Alex Cook

alex cook

Alex was a postdoctoral research associate from June 2020 until September 2026, before moving to the University of York to start his research group, funded by a Wellcome career development award.

While in Oxford, Alex made major contributions to our understanding of how African trypanosomes interact with and regulate molecules of the complement system. His first paper shows how the trypanosome C3 receptor, ISG65 binds to the TED domain of C3b. His second paper followed up on this study with the cryoEM structure of ISG65 bound to the complete C3b molecule, giving clues about how ISG65 might inactivate complement. Finally, he conducted a screen to identify new trypanosome receptors which bind to complement factors, leading to the discovery of a new receptor for the C3bBb complex. He was able to determine the mechanism using cryoEM analysis, revealing that the receptor holds C3bBb in a conformation which prevents its function as a C3 convertase.

Publications from his time in Oxford:

Cook, A.D., Webb, H., Minshall, N., Carrington, M. and Higgins, M.K. (2026) An African trypanosome surface protein inhibits amplification of the complement system. BioRXIV doi.org/10.64898/2026.08.17.745214

Cook, A.D., Carrington, M.* and Higgins, M.K.* (2024) Molecular mechanism of complement inhibition by the trypanosome receptor ISG65. eLife 12 RP88960

Cook, A.D., Carrington, M.* and Higgins, M.K.* (2023) Trypanosomes and complement: more than one way to die? Trends in Parasitology 39 1014 

Macleod, O.J.+, Cook, A.D.+, Webb, H., Crow, M., Burns, R., Redpath, M., Seisenberger, S., Trevor, C.E., Peacock, L., Schwede, A., Kimblin, N., Francisco, A.F., Pepperl., Rust, S., Voorheis, P., Gibson, W., Taylor, M.C., Higgins, M.K.* and Carrington, M.* (2022) Invariant surface glycoprotein 65 of Trypanosoma brucei is a complement C3 receptor. Nature Communications 13 5085 (+ equal contribution, * joint corresponding)