Biography
James studied biomedical science at the University of Sheffield, graduating with an MBiomedSci degree in 2021. Over the course of his degree, he specialised in pharmacology and undertook several behavioural neuroscience research projects, with a particular focus on sensory systems and memory. Following this, he joined the Martins programme for a PhD.
Research Interests
The gut microbiota is now thought to be a major determinant of host health. Changes to microbiota composition can be associated with a wide range of both physical and mental health conditions. Recent research has shown a diverse array of human-targeted therapeutic drugs that are capable of altering both the composition and metabolic functioning of the microbiota.
The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a simple model organism commonly used throughout the biological sciences and is increasingly being used to investigate links between the microbiota, disease, and behaviour. My research focusses on characterising the composition and role of the gut microbiota in Drosophila, developing the fruit fly as a model for investigation of drug-induced changes in the microbiota, and identifying how drug-induced shifts in microbiota composition lead to changes in behaviour.
