Paras Anand: Associate Professor of Innate Immunity

My research at Imperial College London focuses on the molecular mechanisms that regulate immune responses in the context of inflammation, infection, and tissue homeostasis. A central theme of my work is to understand how intracellular signalling pathways - more specifically inflammasomes such as the NLRP3 inflammasome - are regulated by cellular metabolism and lipid metabolism. 

Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that form in response to pathogenic microbes or endogenous danger signals. Once assembled, they trigger the activation of caspase-1, which leads to the maturation and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and IL-18, driving an inflammatory form of cell death known as pyroptosis. These pathways play essential roles in host defence; their dysregulation is implicated in a range of inflammatory diseases, metabolic diseases, and disorders involving cholesterol and inflammation.

Our research explores how metabolic pathways - including fatty acid biosynthesis, cholesterol trafficking, and mitochondrial bioenergetics - regulate the activation, localisation, and functions of inflammasomes like NLRP3. For example, we investigate how cholesterol trafficking regulates inflammasome assembly and how post-translational lipid modifications such as NLRP3 palmitoylation and depalmitoylation fine-tune inflammasome signalling. By studying these processes, we aim to uncover how immune cells, such as macrophages, integrate metabolic cues to calibrate inflammatory responses and maintain tissue homeostasis.

Our research sits at the intersection of immunology, lipid biology, metabolism, cell biology, and inflammation, and is driven by the long-term goal of identifying novel therapeutic strategies to modulate inflammation in the context of infectious disease, chronic inflammatory and metabolic diseases, and immune-mediated disorders.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀: 𝗟𝗮𝗯 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄

These are some of the research themes we explore in the lab:

1. 𝙄𝙣𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜

We investigate how macrophages detect microbial or danger signals and trigger inflammation through inflammasome activation - especially focusing on the NLRP3 inflammasome. Our work explores how these immune pathways are regulated, including via palmitoylation and other lipid modifications, and how dysregulation contributes to disease. (Olona et al., 2022; Leishman et al., 2024)

2. 𝙇𝙞𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

Lipid pathways, including cholesterol and fatty acid biosynthesis, are central to immune cell function. We study how these lipid and cholesterol pathways control immune signalling, protein localisation, and inflammation. (Anand, 2020; Leishman et al., 2024)

3. 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮

We use lipidomics, transcriptomics, and other multiomics approaches to identify molecular pathways that drive inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. This systems-level strategy supports the identification of novel targets and biomarkers for therapeutic intervention relevant to inflammasomes, lipid metabolism, and inflammation.

4. 𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙡 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙮𝙨𝙤𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨

Disruptions in cholesterol transport and lysosomal function can profoundly affect immune responses. We study how these defects - frequently seen in lysosomal storage diseases - alter metabolism and drive inflammatory pathology. (de la Roche et al., 2018)

5. 𝙃𝙤𝙨𝙩-𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨

Using models of bacterial infection, we study how microbes interact with host cells, shaping immune outcomes and revealing new insights into host–pathogen communication.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵

Our lab combines molecular and cellular biology with immunological and imaging techniques. We use disease-relevant models - including primary mouse and human macrophages - to investigate metabolic and immune mechanisms, such as inflammasome activation, NLRP3 palmitoylation, and cholesterol regulation. Through interdisciplinary collaborations - including with clinical partners - we aim to translate fundamental discoveries into applied therapeutic insights targeting inflammation, metabolism, and immune regulation.

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗯

We welcome contact from prospective students, postdoctoral researchers, and collaborators interested in inflammasomes, NLRP3 inflammasome biology, lipid metabolism, palmitoylation, cholesterol regulation, and inflammation. Opportunities for internships and research training are available depending on lab resources and time of year. If you are interested, please get in touch by email to learn more.

𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

I lead the MSc Molecular Medicine programme at Imperial, overseeing curriculum development, student engagement, and academic delivery. I contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in immunology and inflammation, and supervise research projects at Master’s and PhD levels. I am committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and intellectually stimulating learning environment, with emphasis on mentorship, research training, and academic development for early-career scientists in fields such as innate immunity, inflammasomes, lipid metabolism, and inflammation.