Leila Hermosilla Andrivet
Academic and Work Experience Prior to Sept 2024 Programme Start
I completed my BSc in Biological Sciences with a specialisation in Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cells at the University of Edinburgh. Through university courses, I discovered a strong passion for the field and became particularly enthusiastic about its potential to shape the future of medicine.
I gained my first research experience as part of the Amgen Scholars programme, completing a summer internship at the Pasteur Institute. My project focused on the role of epithelial apoptosis in Drosophila wing development and encouraged me to pursue a career in research.
For my bachelor’s dissertation, I studied the effects of antagonising Notch signalling on haematopoietic differentiation of hESCs. I gained experience with cell culture, molecular biology techniques and flow cytometry.
PhD Programme- Year 1- MRes and Project Rotations
I completed my first rotation project in the lab of Prof. Francesca Spagnoli. The lab investigates cell identity and plasticity within the pancreas, with a focus on how the epithelium interacts with its surrounding microenvironment during development. My project explored the mesenchyme compartment of the microenvironment, where I started establishing a co-differentiation protocol to generate pancreatic beta cells alongside mesenchymal cells from iPSCs.
For my second rotation project, I joined the lab of Dr Niwa Ali, which focuses on the interplay between stem cells and immune cells in diverse organs. This rotation gave me the opportunity to gain exposure in immunology and mouse work. I studied the effects of tissue-resident regulatory T cells on alveolar epithelial type 2 (AT2) cells during alveologenesis.
Finally, for my third rotation project, I aimed to explore the neuroscience field and joined the lab of Prof. Beatriz Rico, who is now my secondary PhD supervisor. I studied the time-dependent effects of enriched environment on parvalbumin interneurons and learned to measure synapse density and perform RNA scope.
PhD Programme- Years 2 to 4 - Doctoral Studies
I am pursuing my PhD in Prof. Francesca Spagnoli’s lab. My PhD project builds on my rotation work and initially focuses on establishing a co-differentiation protocol of pancreatic beta-cells and mesenchyme from iPSCs. By allowing the two lineages to develop together, as it happens in development, we anticipate the resulting beta-cells to be more mature and functional than with previous protocols. Additionally, this system will provide an ideal platform to investigate epithelial-mesenchymal interactions and to explore how these lineages shape one another during development. Finally, I aim to incorporate synthetic biology approaches to model spatial patterning and further study these developmental processes. Overall, my PhD project aims to deepen our understanding of pancreas development and to contribute towards regenerative strategies for the pancreas.
