Lab Members

I did my PhD with Professor Laura Machesky on the Arp2/3 complex and the actin cytoskeleton, and was a post-doc with Professor Robin May working on host pathogen interactions of Cryptococcus. Now I am occasionally allowed in the lab to do microscopy. 

I joined the lab in 2019, as part of the DiMeN DTP. Having completed a MSc in Clinical microbiology and having worked in Dr Catherine Pashley’s clinical mycology lab, I developed a strong interest in opportunistic infections in respiratory disorders.  My project - in collaboration with AstraZeneca – aims to observe the effects of the IL-33/ST2 pathway in chronic respiratory diseases and infections. We will use an inter-disciplinary approach to explore this field.

Throughout this PhD I also hope to promote inclusivity within academia and STEM by representing  women and the black and minority ethnic (BAME) community.

I’m a 4th year undergraduate studying Microbiology at the University of Sheffield. I joined the lab in 2022 under the supervision of Dr Simon Johnston as part of my MBiolSci 4th year project. I will be studying host pathogen interactions of desiccated Cryptococci and looking at how actin-based surface ridges on macrophages are involved in environmental sensing and phagocytosis of Cryptococcus neoformans. When I’m not in the lab you’ll most likely find me in the gym or down at the pub on a Friday evening.