From Scientific Discovery to Real-World Therapies
What does it take to turn scientific discovery into treatments that reach patients? Professor Rachael Bashford-Rogers, Fellow and Tutor in Biochemistry, is working at the intersection of immunology, data science, and entrepreneurship to better understand how the immune system shapes human health and disease and explore new pathways for treatment.
At its core, Professor Bashford-Rogers’ research asks a fundamental question: how can the same immune system that protects us also drive disease? “My research focuses on understanding how the immune system changes over time,” she explains, “and how these changes contribute to diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, and infection.”
Her work combines experimental biology with advanced computational approaches, drawing on large-scale human datasets that include genetic, clinical, and single-cell information. This allows her team to study immune cells in unprecedented detail, revealing how they behave in different contexts. “It enables us to ask questions that simply weren’t possible before and to map the biology of the immune system from entirely new perspectives,” she says.
From observation to innovation
This drive to uncover new biological insights has led Professor Bashford-Rogers beyond traditional academic research. She is a co-founder of Alchemab Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that uses human data to discover new therapeutic targets. “The idea originated from a simple but powerful observation: some individuals respond exceptionally well to disease, whether that’s surviving cancer or resisting infection,” she says. “By studying these individuals in detail, we can identify protective biological mechanisms that could be translated into treatments for others.” Alchemab was founded to take this concept beyond research into drug development, and has since grown into a collaborative effort between academia and industry, including a major partnership with Eli Lilly.
More recently, Professor Bashford-Rogers has co-founded a second company, Theraimmune, which focuses on how menopause reshapes the immune system and influences disease risk. This is an area that has historically received limited attention, but by investigating these changes, the team hopes to identify opportunities for earlier and more targeted interventions.
Science with impact
Underlying this move into industry is a clear motivation: impact. “I have a passion for helping patients,” Professor Bashford-Rogers says. “Academic research allows us to uncover important biological insights, but translating those discoveries into therapies that reach patients often requires a different framework.”
This perspective has shaped how she approaches her work. Scientific curiosity remains central, but it is accompanied by a focus on real-world relevance. “When designing experiments or analysing data,” she explains, “I think not only about whether a result is interesting, but whether it could meaningfully change how we diagnose or treat disease.”
Broadening horizons
Professor Bashford-Rogers’ experience across academia and industry also influences how she works with students. She encourages them to think broadly about where their studies might lead, and to remain open to paths beyond traditional academic careers. “I emphasise the importance of curiosity and resilience,” she says. “Both research and entrepreneurship involve uncertainty, and progress often comes from exploring ideas that don’t work before finding those that do.”
Just as importantly, she highlights to students that there is no single way to make an impact in science. “Whether it’s through academia, industry, or starting something new, there are multiple routes to contributing meaningfully,” she notes.
An ecosystem for innovation
Oxford, Professor Bashford-Rogers suggests, provides a uniquely supportive environment for this work. The combination of world-class research, a collaborative culture, and growing support for innovation has created fertile ground for new ideas. “Within the collegiate system, there’s a real sense of community,” she says. “Colleges like LMH provide spaces where ideas can be discussed across disciplines and at different stages, which often leads to unexpected collaborations.”
She also points to Oxford’s collaboration with industry as a key way of supporting the next generation of innovators. “There is a growing ecosystem, from funding initiatives to mentoring networks, that supports people who want to take their ideas further,” she explains. “In particular, there are an increasing number of opportunities for both undergraduate and postgraduate students to explore entrepreneurship in low-risk settings, such as internships during their courses and university-organised entrepreneurship societies.”
Looking ahead
For Professor Bashford-Rogers, her long-term goal is ambitious but clear: to shift how we approach disease itself. “Ultimately, I hope our work contributes to moving from treating conditions after they arise to understanding and intervening earlier in the underlying biology,” she says. By identifying the mechanisms that drive disease progression and targeting them more precisely, there is potential not only to extend lifespan, but to improve healthspan.
More broadly, she hopes her work demonstrates the value of combining deep scientific understanding with a commitment to translation. “If we can bring those together,” she reflects, “we can make a tangible difference.”
