Dr Rich Urbanowicz

Biography

Dr Richard A. Urbanowicz is Senior Lecturer in Antibody Discovery and Immunology at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), where he leads a research programme focused on antibody-mediated immunity to viral pathogens. He has over 20 years’ experience spanning immunology and virology, with expertise in monoclonal antibody discovery, viral entry mechanisms, and vaccine-relevant immune responses.

He obtained a B.Sc. in Microbiology and Virology from the University of Warwick, followed by an M.Sc. in Immunology and Allergy and a Ph.D. in Immunology at the University of Nottingham. His doctoral work, conducted under Prof. Lucy Fairclough, investigated the role of cytotoxic immune cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Dr Urbanowicz remained in Nottingham for postdoctoral training with Prof. Jonathan Ball, where he contributed to a series of high-impact studies on viral immunology. His work included the characterisation of monoclonal antibodies for clinical trials targeting Hepatitis C virus (HCV), isolation of novel human antibodies, and development of widely used viral pseudotype systems. He also played a key role in research demonstrating how genetic changes in Ebola virus during the 2014 West African outbreak enhanced viral infectivity in human cells.

In 2021, he established his independent research group at the University of Liverpool before moving to LSTM in 2025. He has published over 55 peer-reviewed articles (H-index 30) and has secured ~£4M in research funding as PI or Co-I . In addition to his research, he contributes extensively to teaching, postgraduate supervision, and academic leadership.

He serves as an Associate Editor for Virulence, is a member of The Pandemic Institute’s Internal Scientific Advisory Panel, and regularly reviews for major journals and international funding bodies. He is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a member of multiple professional societies, including the British Society for Immunology and the Microbiology Society.

Research interests

The Urbanowicz laboratory focuses on understanding how antibodies recognise viral pathogens and how they engage the wider immune system to mediate protection and clearance. The group integrates virology, immunology, and molecular engineering to define the features of effective antibody responses and translate these into improved therapeutics and vaccines.

A central theme of the research is the dissection of antibody function beyond neutralisation, including Fc-mediated effector mechanisms such as phagocytosis, complement activation, and cellular cytotoxicity. The lab applies systems serology approaches to identify correlates of protective immunity and to understand how antibody quality, rather than simply quantity, determines clinical outcomes.

The group has established platforms for monoclonal antibody discovery and characterisation across multiple viral families, including flaviviruses, coronaviruses, arenaviruses, and filoviruses. This includes the use of advanced pseudotype systems and diverse glycoprotein panels to interrogate viral entry and antibody breadth.

 

Current projects span:

Development of broadly protective antibody responses against emerging and zoonotic viruses

Engineering of antibody function to enhance antiviral efficacy

Investigation of viral evolution and its impact on antibody recognition and infectivity

Translation of antibody platforms into diagnostics and therapeutic candidates

 

The overarching aim is to harness the full functional capacity of antibodies to inform next-generation vaccines, biologics, and rapid response strategies against emerging infectious diseases.

Teaching

lectures on several modules of the MSc Tropical Disease Biology as well as professional diplomas. With his lab team he regularly co-supervises MSc and MRes project students.

Selected research publications

Antigenicity of key hepatitis C virus E1E2 glycoprotein neutralizing sites is genotype independent – Journal: Journal of General Virology – Published: 13th January 2026

Molecular pathogenesis—Part B – Published: 1st January 2025

Phlorotannin-Rich Ascophyllum nodosum Seaweed Extract Inhibits Influenza Infection – Journal: Viruses – Published: 15th December 2024

Recombinant H77C gpE1/gpE2 heterodimer elicits superior HCV cross-neutralisation than H77C gpE2 alone – Journal: Journal of Hepatology – Published: 1st December 2024

Polyvalent immunization elicits a synergistic broadly neutralizing immune response to hypervariable region 1 variants of hepatitis C virus – Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America – Published: 1st January 2023

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