Heather Long

Dr Heather Long is an Associate Professor in the Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy. She is the Department Academic lead for Cancer Immunology.

Heather leads an active research team in the fields of viral and cancer immunology, with a long-term focus on understanding T cell control of viruses and virus-associated cancers.

Heather’s team have identified many novel T cell targets in viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and SARS-CoV-2, which have enabled the analysis of virus-specific T cell responses in a range of clinical samples.

Her recent work alongside a UK-wide Phase II clinical trial is applying this knowledge to EBV-driven lymphoma, where her team are identifying biomarkers for earlier detection and treatment.

Heather also leads a module on the MSc Immunology and Immunotherapy and contributes to teaching across a broad range of programmes within the Birmingham Medical School.