College of Science & Engineering

Speakers:

Dr Claire Marie Cisowski, School of Physics & Astronomy

‘Light beyond two dimensions’

The broad theme of my research is light structured in its polarisation and spatial degrees of freedom.  I am currently developing new design optimisation algorithms for integrated photonics and I am eager to connect with peers to explore how my research can be applied to bring new functionalities and/or improve the efficiency of current devices. I am also planning to apply for an EPSRC Open fellowship this summer to develop new tools to fully characterize nonparaxial light which naturally arises when light is strongly focused. I am keen to collaborate with colleagues to explore how my research can be exploited to enhance structural diagnostics. 

 

Dr Claire Bourke, School of Infection & Immunity (MVLS)

‘Immunobiology of human malnutrition’

I joined the University as a Senior Lecturer in Immunobiology in the School of Infection and Immunity in February this year. My research interests lie in the reciprocal relationship between nutritional status and immune cell function in human cohorts. To-date my work has focused on anti-bacterial innate immune cell responses of in children with severe wasting and microbial and inflammatory exposures of pregnant women and their newborns in Zambia and Zimbabwe. In addition to immune cells, I am investigating how nutrition-immune interactions affect the gut barrier and feto-maternal interface in the placenta. I would love to collaborate with researchers in CoSE with expertise in developing diagnostic tests that could be adapted for scale-up in human cohorts; development of in vitro models of human gut, vasculature and placenta; nutritional researchers working with cohorts affected by obesity and cachexia; placental biology and pregnancy; researchers investigating health inequalities; biostatistics and machine-learning/AI tools for integrating clinical/immunological/demographic datasets. My research goal is to combine basic immunology of malnutrition with understanding of its role in child health, complementing my ongoing translational work with collaborators in southern Africa with new cohort studies in Glasgow. I am actively seeking to develop collaborative funding applications focused on how nutritional state affects barrier tissues, novel tools for evaluating immune function at near-point-of-care, and the in utero origins of nutritional state.

 

Dr Helen Mulvana, James Watt School of Engineering

‘Development of novel ultrasound technologies towards earlier disease diagnosis and non-invasive treatments’

My research aims to improve the prospects for individuals facing cancer, something which will affect one in two of us over the course of our lifetime. My group develops ultrasound technologies to pioneer novel, non-invasive tools for disease detection and treatment. My particular areas of expertise are in the use of ultrasound for therapeutic purposes to deliver non-invasive disease treatments, and in the development of micro and nanoscale ultrasound responsive particles that can enhance ultrasound therapies, or reveal otherwise hidden information about tissue physiology and local microstructure during ultrasound imaging. The aim is to improve sensitivity of disease detection for earlier diagnoses, non-invasive staging and reduced reliance on painful tissue biopsy, and to develop point of care treatments that can accelerate recovery.

 

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First published: 5 April 2024