Judith Elizabeth Allen FRS FMedSci FRSE FRSB is a British scientist who is Professor of Immunobiology at the University of Manchester.

[6] Allen spent several years in the biotechnology sector before joining Imperial College London as a postdoctoral researcher.

Allen has identified macrophages with a specific type 2 expression profile, which are found both at the site of the infection and in injured tissue.

Allen helped discover that IL-13 encourages SARS-Cov-2 to progress in severity through the increased accumulation of hyaluronan polysaccharide (HA) in the lungs.

For example, the immune system will regulate the extracellular matrix through chemokines or cytokines, inflammatory signals, which will call for leukocyte extravasation to an injury site.

Interleukin 13, a type 2 cytokine Allen has worked with previously, not only regulates hyaluronan polysaccharide but also mucus which is an important structure in the extracellular matrix as well.