Post Doc Talks

Dr Gill Wilson: Eosinophils promote monocyte to macrophage differentiation and anti-bacterial immunity

Bio:

Dr Gill Wilson is a Research Fellow and has been a member of the Chemokine Research Group since 2014. Her research focuses on the role of chemokine receptors in controlling cell recruitment in the mammary gland, and more recently in the peritoneal cavity. Previously, she studied C type Lectin receptors during Mycobacterial infection and superantigens in Staphylococcus aureus pathogenesis.

Dr Theodoros Simakou: PIEZO1 Activation Drives Inflammation-Permissive Synovial Macrophage Phenotypes and Promotes Arthritis 

Bio:

I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences and became a licensed Practitioner in Biomedical Science after completing the registration portfolio at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. My research aspirations led me to move from NHS to academia, and in 2017 I received a small grant from the Royal Society to work in a bioengineering lab at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), where I contributed to the development of devices for nanoscale vibration (known as Nanokicking) and mechanical stimulation of cells. Following this placement, I began a PhD, during which I investigated the role of mechanobiology in immune cells. My doctoral work focused on the regulation of a wide range of mechanosensors, with particular emphasis on PIEZO1, about which very little was known at the time in immune cells.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was employed at the University of Glasgow, developing 3D epithelial–myeloid co-cultures for SARS-CoV-2 research. I led the establishment of CRISPR-Cas9 protocols that achieve population-wide gene knockout in primary cells, methods that were subsequently used by multiple research teams within the School of Infection and Immunity. I also led translational projects for the preclinical testing of therapeutics in collaboration with Eli Lilly. Most importantly, I extended my mechanobiology research to explore PIEZO1’s role in influencing synovial tissue macrophage phenotypes, using my previous doctoral work as a blueprint for developing successful research. To help me develop myself in this research field, I was awarded the BSI Career Enhancing Grant and supervised a TRAM PhD student. This body of work has strengthened my expertise in immunology and mechanobiology and underpins my future career progression.

First published: 19 August 2025

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