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WELCOME TO THE  PROTEASE AND INNATE IMMUNITY LAB

Led by Dr. Dave Boucher

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OUR TEAM

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GEMMA BANISTER (SHE/HER)

PhD student in mechanistic biology
BBSRC-funded

Education: BA Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge

Current position: PhD student, 

Project: Gemma is studying how GBPs assemble and control the non-canonical inflammasome during bacterial infections

What you like to do when you are not in the lab: I love Ballroom and Latin Dancing! I compete with the University dancesport team. 

Favourite book: Uprooted, Naomi Novik

Favourite movie- Paddington

Fun fact about yourself: I came second in the World Paper and Comb Championship in 2011 with my parents, only beaten by the beatbox version of the Thomas the Tank Engine theme.

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MR ALEXANDER HOGG (HE/HIM)

MRes student

Alex recently graduated from a Master by Research, after spending the last year with us. He currently work as a research assistant on an academia-industry project. He was co-supervised by Dr Jillian Barlow.

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MR. BENJAMIN SAVIDGE (HE/HIM)

Research technician
Funded by Academy of Medical Science and Wellcome Trust

Nationality: British 

Education: BSc Medical Microbiology, MSc Infection and Immunity, PhD Cellular Immunology, all U of Leicester

Current position: Laboratory Technician

Project: Ben wears many hats in the Boucher lab, helping organising and maintaining the lab. On top of this, his project focus on understanding the molecular mechanism controlling inflammatory caspases activity. 

Favorite quote: Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." -Benjamin Franklin

                         “This’ll be fun. We’ll stay up late, swapping manly stories, and in the morning… I’m making waffles!” – Donkey (Shrek)

                          "Choo Choo" - Unknown conductor.  (Runaway mine train Alton Towers.) 

What you like to do when you are not in the lab, Eat, Sleep and not write a thesis.  (or read/videogames)

Favorite book (Series): Malazan book of the fallen

Favorite movie: I watch Black hawk down every Christmas morning

Fun fact about yourself:

Possibly in the top 1-0.1% of EU4 players

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DR DAVE BOUCHER (HE/HIM)

Lab head/ Lecturer in Biomedical Science

Nationality: Canadian

Education: Bsc in Biotechnology (major in molecular Biology), PhD Pharmacology (University of Sherbrooke, Canada). 

Current position: Lab Head, Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences

Project: Dave has a lot of very secret projects...

Favorite quote: Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution (Einstein)

What you like to do when you are not in the lab: I enjoy hiking and the outdoors as much as I enjoy a nice beer in a quiet pub. He also enjoy running (although quite slowly), cooking and baking. I am also an avid sport fan and enjoy watching Ice hockey and Tennis

Favorite book: Novecento (Baricco)

                         The Alchimist (Coehlo)

Favorite movie: Indiana Jones (wanted to be an archaeologist as a child)

Fun fact about yourself: I own a pet goat when I was  a college and University student. 

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Baby

UNDERGRADUATE TRAINEES

Future research leads

As our experienced Research Adviser, Max Johnson is a fundamental part of what makes Protease and innate immunity lab such a successful Science Lab. They are truly an invaluable member of our hardworking team.

ALUMNI

Job Title

Miss Georgia Bateman, MRes (Currently PhD, Queens University Belfast)
Mx Panagiotis Verzi, MRes( Currently Research assistant, Imperial Colleges London)
Mr. Paul Crosnier, iMSc (Currently Consultant, Yet2)
Miss Sophie Davies, iMSc (Currently research technician, Aptamer)
Mr Alexander Hogg, MRes (Currently Research assistant, University of York)

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Alexandros Chatzis (he/him)

ALEXANDROS CHATZIS (HE/HIM)

PhD student (co-Supervisee)
Kourtzelis lab (York)

Nationality: Greek

Education (BSc/PhD, etc): Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Biotechnology (University of Thessaly, 2011-2016), Master of Research (King's College London, 2017-2019). Let me know if further work experience is needed.

Current position: PhD researcher/candidate in Cancer and Immunology

Project: I focus on novel cancer immunotherapies (e.g. immunomodulators, monoclonal antibodies) to harness and enhance the myeloid cell activity (e.g. phagocytosis, efferocytosis) to mediate innate immune training and potentially suppress tumour growth.

Favorite quote: Fortune favours the bold.

What  do you like to do when you are not in the lab: I am a big fan of sports. I play football and tennis. I go to the gym quite frequently, I enjoy swimming (swimming pool or open water/sea) and I go for 10-15km runs. I am quite adventurous so during my holidays I choose to go on long road trips and visit new places, cultures and people.

Favorite book: Nineteen Eighty-Four (George Orwell) 

Favorite movie: Scent of a woman

Fun fact about yourself: I was once a commando (rank of sergeant) during my mandatory army service in Greece.

TIMUR OZDENYA (HE/HIM)

Master by research

Tim is a York Biochemistry graduate that joined our lab to study the biochemical activation of inflammatory caspases. Tim also did his final year project in our lab before joining for his MRes.

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Hallstatt,  Austria

JULIA FRISENBICHLER (SHE/HER)

ERASMUS exchange student (Austria)

Julia is an Erasmus student from Austria training with us this year. She is learning about inflammasome signalling in human epithelium and identifying novel pathways controlling inflammasome activity.

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RESEARCH

Questions we are asking: 

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HOW ARE INFLAMMASOMES ACTIVATED?

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WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF CASPASES ACTIVATION?

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HOW IS CASPASE ACTIVITY CONTROLLED DURING INFLAMMATION?

Prescription Drugs

HOW ARE CASPASES AND INFLAMMASOMES CONTRIBUTING TO DISEASE? 

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HOW ARE INFLAMMATORY CASPASES IMPACTING HUMAN INFECTIONS?

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METHODS USED

We use multiple approaches tailored to the questions we are asking

CELLULAR IMMUNOLOGY

From flow Cytometry to Elisa and western blot, cellular immunology techniques are at the art of our approach. We use primary human cells and human cell lines to do so.

BIOCHEMISTRY

We are studying innate immune responses at a molecular level, reconstituting the Inflammasome signalling to better understand it.

SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY

To understand Inflammasome and caspase signalling, we use chemical and ontogenetic tools to control their activity and better understand their functions.

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JOB OPENINGS

Research Opportunities at Protease and innate immunity lab

Start October 2023

PHD STUDENTSHIP POSITION

We have an exciting position advertised. Please find more information here: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/fully-funded-white-rose-bbsrc-dtp-biology-project-proteolytic-control-of-intracellular-bacterial-infections/?p150139

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HAVE A QUESTION? WANT  TO COLLABORATE? CONTACT US!

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Thanks for applying! We’ll be in touch soon.

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CONTACT US

Department of Biology 
Wentworth way
Heslington, York
YO10 5DD

123-456-7890

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