Research team
Expertise
My research expertise focuses on how respiratory viral infections, particularly influenza A virus, alter the function and signalling of vagal sensory neurons that connect the lungs to the brain. I study how these neurons detect infection, how their transcriptional and structural properties change during disease, and how these alterations influence symptoms, disease severity, and long‑term neurological effects. My work has shown that influenza virus infection induces marked transcriptional changes in vagal sensory ganglia and leads to the appearance of MHCII‑expressing cells within this tissue, persisting post viral clearance suggesting that viral infection leaves a persistent imprint on the neural circuits that monitor the airways. My research activities combine in vivo models of influenza virus infection with detailed analysis of neuronal responses, including neuronal tracing, targeted intraganglionic injections, imaging of neuronal and glial structures, and molecular profiling of sensory ganglia. I investigate how specific neuronal signalling pathways are disrupted or activated during infection, how satellite glial cells respond to neuronal stress, and how these processes may contribute to prolonged sensory dysfunction after recovery. To complement these in vivo approaches, I use human iPSC‑derived sensory neurons in compartmentalised culture systems. These models allow me to study axonal and somatic responses separately, enabling precise investigation of viral sensing, neuronal stress pathways, and structural remodelling in a controlled human‑relevant environment. By integrating animal models with advanced in vitro systems, my work aims to clarify how viral infection reshapes sensory neuronal circuits along the lung–brain axis and to identify mechanisms that may underlie persistent symptoms following respiratory illness.