Personal Statement
Steve Edwards obtained his BSc and PhD at the University of Wales, Cardiff and spent periods of research in Brussels, Philadelphia, Cardiff and UMIST before moving to Liverpool. His research focuses on the control of neutrophil function in infections and inflammatory diseases, and uses a variety of molecular, physiological and biochemical approaches to understand how these cells are switched on and off in human disease. This research involves collaborations with other scientists in Liverpool, the UK and internationally, as well as links with local hospitals (e.g. Aintree University Hospital, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and the Royal Liverpool Hospital), and industry. He has developed a number of international research and training partnerships (e.g. with Chulalongkorn University, Chiang Mai University and Khon Kaen University in Thailand: Bicol University, Central Luzon State University and University of the Philippines Los Banos, in the Philippines). These partnerships include joint and dual award masters and PhD programmes and research collaborations. He was formerly the Head of the School of Biological Sciences, Head of School of Life Sciences and Head of the Institute of Learning and Teaching, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. He was also involved in programme development and quality assurance at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), Suzhou, being Chief Institutional Moderator for 5 years.

Research Overview
My expertise is in the molecular and cellular biology of human neutrophils and macrophages, and how these cells become activated during infections and in inflammatory diseases. My approach involves application of a variety of -omics technologies to understand how these cells are switched on and off in health and disease. A major aim of my research in inflammatory diseases (typified by rheumatoid arthritis) is to identify ways to specifically down regulate the harmful consequences of neutrophil activation (e.g. release of reactive oxidants, granule enzymes and cytokines/chemokines) without impairing the ability of these cells to protect from infections. In my research on infections, I investigate ways to boost the activity of these cells to provide better host defence. My research has led to many national and international collaborations with clinicians and industry, and more recently I have developed research and academic collaborations with staff in Chulalongkorn University and Khon Kaen University in Thailand. In the latter, we are investigating how the innate immune system may contribute to liver damage and cholangiocarcinoma in individuals infected with the food-borne liver fluke, Opisthorchis viverrini, and the role that Helicobacter pylori may play in immuno-pathogenesis of this disease that results in thousands of deaths per year.