Dr Culley is an immunologist working in the fields of respiratory inflammation and infection, and the influence of age on respiratory immunity.

Dr Culley studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge University, then moved to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to study the immunology of trachoma, performing field work in the Gambia, West Africa. For her PhD at the University of London (LSHTM), she identified novel pattern recognition properties of C-reactive protein, and its exploitation by Leishmania parasites. She moved to Imperial College London to undertake her postdoctoral research, during which she developed her interests in respiratory immunology and inflammation. She identified novel mechanisms of immunoevasion and regulation of respiratory inflammation by helminth parasites with Prof. Tim Williams FRS and Prof Murray Selkirk.