Biography

I am interested in the gut-brain axis and my work focuses on molecular pathways and pathologies that underlie gut-brain interactions. This involves the study of how our gut communicates to our brain, how our brain sends messages to our gut, and how alterations in this communication can lead to impaired mental health. I hope to unravel how the gut and the brain interact to modify the risk of childhood anxiety and later-life-onset psychopathology. I am also interested in how the microbiome, the bacteria that live in our gut, can predispose to, or protect us from, psychiatric disorders. My research aim is to understand how the interactions between our microbiome in the gastrointestinal tract, our immune system and our brain, may predispose to chronic psychopathologies starting in childhood. By understanding thee interactions we can use personalised treatment to prevent and treat mental health disorders. I have a multi-faceted research background, with qualifications and experience in biomedical sciences, molecular neurobiology, medical biochemistry, immunology and microbiology. I have presented my work at both national and international conferences and continue to publish my findings.