Dr Gillian Tomlinson

BSc (Hons), MBChB, FRCP, PhD

School of Medicine and Population Health

Senior Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine

Honorary Consultant in Respiratory Medicine

Dr Gillian Tomlinson
Dr Gillian Tomlinson
Profile picture of Dr Gillian Tomlinson
gillian.tomlinson@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 215 9557
Room LU115, L Floor, The Medical School

Full contact details

Dr Gillian Tomlinson
School of Medicine and Population Health
Room LU115, L Floor
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX
Profile

For enquiries please contact - SMPH-West-Operational@sheffield.ac.uk

I joined the University of Sheffield as a Senior Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine in 2024. I also undertake clinical duties as a consultant in Respiratory Medicine and Acute Medicine, with a specialist interest in respiratory infection, particularly tuberculosis (TB) and interstitial lung disease.

I hold a medical degree from Edinburgh University and undertook postgraduate training in general medicine in Glasgow and London. I began my specialist training in respiratory medicine in Glasgow. I subsequently undertook a Medical Research Council (MRC) Clinical Research Training Fellowship using genome wide molecular profiling to understand inflammatory processes in respiratory disease, leading to the award of a PhD in Immunology at University College London. I then extended my expertise in transcriptional profiling to tissue samples from the site of disease within my NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer post at UCL. This work led to discovery and validation of clinically translatable signatures with the potential to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient stratification in diagnostically ambiguous cases of mediastinal lymphadenopathy.

After completing my specialist respiratory training in London, I worked as a consultant respiratory physician in Glasgow, before returning to UCL with an MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship. I integrated a human in vivo mycobacterial challenge model with genetic manipulation of zebrafish larvae for mechanistic studies, to investigate immune correlates of disease severity in pulmonary TB. My work identified a potential host protective role for type I interferon responses in mycobacterial infection, with applications for risk-stratification of adverse outcomes and development of a novel host-directed therapy to mitigate against severe disease.

I also recently led a collaborative project funded by my NIHR UCLH Biomedical Research Centre Grant, to compare single-cell transcriptomic and T cell receptor profiles of bronchoalveolar cells from individuals with post-COVID radiological lung inflammation or fibrosis. Our findings implicate T cell driven immunopathology in post-COVID lung disease.

Qualifications
  • FRCP
  • CCT Respiratory medicine and general medicine
  • PhD Immunology
  • MRCP (UK)
  • MBChB
  • BSc (Hons) Pathology
Research interests

I have an established track record in research focused on understanding the immune correlates of protection and pathogenesis in respiratory infection and inflammation, particularly tuberculosis (TB). Ultimately my work aims to identify immune pathways that could be targeted for novel host-directed therapies to mitigate against the chronic sequelae of tissue injury and against anti-microbial resistance, stratify individuals likely to benefit from such interventions and inform design and evaluation of new vaccines.

I combine transcriptomic profiling of immune responses from human challenge and clinical samples, with genetic manipulation of zebrafish larval bacterial and sterile inflammation models to improve understanding of how to generate host responses that protect without immune-mediated pathology.

I pioneered transcriptomic profiling of biopsies from the site of the tuberculin skin test (TST) for comprehensive systems and molecular level interrogation of integrated innate and adaptive immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. My MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship integrated my human in vivo mycobacterial challenge model, as a surrogate for immune responses to M. tuberculosis in the lung, with mechanistic studies in the zebrafish larval Mycobacterium marinum infection model, to investigate immune correlates of disease severity in pulmonary TB. The zebrafish mycobacterial infection model provides a natural host-pathogen interaction with granulomatous inflammation consistent with human TB. Zebrafish larvae are genetically tractable, which allows me to manipulate levels of genes to be tested, and optically transparent, enabling visualisation of bacterial growth and cellular responses to infection. This work identified type I interferon responses as host protective in mycobacterial infection, with implications for adjunctive type I interferon therapy to mitigate against severe disease in people with pulmonary TB

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

  • Hammond FR, Lewis A, Pollara G, Tomlinson GS, Noursadeghi M, Kiss-Toth E & Elks PM (2024) . eLife, 13.
  • Mehta P, Sanz-Magallón Duque de Estrada B, Denneny EK, Foster K, Turner CT, Mayer A, Milighetti M, Platé M, Worlock KB, Yoshida M , Brown JS et al (2024) . Frontiers in Immunology, 15.
  • Chandran A, Rosenheim J, Nageswaran G, Swadling L, Pollara G, Gupta RK, Burton AR, Guerra-Assunção JA, Woolston A, Ronel T , Pade C et al (2022) . Cell Reports Medicine, 3(3), 100557-100557.
  • Pollara G, Turner CT, Rosenheim J, Chandran A, Bell LCK, Khan A, Patel A, Peralta LF, Folino A, Akarca A , Venturini C et al (2021) . Science Translational Medicine, 13(592).
  • Mandal S, Barnett J, Brill SE, Brown JS, Denneny EK, Hare SS, Heightman M, Hillman TE, Jacob J, Jarvis HC , Lipman MCI et al (2021) . Thorax, 76(4), 396-398.
  • Stirling DR, Suleyman O, Gil E, Elks PM, Torraca V, Noursadeghi M & Tomlinson GS (2020) . Scientific Reports, 10(1).
  • Tomlinson GS, Thomas N, Chain BM, Best K, Simpson N, Hardavella G, Brown J, Bhowmik A, Navani N, Janes SM , Miller RF et al (2016) . Chest, 149(2), 535-544.
  • Tomlinson G, Chimalapati S, Pollard T, Lapp T, Cohen J, Camberlein E, Stafford S, Periselneris J, Aldridge C, Vollmer W , Picard C et al (2014) . The Journal of Immunology, 193(7), 3736-3745.
  • Tomlinson GS, Bell LCK, Walker NF, Tsang J, Brown JS, Breen R, Lipman M, Katz DR, Miller RF, Chain BM , Elkington PTG et al (2014) . The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 209(7), 1055-1065.
  • Tomlinson GS, Cashmore TJ, Elkington PTG, Yates J, Lehloenya RJ, Tsang J, Brown M, Miller RF, Dheda K, Katz DR , Chain BM et al (2011) . European Journal of Immunology, 41(11), 3253-3260.
  • Torraca V, Kaforou M, Watson J, Duggan GM, Guerrero-Gutierrez H, Krokowski S, Hollinshead M, Clarke TB, Mostowy RJ, Tomlinson GS , Sancho-Shimizu V et al () . PLOS Pathogens, 15(12), e1008006-e1008006.
  • Bell LCK, Pollara G, Pascoe M, Tomlinson GS, Lehloenya RJ, Roe J, Meldau R, Miller RF, Ramsay A, Chain BM , Dheda K et al () . PLOS Pathogens, 12(3), e1005469-e1005469.
  • Jarvis JN, Meintjes G, Bicanic T, Buffa V, Hogan L, Mo S, Tomlinson G, Kropf P, Noursadeghi M & Harrison TS () . PLOS Pathogens, 11(4), e1004754-e1004754.
  • Tomlinson GS, Booth H, Petit SJ, Potton E, Towers GJ, Miller RF, Chain BM & Noursadeghi M () . PLoS ONE, 7(6), e40348-e40348.

Preprints

  • Szydlo-Shein A, de Estrada BS-MD, Rosenheim J, Turner CT, Chandran A, Tsaliki E, Lipman MCI, Kunst H, Pollara G, Elks PM , Levraud J-P et al (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

All publications

Journal articles

  • Hammond FR, Lewis A, Pollara G, Tomlinson GS, Noursadeghi M, Kiss-Toth E & Elks PM (2024) . eLife, 13.
  • Mehta P, Sanz-Magallón Duque de Estrada B, Denneny EK, Foster K, Turner CT, Mayer A, Milighetti M, Platé M, Worlock KB, Yoshida M , Brown JS et al (2024) . Frontiers in Immunology, 15.
  • Periselneris J, Turner CT, Ercoli G, Szylar G, Weight CM, Thurston T, Whelan M, Tomlinson G, Noursadeghi M & Brown J (2022) . Immunology, 167(3), 413-427.
  • Chandran A, Rosenheim J, Nageswaran G, Swadling L, Pollara G, Gupta RK, Burton AR, Guerra-Assunção JA, Woolston A, Ronel T , Pade C et al (2022) . Cell Reports Medicine, 3(3), 100557-100557.
  • Pollara G, Turner CT, Rosenheim J, Chandran A, Bell LCK, Khan A, Patel A, Peralta LF, Folino A, Akarca A , Venturini C et al (2021) . Science Translational Medicine, 13(592).
  • Mandal S, Barnett J, Brill SE, Brown JS, Denneny EK, Hare SS, Heightman M, Hillman TE, Jacob J, Jarvis HC , Lipman MCI et al (2021) . Thorax, 76(4), 396-398.
  • Stirling DR, Suleyman O, Gil E, Elks PM, Torraca V, Noursadeghi M & Tomlinson GS (2020) . Scientific Reports, 10(1).
  • Periselneris J, Ercoli G, Pollard T, Chimalapati S, Camberlein E, Szylar G, Hyams C, Tomlinson G, Petersen FC, Floto RA , Noursadeghi M et al (2019) . mBio, 10(5).
  • Tomlinson GS, Thomas N, Chain BM, Best K, Simpson N, Hardavella G, Brown J, Bhowmik A, Navani N, Janes SM , Miller RF et al (2016) . Chest, 149(2), 535-544.
  • Periselneris J, Chimalapati S, Tomlinson G, Dyson A, Hyams C, Rukke H, Peterson F, Singer M, Noursadeghi M & Brown J (2014) . Thorax, 69(Suppl 2), A47-A47.
  • Tomlinson G, Chimalapati S, Pollard T, Lapp T, Cohen J, Camberlein E, Stafford S, Periselneris J, Aldridge C, Vollmer W , Picard C et al (2014) . The Journal of Immunology, 193(7), 3736-3745.
  • Tomlinson GS, Bell LCK, Walker NF, Tsang J, Brown JS, Breen R, Lipman M, Katz DR, Miller RF, Chain BM , Elkington PTG et al (2014) . The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 209(7), 1055-1065.
  • Tomlinson GS, Hardavella G, Brown J, Succony L, Navani N, Thomas N, Chain BM, Janes SM & Noursadeghi M (2013) . Thorax, 68(Suppl 3), A21.1-A21.
  • Tomlinson GS, Elkington PTG, Bell L, Walker NF, Tsang J, Brown J, Breen R, Lipman M, Katz DR, Miller RF , Chain BM et al (2011) . Thorax, 66(Suppl 4), A59-A60.
  • Tomlinson GS, Cashmore TJ, Elkington PTG, Yates J, Lehloenya RJ, Tsang J, Brown M, Miller RF, Dheda K, Katz DR , Chain BM et al (2011) . European Journal of Immunology, 41(11), 3253-3260.
  • Tomlinson GS, Elkington PTG & Noursadeghi M (2010) . Thorax, 65(Suppl 4), A4-A4.
  • Tomlinson GS, Khandavilli S, Cohen J, Hyams C, Brown J & Noursadeghi M (2010) . Thorax, 65(Suppl 4), A37-A37.
  • Anderson CE, Tomlinson GS, Pauly B, Brannan FW, Chiswick A, Brack‐Werner R, Simmonds P & Bell JE (2003) . Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 29(4), 378-388.
  • Tomlinson , Simmonds , Busuttil , Chiswick & Bell (1999) . Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 25(5), 369-379.
  • Wyatt JP, Tomlinson GS & Busuttil A (1999) . Resuscitation, 41(2), 101-104.
  • Tomlinson GS, Cole CH & Smith NM (1999) . Pathology, 31(1), 12-16.
  • Torraca V, Kaforou M, Watson J, Duggan GM, Guerrero-Gutierrez H, Krokowski S, Hollinshead M, Clarke TB, Mostowy RJ, Tomlinson GS , Sancho-Shimizu V et al () . PLOS Pathogens, 15(12), e1008006-e1008006.
  • Gupta-Wright A, Tomlinson GS, Rangaka MX & Fletcher HA () . F1000Research, 7, 217-217.
  • Bell LCK, Pollara G, Pascoe M, Tomlinson GS, Lehloenya RJ, Roe J, Meldau R, Miller RF, Ramsay A, Chain BM , Dheda K et al () . PLOS Pathogens, 12(3), e1005469-e1005469.
  • Jarvis JN, Meintjes G, Bicanic T, Buffa V, Hogan L, Mo S, Tomlinson G, Kropf P, Noursadeghi M & Harrison TS () . PLOS Pathogens, 11(4), e1004754-e1004754.
  • Tomlinson GS, Booth H, Petit SJ, Potton E, Towers GJ, Miller RF, Chain BM & Noursadeghi M () . PLoS ONE, 7(6), e40348-e40348.

Conference proceedings

  • Mehta P, Duque de Estrada BS-M, Denneny E, Foster K, Turner C, Meyer A, Milighetti M, Worlock K, Yoshida M, Brown J , Nikolic M et al (2023) . ‘Bad blood’ – Biomarkers and mechanisms in long COVID (pp A61-A61)
  • Mehta P, De Estrada BS-MD, Denneny E, Foster K, Turner C, Mayer A, Milighetti M, Plate M, Worlock K, Yoshida M , Brown J et al (2023) . Mechanisms of lung injury and repair (pp OA1566-OA1566)
  • Periselneris J, Chimalapati S, Tomlinson G, Hyams C, Dyson A, Noursadeghi M & Brown J (2015) . 10.1 Respiratory Infections (pp PA2672-PA2672)
  • Heightman M, Tomlinson G, Booth H, Laurent G, McAnulty R & Hill M (2009) . D21. GENETICS OF AIRWAY DISEASES II (pp A5425-A5425)
  • Tomlinson GS, Young LM, Heightman MJ, Booth H, Laurent GJ, McAnulty RJ & Hill MR (2009) . D21. GENETICS OF AIRWAY DISEASES II (pp A5439-A5439)

Preprints

  • Szydlo-Shein A, de Estrada BS-MD, Rosenheim J, Turner CT, Chandran A, Tsaliki E, Lipman MCI, Kunst H, Pollara G, Elks PM , Levraud J-P et al (2025) , eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd.
  • Szydlo-Shein A, de Estrada BS-MD, Rosenheim J, Turner CT, Chandran A, Tsaliki E, Lipman MCI, Kunst H, Pollara G, Elks PM , Levraud J-P et al (2025) , eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd.
  • Turner CT, Rosenheim J, Thakker C, Chandran A, Wilson H, Venturini C, Pollara G, Chain BM, Tomlinson GS & Noursadeghi M (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Szydlo-Shein A, de Estrada BS-MD, Rosenheim J, Turner CT, Chandran A, Tsaliki E, Lipman MCI, Kunst H, Pollara G, Elks PM , Levraud J-P et al (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Hammond FR, Lewis A, Pollara G, Tomlinson GS, Noursadeghi M, Kiss-Toth E & Elks PM (2023) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Mehta P, Sanz-Magallón Duque de Estrada B, Denneny EK, Foster K, Turner CT, Mayer A, Milighetti M, Platé M, Worlock KB, Yoshida M , Brown JS et al (2023) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Chandran A, Rosenheim J, Nageswaran G, Swadling L, Pollara G, Gupta RK, Guerra-Assuncao JA, Woolston A, Ronel T, Pade C , Gibbons J et al (2021) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Torraca V, Kaforou M, Watson J, Duggan GM, Guerrero-Gutierrez H, Krokowski S, Hollinshead M, Clarke TB, Mostowy RJ, Tomlinson GS , Sancho-Shimizu V et al (2019) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Stirling DR, Suleyman O, Gil E, Elks PM, Torraca V, Noursadeghi M & Tomlinson GS (2019) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Pollara G, Turner CT, Tomlinson GS, Bell LCK, Khan A, Peralta LF, Folino A, Akarca A, Venturini C, Baker T , Ricciardolo FLM et al (2019) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Grants

Medical Research Council Clinician Scientist Fellowship (2016-2024)
Tuning the immune response in tuberculosis

NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre Inflammation, Immunity and Immunotherapeutics Theme (2020-2022)
Immune pathogenesis of post-COVID-19 lung disease

Teaching interests

I have previously used my expertise in respiratory infection and immunology to lecture on Immunology Masters and undergraduate courses to deliver researcher-led teaching

Professional activities and memberships
  • British Thoracic Society member.
  • British Society for Immunology member.
  • European Respiratory Society member.
  • Peer reviewer of manuscripts and grants.