- Professor Andrew Devitt is the dean of biosciences at Aston University and a professor of inflammatory cell biology
- His inaugural lecture is entitled ‘Life lessons from death: a morbid route to a healthier future?’
- Professor Devitt is an expert in immune responses to infection, inflammation in the body and cell death.
Professor Andrew Devitt, dean of biosciences and professor of inflammatory cell biology at Aston University, will give a public lecture about his life’s work on 5 June 2025.
His inaugural professorial lecture, ‘Life lessons from death: a morbid route to a healthier future?’, will cover Professor Devitt’s career journey from his undergraduate degree in microbiology at the University of Manchester to his work now studying the control of inflammation in the body and cell death at Aston University. He will discuss the insights gained into controlling inflammation and the onward journey to translate these findings into the development of innovative therapies for major chronic conditions.
During his PhD at the University of Birmingham, Professor Devitt studied immune responses to Chlamydia trachomatis, an important sexually transmitted infection and the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide. His subsequent postdoctoral research spanned the Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, and the Medical Research Council Centre for Inflammation Research at the University of Edinburgh. He joined Aston University in 2005, initially as a lecturer in cell biology.
Professor Devitt’s work now focusses on understanding the human immune system and inflammation. Inflammation is widely recognised as a crucial part of the immune response but is not always understood as a double-edged sword. While inflammation is essential for defence, it is also a major driver of human disease and age-associated conditions and as such must be effectively controlled for healthy ageing. The death of cells is a significant regulatory mechanism for inflammation but the process is not fully understood.
His research has resulted in the establishment of EVolution Therapeutics, a spinout company from Aston University, which aims to develop novel therapies for chronic wounds and other significant inflammatory conditions. He is part of the Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME) and the Aston Research Centre for Health in Ageing (ARCHA). In 2024 he was awarded the Chancellors medal, the 42nd recipient since the University received its Royal Charter in 1966, in recognition of his research, teaching quality and support for the student experience.
Professor Devitt has contributed to the wider academic research community through his roles at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as committee chair, British Council and The Dunhill Medical Trust (now the Vivensa Foundation) as scientific advisor. He also supports local education through his role as a trustee of Arden Multi-Academy Trust.
Professor Devitt said:
“I am really looking forward to this opportunity to share my scientific journey, to highlight some defining moments, to recognise the tremendous support I’ve been fortunate to receive and to thank those that I’ve been lucky to work with and be inspired by. There will be data, of course, and this will help me to bring together different threads from across my career that have led to the current and future focus of my research. I hope people will join me for this discussion of death – there are things we can learn for a healthier future!”
The lecture on Thursday 5 June 2025 will take place in the Susan Cadbury Lecture Theatre at Conference Aston. In-person tickets are available from Eventbrite. The public lecture will begin at 18:30 BST with refreshments served from 18:00 BST. It is free of charge and will be followed by a drinks reception. The lecture will also be streamed online.
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About Aston University
For over 130 years, Aston University has been making our world a better place through education, research and innovation. Our history is intertwined with the remarkable city of Birmingham, once the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and now the thriving base for an innovation ecosystem of global significance, which Aston is co-creating.
Our vision is to be a leading university for science, technology and enterprise, measured by the positive transformational impact we achieve for our people, students, businesses and the communities we serve.
Aston focuses on high-quality, exploitable research that has an impact on society through medical breakthroughs, advancements in engineering, policy and practice in government, and the strategies and performance of business.
The university offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, as well as continuing professional development solutions.
Thanks to its focus on delivering excellent outcomes for students, Aston University's reputation continues to grow. It was recognised as the Daily Mail University of the Year for Student Success 2025, is second in England for social mobility (2023 HEPI Social Mobility Index), and is top 20 for graduate salaries (2024 Longitudinal Education Outcomes).
Aston University is now defining its place in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Helen Tunnicliffe, Press and Communications Manager, on(+44) 7827 090240 or email:h.tunnicliffe@aston.ac.uk.
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