We all rely on our immune systems to fight off infections and also cancers, but how does our immune system distinguish between our own body cells and proteins, and those of unwanted invaders? Prof Bowness, Professor of Experimental Rheumatology, at the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, will describe how the immune system works and describe how this process can go wrong to cause autoimmunity. Autoimmunity is when our immune system turns on our own bodies. This is key to understanding how many illnesses such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus and autoimmune Thyroid disease develop and to improving treatments in the future.