Thomas Dennison

Thomas Dennison

Research Associate

Tom completed his PhD in Professor Zilbauer’s lab in 2022, where he used patient-derived organoids to study the functional role of IBD-associated DNA methylation changes in the human intestinal epithelium. He now works between the Zilbauer lab and the Milner Therapeutics Institute, where he aims to develop the organoid model as a tool for drug discovery and development, including through their application to drug and gene perturbation screening.


Immunofluorescence images of intestinal organoids 

Key publications

  1. Patient-derived organoid biobank identifies epigenetic dysregulation of intestinal epithelial MHC-I as a novel mechanism in severe Crohn's Disease.
    Dennison TW, Edgar RD, Payne F, Nayak KM, Ross ADB, Cenier A, Glemas C, Giachero F, Foster AR, Harris R, Kraiczy J, Salvestrini C, Stavrou G, Torrente F, Brook K, Trayers C, Elmentaite R, Youssef G, Tél B, Winton DJ, Skoufou-Papoutsaki N, Adler S, Bufler P, Azabdaftari A, Jenke A, G N, Thomas N, Miele E, Al-Mohammad A, Guarda G, Kugathasan S, Venkateswaran S, Clatworthy MR, Castro-Dopico T, Suchanek O, Strisciuglio C, Gasparetto M, Lee S, Xu X, Bello E, Han N, Zerbino DR, Teichmann SA, Nys J, Heuschkel R, Perrone F, Zilbauer M.
    Gut. 2024 Aug 8;73(9):1464-1477. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2024-332043. PMID: 38857990; PMCID: PMC11347221.
  2. Recycling of memory B cells between germinal center and lymph node subcapsular sinus supports affinity maturation to antigenic drift.
    Zhang Y, Garcia-Ibanez L, Ulbricht C, Lok LSC, Pike JA, Mueller-Winkler J, Dennison TW, Ferdinand JR, Burnett CJM, Yam-Puc JC, Zhang L, Alfaro RM, Takahama Y, Ohigashi I, Brown G, Kurosaki T, Tybulewicz VLJ, Rot A, Hauser AE, Clatworthy MR, Toellner KM.
    Nat Commun. 2022 May 5;13(1):2460. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-29978-y. PMID: 35513371; PMCID: PMC9072412.
  3. GM-CSF Calibrates Macrophage Defense and Wound Healing Programs during Intestinal Infection and Inflammation.
    Castro-Dopico T, Fleming A, Dennison TW, Ferdinand JR, Harcourt K, Stewart BJ, Cader Z, Tuong ZK, Jing C, Lok LSC, Mathews RJ, Portet A, Kaser A, Clare S, Clatworthy MR
    Cell Rep. 2020 Jul 7;32(1):107857. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107857. PMID: 32640223; PMCID: PMC7351110.
  4. Phenotypically distinct neutrophils patrol uninfected human and mouse lymph nodes.
    Lok LSC, Dennison TW, Mahbubani KM, Saeb-Parsy K, Chilvers ER, Clatworthy MR.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Sep 7;116(38):19083-19089. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1905054116. Epub 2019 Sep 4. PMID: 31484769; PMCID: PMC6754587.
  5. Anti-commensal IgG Drives Intestinal Inflammation and Type 17 Immunity in Ulcerative Colitis
    Castro-Dopico T, Dennison TW, Ferdinand JR, Mathews RJ, Fleming A, Clift D, Stewart BJ, Jing C, Strongili K, Labzin LI, Monk EJM, Saeb-Parsy K, Bryant CE, Clare S, Parkes M, Clatworthy MR.
    Immunity. 2019 Apr 16;50(4):1099- 1114.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2019.02.006. Epub 2019 Mar 12. PMID: 30876876; PMCID: PMC6477154.
  6. Renal Sodium Gradient Orchestrates a Dynamic Antibacterial Defense Zone.
    Berry MR, Mathews RJ, Ferdinand JR, Jing C, Loudon KW, Wlodek E, Dennison TW, Kuper C, Neuhofer W, Clatworthy MR
    Cell. 2017 Aug 24;170(5):860-874.e19. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.07.022. Epub 2017 Aug 10. PMID: 28803730.