"Keen to maintain my dental background, my dissertation focused on the effects of titanium dioxide and calcium phosphate on macrophage responses to Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide – essentially investigating how cells of the immune system behave when they are involved with oral cancer or chronic inflammation. After graduating with my BSc, I continued to study oral immunology in a PhD entitled “Interactions between pathogenic bacteria and macrophages in oral pathology”.
"My research interests lie in how oral bacteria can modulate the normal function of the immune system and drive conditions that lead to development of diseases, such as chronic periodontitis and oral cancer.
"Current projects include:
- modulation of osteoclast differentiation and activity by endotoxin tolerance
- modelling single infections and dual biofilms of Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus on threedimensional oral mucosal models
- effects of mechanical strain on mesenchymal stem cell fate
- regulation of tumour angiogenesis in response to periodontal bacteria."