Jeanne Simonot
Academic and Work Experience Prior to Sept 2024 Programme Start
I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Biotechnologies for Health at the University of Grenoble Alpes (UGA) in France. During my third year, I had the opportunity to spend a year in Kuopio, Finland, where I studied Biomedicine and discovered the fascinating field of regenerative medicine. After this year abroad, I returned to France determined to further explore regenerative medicine, and I enrolled in a two-year MSc programme in Gene, Cell Therapies and Tissue Engineering at UGA (France). As part of this MSc, I completed two research placements. The first was in Prof. Francesca Spagnoli’s lab at King’s College London (UK), where I worked on the “Directed differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into organ-specific mesenchyme of the pancreas”. My second placement took place in Dr Maria Alcolea’s laboratory at the University of Cambridge (UK), where I investigated “Environmental reprogramming approaches to induce mouse epithelial tissues into a developmental-like state in vitro”.
PhD Programme- Year 1- MRes and Project Rotations
My first rotation project took place in Dr Luca Urbani’s lab at the Roger Williams Institute for Liver Studies (RW-ILS). I worked on “Investigating the role of foetal liver stromal cells in supporting haematopoiesis and engineering the human foetal liver microenvironment in vitro.”
For my second rotation project, I joined Prof. Anil Dhawan’s laboratory at Denmark Hill Hospital, where I received training in 3D bioprinting. Under the supervision of Dr Jessica Nulty, I contributed to the project “3D bio-printed liver constructs as an alternative approach to treat Paediatric Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure.”
My final rotation project was a collaboration between Alessandra Vigilante Lab at the Hub for Applied Bioinformatics (HAB) and the Urbani Lab at RW-ILS. I investigated the role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the human foetal liver proteome in supporting haematopoiesis and engineering the human foetal liver microenvironment in vitro.
PhD Programme- Years 2 to 4- Doctoral Studies
For my PhD project, I will be supervised by Dr Luca Urbani and Dr Alessandra Vigilante, investigating the role of distinct components of the foetal liver in supporting haematopoiesis and in engineering the human foetal liver microenvironment in vitro. Blood formation relies on haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which have the capacity to self-renew and generate all blood lineages. Clinically, HSC transplantation is central to the treatment of many blood disorders; however, its impact is limited by the low availability of transplantable HSCs and their poor expansion in vitro.
During human development, the foetal liver provides a uniquely supportive niche in which HSCs undergo rapid proliferation. This microenvironment is composed of specialised stromal cells and a complex ECM that together maintain and regulate HSCs. Despite its central role, we still lack a clear understanding of which cellular and molecular signals within the foetal liver promote HSC expansion, or how these components interact to shape the haematopoietic niche.
My project builds on recent work identifying distinct stromal populations and developmental stage–specific ECM signatures within the foetal liver. By combining in vitro cellular models with in silico analytical approaches, I will investigate the key niche components that support HSC maintenance and proliferation. Using insights gained, I will work towards reconstructing a 3D bioengineered foetal liver niche in vitro. Ultimately, this approach may provide a foundation for improving ex vivo HSC expansion and informing the development of regenerative therapies for blood disorders.
