I am a lecturer in host/pathogen interactions in the Department of Infectious Diseases. Research in my lab aims to elucidate virus interactions with the host innate immune system, such as how viruses are sensed by innate immune receptors, how they are restricted by antiviral factors and how viruses evade these processes. I am particularly interested in an arm of innate immunity called DNA sensing and use viruses with a DNA component to their life cycle (poxviruses, including mpox, herpesviruses, lentiviruses) as powerful tools for discovery.

Prior to my appointment as lecturer I did my postdoctoral training with Prof Geoff Smith at the University of Cambridge, Prof Greg Towers at UCL and Prof Carlos Maluquer de Motes at the University of Surrey.

Education: Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching (University of Surrey) PhD in Virology (Imperial College) MRes in Molecular and Cellular Basis of Infection (Imperial College) BSc in Biochemistry with a year in research (Imperial College) Research placements: Molecular and Cellular Biology Industrial Placement Student (IRBM, Pomezia, Italy) Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Industrial Placement Student (MSD Research Laboratories, Harlow, UK)