Supervisors: Louis Grandjean and James Hatcher
Research Project: Hospital Wastewater Metagenomic Sequencing for Single Test Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance and Monitoring
My PhD project focuses on using metagenomic sequencing techniques to monitor antimicrobial resistance in hospital wastewater, as well as applying these methods to other interesting samples such as mosquitoes and clinical samples for public health surveillance.
I completed my BSc in Natural Sciences at the University of Bath and my MSc in Clinical Research (International Health) at the University of Barcelona, where my thesis explored novel sources of biomarkers for antibiotic resistant and recurrent urinary tract infections. During my undergraduate degree, I spent a year at GSK on a professional placement within the Consumer Healthcare team.
In my spare time, I love sports and fitness, and I am currently working to improve my Spanish after living in Barcelona. I'm also trying to make the most of the outdoors in London before it gets too cold!
Supervisors: Michael Booth and Giorgio Volpe
Research Project : Bioengineered smart antibacterials using synthetic cells
Ann-Céline obtained her MSc in Drug Development from KU Leuven, where she developed a strong interest in synthetic biology. During her master’s thesis, she engineered novel synthetic terminators to expand the genetic toolbox available to synthetic biologists in the lab of Professor Pinheiro.
As part of the CDT in Antimicrobial Resistance, Ann-Céline is now working within the team focused on developing novel therapies. Under the supervision of Professor Michael Booth and Professor Giorgio Volpe, she is engineering synthetic cells as innovative antibacterial agents.
Outside the lab, she enjoys exploring London’s many parks, ideally while sipping a coffee.'
Supervisor: Harry McClelland and Thomas Blacker
Research Project : Developing optical methods to detect and isolate antimicrobial persisters
My research focuses on developing optical methods to detect and isolate antimicrobial persister cells by combining advanced fluorescence imaging and cell-sorting techniques. We aim to characterise bacterial subpopulations that survive antibiotic treatment. I am jointly supervised by Dr Harry-Luke McClelland and Dr Thomas Blacker in the UCL Department of Structural and Molecular Biology.
Before starting my PhD, I worked at a biotechnology start-up supporting the development and deployment of microorganism identification software that integrates Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy with machine learning for rapid and cost-effective clinical diagnostics. My broader goal is to translate research-driven innovation into accessible healthcare tools that strengthen infrastructure, particularly in regions where they are most needed.
I initially moved from Sài Gòn to London for my undergraduate degree at UCL, and outside of research, I enjoy spending time outdoors and climbing.
Supervisors: Cally Haynes and Daniele Castagnolo
Research Project : High throughput, cell-free assays for selective antimicrobial hit identification
My project aims to discover new membrane-disrupting antimicrobials with high selectivity for bacterial over host membranes. To achieve this, I am developing biomimetic lipid vesicle models of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell membranes, providing simplified, cell-free systems for analysis. Using automation methods, I will screen large compound libraries against these models to search for novel drug candidates and quantitatively assess their mechanism of action against the lipid bilayer. Over time, this approach should generate a landscape of drug-membrane specificity enabling us to better design next-generation, selective antibiotics.
Before starting my PhD, I studied Engineering (specialising in Bioengineering) at Cambridge where I worked on projects in Synthetic Biology and was part of the 2024 iGEM team.
Outside the lab, I enjoy cooking and baking - I'm currently focused on improving my focaccia recipe.
Supervisor: Joanne Santini and Konstantinos Thalassinos
Research Project: Engineering novel bacteriophage-based antimicrobials
I'm Julie Lavollée. I have a master’s degree in biochemistry but have joined the CDT to train as a microbiologist. As a member of the Santini lab, I am researching Klebsiella pneumoniae-specific bacteriophage depolymerases; these are enzymes used by viruses to break down the sticky capsules that protect bacteria. I'm working on finding out about how they function and hopefully engineer them into a useful therapeutic tool against multi-drug resistant Klebsiella (which ranks at the top of the 2024 WHO Bacterial Priority Pathogens List 2024!) During my undergrad, I ran my university’s women in STEM society events and I’m excited to get involved with the women in STEM community at UCL too!
Supervisors: Martyna Michalska and Morgan Barnes
Research project: Passive dynamic topographies for long-term infection prevention
My research project encompasses various areas of science and engineering, from material synthesis and nanomanufacturing to bacteria-surface interaction and biofilm development. My work primarily deals with liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), a reversible shape memory polymer that reacts to external stimuli such as changes in temperature. I will be focusing on integrating micro/ nano patterns into the material surface to combat biofilm development over time, under the theme of infection prevention.
I recently completed my MSc in Future Manufacturing and Nanoscale Engineering here at UCL after a BEng in Mechanical Engineering from City University of London.
Fun fact: I wanted to be an interior designer when I was younger and now channel my creativity through graphic design, sketching, and painting.
Supervisors: Diego Lopez Barreiro and Jack Jeffries
Research Project : Strategies to improve the antimicrobial properties of protein-based medical materials
Lillian works on developing protein-based materials with antimicrobial properties. Specifically, she designs recombinant structural proteins (such as elastin- and silk-like proteins) conjugated with antimicrobial peptides and/or compounds, and fabricates them into functional materials. After completing her undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences and an integrated master's in Chemistry at Cambridge, Lillian worked as a visiting researcher on nanoparticle drug delivery projects, where she discovered her passion for biomaterials and their clinical applications. Over the next four years, she aims to focus on designing antibacterial biomaterials—a field that nicely brings together many of her interests to address real-world healthcare challenges. Outside of science, Lillian is a ballet enthusiast and a freelance dancer—when you can’t find her in the lab, she’s probably in a dance studio!
Supervisors: Andreas Mayer and Mahdad Noursadeghi
Research Project: Reverse epitope discovery for Tuberculosis vaccine design using deep learning
My background is in biotechnology and data science. As part of a quantitative immunology group, my research focuses on reverse epitope discovery for tuberculosis vaccine design using deep learning. By using existing experimental data, the aim is to devise a computational pipeline that can prioritise immunodominant tuberculosis peptides for further lab testing, and, ultimately, creating a more effective vaccine than what currently exists. I am passionate about helping mitigate antimicrobial resistance, and I believe that a better understanding of adaptive immunology will be crucial in developing new targeted therapeutics. Outside of science, I enjoy doing sports like football or cycling.