I am a molecular cell biologist specialized in host-pathogen interactions. I successively worked on the molecular mechanisms underlying the interactions of several pathogens with host cells: HIV (PhD in Dr Dargemont’s laboratory, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris), pathogenic Escherichia coli and Legionella pneumophila (post-doc in Prof Frankel’s laboratory, Imperial College London) and rhinovirus (post-doc in Prof Johnston’s laboratory, Imperial College London).

In August 2016, I moved to Queen’s University Belfast to start my independent research supported by a research grant funded by the Medical Research Foundation (MRF) and Asthma UK. Rhinovirus infections are the main cause of the common cold and a major cause of exacerbation of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or cystic fibrosis (CF), leading to an acute worsening of symptoms. However, there is currently no vaccine or antiviral treatment against rhinoviruses. In this context, my aim is to understand how rhinoviruses interact with host cells to replicate and in particular to identify host cell proteins essential for the replication of these viruses, which could be targeted by antiviral drugs. To investigate this, I use a range of molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry and virology techniques.

If you are interested in learning more about my research, joining my group or collaborating with me, please email me: [email protected].

If you would like to support my research, you can make a gift through Queen's Foundation (http://www.qub.ac.uk/alumni/QueensUniversityofBelfastFoundation/). If you email me, I could give you more details about how to do it and how your gift would be used.