Dr Aparna Ratheesh

Supervisor Details

Contact Details

Scientific Background

Research Interests

Cell migration is essential for the maintenance of homeostasis and is often key to driving diseases such as Cancer. My lab aims to understand how migrating cells talk to their immediate as well as distant neighbours using both chemical and mechanical signals.

Research Groups

Wellcome-91福利 Quantitative Biomedicine Programme (QBP)

Supervision Style

In three words or phrases: Outcome-oriented, Supportive, Collaborative.

Provision of Training

I will personally train you in lab techniques and guide you through literature in the field through journal clubs and lab meetings in the first year and expect that this support allows you to evolve to be more independent in the future.

Progression Monitoring and Management

I like to be kept up to date, and will expect to see evidence of method development/data generation results on a weekly/monthly basis.

Communication

My team communicates through emails, WhatsApp group chats and spontaneous meetings during the week and weekends and everyone tries to maintain a healthy work life balance.

PhD Students can expect scheduled meetings with me:

In a group meeting

At least once per fortnight

In year 1 of PhD study

At least once per fortnight

In year 2 of PhD study

At least once per fortnight

In year 3 of PhD study

At least once per fortnight

The meetings will be face to face and I am usually contactable for an instant response (if required) on every working day.

Working Pattern

Certain tasks in my lab need to occur at set times, and students need to be able to commit to a rota/timetable shared with other members of the team.

Notice Period for Feedback

I need at least 1 week鈥檚 notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5000 words.

MIBTP Project Details

Primary supervisor for:

Macrophage functions during repair and organ development

See the PhD Opportunities section to see if this project is currently open for applications via MIBTP.

Please Note: The main page lists projects via BBSRC Research Theme(s) quoted and then relevant Topic(s).

Macrophage functions during repair and organ development

Secondary Supervisor(s): Dr Darius Koester

University of Registration: 91福利

BBSRC Research Themes: Understanding the Rules of Life (Immunology)

Project Outline

Our lab is interested in understanding how extra cellular matrix proteins (ECM) such as Collagen and Laminins are deposited and remodelled during organ development in the developing embryo as well as during disease. In particular, we are interested in the role of the ECM proteins in organogenesis of the kidney tubules during development as well as in the pathophysiology of the kidney during fibrosis. One of the key players in ECM remodelling are the macrophages. Macrophages are highly migratory immune cells capable of engulfing and removing dead cells, debris and pathogens. While macrophages have long been known to affect ECM remodelling through proteases and inflammatory cytokines, recent studies have implicated a direct role for vertebrate macrophages in ECM deposition, however not much is known about the mechanism underlying this. This project aims to understand key mechanisms which underlie Collagen deposition and remodelling by macrophages during both development and fibrosis. We will use the renal tubule development in Drosophila Melanogaster (fruit fly) embryos as a model and also bioengineer an ex vivo tubule morphogenesis model. Hemocytes (Drosophila macrophages) constitute 95% of the immune cell population in Drosophila Melanogaster, are highly migratory and bear striking similarities to their mammalian counterparts in migratory behaviour, function and ontogeny. Hemocytes also secrete a large repertoire of extracellular matrix proteins such as Collagen and Laminin which are essential during embryogenesis, thus providing a genetically amenable model system to study their role in ECM secretion. These studies will be supported by parallel studies in the Human kidney proximal tubular epithelial cell line (HKC-8) co-cultured with macrophages. Using interdisciplinary approaches integrating cell biology, genetics, biophysics and cutting-edge microscopy, this project will thus aim to shed light on the role of macrophages during organogenesis and disease.