After graduating in Biochemistry from UCL Martin completed a PhD with Marc Feldmann studying the regulation of cytokine gene expression where he contributed to the basic science studies that led to the identification of TNF as a target in rheumatoid arthritis. He worked with Victor Tybulewicz at the MRC-National Institute of Medical Research where he identified elements of signal transduction necessary for the development of lymphocytes.
He joined the Babraham Institute in 1997 where he continued research into signal transduction identifying roles for PI3K in lymphocyte development and activation. Some of this work underpinned the rationale for the use of inhibitors of PI3K delta in human malignancy.
Recent work by his group seeks to understand how RNA-processing mechanisms control the development and function of B and T lymphocytes. He is interested in RNA-binding proteins and microRNAs and how these function within signal transduction networks to control cell differentiation and immunity. In recognition of his research contributions, Martin was elected to The Academy of Europe in 2021.
In addition to leading the Immunology research programme Martin chairs the Institute’s Science Policy Committee, holding the post of Associate Director for Research Strategy. Martin also oversees the Institute’s commitment to research integrity, coordinating work across a number of Institute teams to ensure that the Institute’s research is performed responsibly and to the highest standards.
Beyond the Institute, Martin was a founding member of the Cambridge Immunology Network and as a member of the CRUK Cambridge Centre Haematological Malignancies Programme and of the National Cancer Research Institute Lymphoma Science Study Group, he contributes to a multidisciplinary group of UK clinicians and scientists which serves to develop and support lymphoma research and researchers with the goal of improving outcomes for patients. Martin is also a member of the BBSRC/MRC-CAtalyst Reducing ImmuNe Ageing (CARINA) network, part of the wider UK Ageing Network which brings researchers together across disciplines to advance our understanding of the biological mechanisms of ageing.
In 2022, Martin joined the BBSRC’s Bioscience for An Integrated Understanding of Health Strategy Advisory Panel and he is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Dunhill Medical Trust which funds research into ageing.