I am a PhD candidate at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, studying the immune response and host-pathogen interactions in the placental tissue.
Placenta works as an effective physical barrier that separates the mother from the fetus. Protecting the fetus from external pathogens. However, some pathogens are capable of crossing this tissue, representing a major health threat for the fetus and the mother.
In my research I am utilising different in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models to study the host-pathogen interactions in the placental tissue. I am applying high-throughput technologies (e.g. single-cell and spatial transcriptomics) and microscopy techniques to understand the placental immune response and infectious mechanisms of different pathogens, including parasites, bacteria and viruses.
