Behind every breakthrough are people whose daily work often goes unseen - but whose impact is extraordinary. One of them is Anastasia de la Haye. She has been working at University Hospital Southampton for five years and leads the respiratory research lab. She is funded by both the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre and Clinical Research Facility (CRF). We sat down with her to explore what a day in her world looks like, and what advice she has for the next generation. Why did you...

A UK study has shown that a vaccine can protect people against paratyphoid fever. Paratyphoid fever affects over two million people globally each year. Yet no licensed vaccine is currently available. The clinical trial involved six UK sites, including University Hospital Southampton. Volunteers took part locally at the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility (CRF). The new oral vaccine was shown to provide significant protection. There weren’t any safety concerns. ‘Major global health...

A human challenge trial has shown a new vaccine could offer better protection against whooping cough.   This follows a new report that highlights that 2024 whooping cough numbers were at their worst in 30 years.   Whooping cough is a serious and sometimes deadly disease. It affects millions of people worldwide each year.   Vaccines for whooping cough are already part of routine childhood immunisations in the UK. However they don’t provide lifelong protection. They also don’t stop people from...