University of Southampton: Unlocking the links between gut, brain and immune health Healthcare Research University of Southampton 6 July 2026

Researchers at the University of Southampton are leading a major new UK network to understand how gut health influences the brain, immune system and mental wellbeing, with the potential to inform new approaches to conditions including anxiety, depression and dementia. Backed by £4.5 million from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the UK Gut-Immunology-Brain Axis Network+ will bring together experts from diverse disciplines across the UK. Over four years, the network will investigate how lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep and stress shape communication between the gut microbiome, immune function and the brain.  It will also collaborate with leading international researchers to ensure findings can be translated into real-world applications as quickly as possible.

Professor Jonathan Swann, who leads the network, said: “The gut is often referred to as our second brain – and there’s growing evidence to suggest the health of our gut and the microbes that inhabit it can influence our mood and even our cognitive abilities.” By connecting expertise across disciplines and institutions, the network will explore emerging areas including brain ageing, infant brain development, autism, ADHD, diabetes and obesity.

The network demonstrates the distinctive role of Russell Group universities in bringing together world-leading expertise to tackle complex health challenges. By advancing understanding of the gut-brain-immune axis, Southampton-led research could help unlock new ways to support mental health, healthy ageing and long-term wellbeing, while informing future therapies and giving people stronger evidence on how diet and lifestyle can influence health across the life course.

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