conducted in Nairobi, Kenya. Malar J. 2015 Apr 28;14(1):182.

Hodgson SH, DouglasAD, Edwards NJ, Kimani D, EliasSC, Chang M, DazaG, Seilie AM, Magiri C, MuiaA, JumaEA, ColeAO, RamplingTW, AnagnostouNA, GilbertSC, HoffmanSL, DraperSJ, BejonP, OgutuB, MarshK, Hill AV, Murphy SC.Increased sensitivity of quantitative reverse-transcription PCR can improve prediction of clinical outcomes in sporozoite controlled human malaria infection studies. Malar J. 2015 Jan 28;14(1):33.

Hodgson SH, Juma EA, Magiri C, Kimani D, Njenga D,MuiaA, Salim A, Cole AO, Ogwang C, Awuondo K, Lowe B, Munene M, Billingsley PF, James ER, Gunasekera A, B. Sim KL, Njuguna P, Rampling T, Muthui M, Molyneux S, AltmanD, Macharia A, Williams TN, Bull PC,Hill AVS, Osier FH, Draper SJ, Bejon P, Hoffman SL,Ogutu B, Marsh K. Evaluating Controlled Human Malaria Infection in Kenyan adults with varying degrees of prior exposure to Plasmodium falciparum using sporozoites administered by needle and syringe. Front Microbiol. 2014 Dec 12;5:686. doi:

Sheehy SH, Douglas AD, Draper SJ. Challenges of Assessing the Efficacy of Asexual Blood-Stage Plasmodium falciparum Malaria Vaccines. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2013 Jun 18;9(9).

Sheehy SH, Spencer AJ, Douglas AD, Sim BKL,Longley RJ, Edwards NJ, Poulton ID, Kimani D, Williams AR, Anagnostou NA, Roberts R, Kerridge S, VoyseyM, James ER, Billingsley PF, Gunasekera A, Lawrie AM, Hoffman SLand Hill AVS. Optimising Controlled Human Malaria Infection studies using cryopreserved P. falciparum Parasites administered by needle and syringe. PLoS One. 2013 Jun 18;8(6):e65960.