Southampton Leads £4.5M UK-Wide Research Network Exploring How Gut Health Influences the Brain and Immune System

Southampton Leads £4.5M UK-Wide Research Network Exploring How Gut Health Influences the Brain and Immune System

(IN BRIEF) A new UK research network led by the University of Southampton is investigating how the gut microbiome influences the brain and immune system. With £4.5 million in BBSRC funding, the four-year project brings together scientists from Southampton, Cambridge, King’s College London, and the Quadram Institute to explore how lifestyle factors like diet and stress shape gut-brain-immune interactions. The network will examine links between gut health and mental health, cognitive function, dementia, and neurodevelopmental disorders, aiming to create real-world applications and new therapies that support well-being throughout life.

(PRESS RELEASE) SOUTHAMPTON, 24-Apr-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — A team of researchers led by the University of Southampton is launching a national network to explore how the gut, immune system, and brain interact—and how these relationships could unlock new ways to treat conditions like depression, anxiety, dementia, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Backed by £4.5 million in funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the four-year Gut-Immunology-Brain Axis Network brings together leading scientists from Southampton, Cambridge, King’s College London, and the Quadram Institute. Their goal is to uncover how lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep, and stress influence gut health, and in turn, how the gut microbiome communicates with the immune system and brain across different stages of life.

“The gut is often called our second brain, and the evidence that its health influences our mental and cognitive well-being is becoming increasingly compelling,” says network lead Professor Jonathan Swann from the University of Southampton. “We’re now asking deeper questions—how poor gut health might relate to dementia, autism, ADHD, or infant brain development, and how microbes might shape the mind through immune and inflammatory responses.”

Professor Jessica Teeling, also from Southampton, highlights the potential for breakthrough discoveries: “There’s growing recognition that the gut-brain-immune axis plays a fundamental role in everything from mood and cognition to chronic brain disease, but many mechanisms remain a mystery. Our work will help develop new strategies—from diet-based interventions to microbiome-targeted therapies—for preventing or managing a range of brain-related disorders.”

The network aims to translate research into practical, real-world applications. By partnering with international experts and focusing on areas like neuroinflammation, metabolic health, and mental resilience, the team hopes to pioneer strategies for maintaining cognitive and emotional health through better gut care.

Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith, Executive Chair of BBSRC, adds: “The interconnected nature of the gut, brain, and immune system is an exciting frontier for health research. This network will deepen our understanding and deliver science-driven approaches to improve well-being throughout life.”

Read more about the UK Gut-Immunology-Brain Axis Network .

Media Contact:

Tel. +44 (0)23 8059 3212
Email: press@southampton.ac.uk

SOURCE: University of Southampton