The fight against hepatitis B, explained
Explore the science and social context of hepatitis B with Philippa Matthews, a scientist and consultant in clinical infection.
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that targets the liver and spreads through blood and other bodily fluids. It affects 300 million people around the world and remains a major global health threat.
However, work to tackle the disease remains underfunded. Many people with hepatitis B face difficulties in diagnosis, limited access to care and social stigma.
Philippa’s lab at the Francis Crick Institute studies the biology of the virus, while also developing clinical strategies for better diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
Philippa Matthews works on hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, using molecular biology to inform insights into the interplay between host and pathogen, developing an enhanced understanding of the burden and characteristics of disease, refining approaches to monitoring and treatment, and informing preventive interventions.
She is a clinician scientist who trained in Nottingham, Liverpool, London and Oxford, also spending time in Malawi and South Africa at different stages in her career.
Crick Crash Courses are talks for Crick staff, to help everyone working here – scientists and non-scientists – better understand the Crick's discovery research into how life works. The talks are simple and accessible lectures introducing a topic related to Crick science.
We've now opened our doors to our Crash Course talks, giving everyone, everywhere the opportunity to hear directly from our scientists as they investigate some of the most complex challenges in human health.
