Personal profile
Biography
- 2018-present, UK Dementia Research Institute Fellow & Senior Lecturer, University of Edinburgh
- 2014-2018, Group Leader, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh
- 2010-2014, Career-track fellow, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh
- 2008-2010, Postdoctoral research associate, University of Manchester (Kell/Rothwell labs)
- 2004-2008, Postdoctoral research associate, University of Manchester (Rothwell/Allan labs)
Qualifications
2000 BSc (Hons) Neuroscience, University of Glasgow
2004 PhD University of Glasgow
Websites
https://www.ed.ac.uk/discovery-brain-sciences/our-staff/research-groups/dr-barry-mccoll
https://ukdri.ac.uk/team/barry-mccoll
Current Research Interests
Our overall research goal is to understand how immune cells influence brain function in health and disease. We use that information to identify new treatment approaches aimed at preserving human brain health, enhancing resilience to disease, and promoting brain repair after injury.
Immune cells we study include those involved in both innate and adaptive immune activity, but we focus on microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, and related macrophages. These cells have important roles in tissue development, homeostasis, inflammation and repair.
Stroke and vascular dementia are major clinical disorders of interest – we are particularly interested in how microglia and macrophages influence the brain’s response to acute or chronic vascular damage
We study interactions between the brain and immune system at multiple spatial scales, including local cell-to-cell signalling within the brain, longer distance brain-body neuroimmune communication pathways involving nerves, and migration of circulating immune cells to the brain.
Research approaches and methods include human brain tissue profiling, in vivo preclinical disease models, cellular immunophenotyping, neuroimaging, in vitro cultures including human iPSC, -omics, bioinformatics.
Most projects in the lab fall under three major themes:
- Microglial development, regulation and diversity
- Myeloid cells in ageing, stroke and vascular dementia
- Brain-body neurommune signalling
My research in a nutshell
We investigate how immune cells support brain health and influence what happens after brain injury and in long-term brain disease
Education/Academic qualification
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Glasgow
2004
Award Date: 1 Jan 2004
Bachelor of Science, University of Glasgow
2000
Award Date: 1 Jan 2000
External positions
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester
2004 → 2010
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- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Adrenergic-mediated loss of splenic marginal zone B cells contributes to infection susceptibility after stroke
McCulloch, L., Smith, C. J. & McColl, B., 19 Apr 2017, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Nature Communications. 8, 15051.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Divergent neuroinflammatory regulation of microglial TREM expression and involvement of NF-κB
Owens, R., Grabert, K., Davies, C. L., Alfieri, A., Antel, J. P., Healy, L. M. & McColl, B. W., 2 Mar 2017, In: Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. 11, 14 p., 56.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Microglial brain region−dependent diversity and selective regional sensitivities to aging
Grabert, K., Michoel, T., Karavolos, M. H., Clohisey, S., Baillie, J. K., Stevens, M. P., Freeman, T. C., Summers, K. M. & McColl, B. W., 31 Mar 2016, In: Nature Neuroscience. 19, 3, p. 504-516 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Requirement for interleukin-1 to drive brain inflammation reveals tissue-specific mechanisms of innate immunity
Giles, J. A., Greenhalgh, A. D., Davies, C., Denes, A., Shaw, T., Coutts, G., Rothwell, N. J., McColl, B. W. & Allan, S. M., Feb 2015, In: European Journal of Immunology. 45, 2, p. 525-530Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Acute ischaemic stroke alters the composition and function of circulating B cells
Younas, M., Deijnen, H. R., Stephens, R., Harris, A., Williams, T. O., Tamburrano, S., Prise, I. E., Smith, C. J., Allan, S. M., McCulloch, L., Grainger, J. R. & McColl, B. W., 24 Dec 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 133, 106244.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile
Activities
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Neuroimmune regulation and relevance to neurodegeneration
McColl, B. (Speaker)
6 Oct 2015Activity: Academic talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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British Neuroscience Association 2015: Festival of Neuroscience
McColl, B. (Chair)
15 Apr 2015Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
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Neuroimmune interactions in CNS health, degeneration and repair
McColl, B. (Organiser)
25 Feb 2014Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
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Animal models of stroke expert working group
McColl, B. (Member)
2014 → …Activity: Consultancy types › Contribution to the work of national or international committees and working groups
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Glia (Journal)
McColl, B. (Peer reviewer)
2014 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Publication peer-review
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Microglial-endothelial cell axis: potential role in white matter disease and dementia
Horsburgh, K. (Principal Investigator), Fowler, J. (Co-investigator) & McColl, B. (Co-investigator)
18/09/23 → 31/08/28
Project: Research
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Improving the credibility and utility of in vitro research
Sena, E. (Principal Investigator) & McColl, B. (Co-investigator)
1/11/22 → 31/08/26
Project: Research
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UKDRI QQR - 1/4/23-31/3/28
Hardingham, G. (Principal Investigator), Bowles, K. (Co-investigator), Bowles, K. (Co-investigator), Chandran, S. (Co-investigator), Chandran, S. (Co-investigator), Diaz-Castro, B. (Co-investigator), Diaz-Castro, B. (Co-investigator), Gan, J. (Co-investigator), Gan, J. (Co-investigator), Hunt, D. (Co-investigator), Hunt, D. (Co-investigator), McColl, B. (Co-investigator), McColl, B. (Co-investigator), Montagne, A. (Co-investigator), Montagne, A. (Co-investigator), Opazo, P. (Co-investigator), Priller, J. (Co-investigator), Priller, J. (Co-investigator), Spires-Jones, T. (Co-investigator), Spires-Jones, T. (Co-investigator), Wardlaw, J. (Co-investigator) & Wardlaw, J. (Co-investigator)
UK Dementia Research Institute Ltd
1/07/22 → 31/03/28
Project: Research
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UK DRI Mouse Models for Dementia Research 2023
McColl, B. (Principal Investigator) & Barrington, J. (Co-investigator)
UK Dementia Research Institute Ltd
1/04/24 → 31/03/25
Project: Research
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6th Preclinical Stroke symposium
Horsburgh, K. (Principal Investigator), Fowler, J. (Co-investigator), McColl, B. (Co-investigator) & McCulloch, L. (Co-investigator)
4/09/23 → 6/09/23
Project: Research
Datasets
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2020_Thesis_SupplementaryData_s1569052_Tissue-resident immune cells in health and disease: their heterogeneity and associated gene signatures
Patir, A. (Creator), McColl, B. (Creator) & Freeman, T. (Creator), Edinburgh DataShare, 1 Sept 2021
DOI: 10.7488/ds/2917
Dataset