Biography:

Leah graduated with a BA in Natural Sciences and MSci in Biochemistry from the University of Cambridge in 2023. After a short dissertation during the third year of her undergraduate degree researching the hazards of microplastics to human health, she became interested in how the environment around us can influence our biology. This attracted her to the MRC Toxicology Unit for her Master's research project where she joined the Mennella lab to investigate the cellular and molecular architecture of ciliary rootlets in multiciliated cells of the human airway epithelium.

Research interests:

Many potential new drugs never make it to patients due to toxicity or safety concerns. I am interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms of drug-induced toxicity in the airway epithelium for drugs currently in development. It is hoped that this knowledge will inform drug discovery programs for mitigating away from these toxicities through chemical design. We know that many of these drugs decrease the integrity of the epithelial barrier, which acts as a frontline defence system against inhaled particles and pathogens, but we don't fully understand how this happens on a molecular level. Tight junctions are a collection of proteins which contribute significantly to the strength of this barrier, and so it is from here that my investigation begins.