People

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Jenny Regan (PI and Senior Lecturer in Immunology)

I am interested in how immunity affects physiology throughout the lifecourse, and how this interacts with sex and nutrition. After a BSc Honours degree in Biology at the University of Sussex, a short stint as a research technician, and a long period of globe-wandering, I joined Prof Steve Wilson’s lab at UCL. Here, I earnt my PhD in Developmental Neurobiology (2002-08), studying the processes that lateralize the vertebrate brain. I moved fields and countries to make the journey from migrating neurons to migrating macrophages, joining Prof Antonio Jacinto’s lab at the IMM in Lisbon to work on immunity in Drosophila as an EMBO Postdoctoral Fellow (2008-11). I completed my postdoctoral training in Prof Linda Partridge’s lab at UCL (and a short, enjoyable period in her lab at MPI-AGE, Cologne), working within the FP7-funded biogerontology consortium IDEAL to understand sex dimorphisms in ageing of immune tissues such as the gut (2012-17). I started my lab in 2017 in the Institute of Immunology and Infection at the University of Edinburgh, where I work closely with colleagues in the Institute of Evolutionary Biology, and with the mighty Drosophila, to understand the interaction of immunity, sex, and ageing. I am powered by music and cider, and often wish I was reading, running, or swimming in the sea.

Paulina Mika (RA and Lab Manager)

I obtained my BSc in Microbiology and Biotechnology at Business Academy Aarhus and Edinburgh Napier University, trying to assess developmental toxicity, using a mouse stem cell system. Next, I moved to the Netherlands to continue my education and I graduated with a Master’s degree in Microbiology, focusing my research on Immunology. I joined the Regan lab in 2018 as an exchange Master student and now I am continuing my project as a Research Assistant. My work focuses on sex dimorphic responses to viral and bacterial infections, as well as lab management.  In my free time I enjoy playing the drums, travelling, dog sitting, good food and good craft beer.

Becca Belmonte (Darwin Trust PhD student)

I earned my BSc in biology with a focus on cellular and molecular biology from California State University, Chico. I also   earned my MS in biology from CSU, Chico studying hematopoiesis in zebrafish, focusing on the gene SON. I am a PhD student interested in immune cells and the genes that control their function. My project focuses on sex differences in cellular immunity and its effect on infection outcome. I use microscopy and genetic manipulation to answer questions pertaining to immunology.

Mary-Kate Corbally (PhD student)

I completed my BSc in Science at Trinity College, Dublin, in which I specialized in Immunology. I became really interested in the enigmatic female-biased incidence of autoimmunity. I pursued an MSc in Molecular Medicine at Imperial College, London to get a greater understanding of genetic and endocrine bases of disease. Currently, I am investigating sex differences in the innate immune response, and how they factor in with dimorphic ageing: why do females live longer and is it a result of sexual dimorphisms in immunity? When I’m not thinking about these questions, I’m usually enjoying generic things like beers, books and music.  I’m also hoping to capitalise on being located in beautiful Edinburgh by exploring greater Scotland!

Past Lab Members

Katy McDonald

Former Masters student & Carnegie Trust-funded Research Assistant

Katy is now studying for a further Masters degree.

Visiting Studentships  

Lyra Angove-Mullen (Genetics Society Studentship 2022)

Richard West (Medical Research Scotland Studentship 2019)

Tajana Burkus (Erasmus+ Masters summer student 2018)

Matea Krizman (Erasmus+ Masters summer student 2018)

Institute of Immunology & Infection Research Honours Students  

Rebecca McBride (2021)

Jessica McCaffrey (2021)

Iona Allan (2020)

Yu Xuan Wu (2019)

Jess Kennedy (2018)

Ellie Wasserberg (2018)