Gastrointestinal Infections Group

We have a long-standing programme of diarrhoeal disease research in children and adults. Our principle interests include rotavirus (the most important cause of severe diarrhoea in infants and young children worldwide) and norovirus (the leading cause of outbreaks of diarrhoea and vomiting).

The Gastrointestinal Infections Group is led by Professor Nigel Cunliffe, Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology.

We have described the clinical and molecular epidemiology of rotavirus and norovirus infections in numerous studies in the UK and Europe, and globally with major programmes of work in Malawi, Brazil and Nepal.  We have also conducted a study on healthcare associated viral gastroenteritis at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust here in Liverpool. 

We have conducted a pivotal Phase III clinical trial of human rotavirus vaccine in Malawi.

We have major, longstanding collaborations with Nagasaki University, Japan and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia and the Health Protection Agency, UK (HPA). 

Our work is funded by Wellcome Trust, Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), industry and the HPA.  Our work is published in leading medical and scientific journals including The New England Journal of Medicine Lancet and specialist virology journals.