The Department of Pharmacology is proud to welcome two new research groups, bringing the total number of groups to 18.
Group 1: Dr Alecia-Jane Twigger
Dr Twigger leads the Cambridge Lactation Lab, which focuses on developing innovative lab-grown and computational models of human lactation to study milk production.
They collect data on human milk samples in the CAMB MOM study to enhance our laboratory-based models of human lactation. Furthermore, computational models will provide greater insights into the influence of genetics, ancestry, and metabolic predispositions on milk synthesis and secretion.
Working with cutting-edge scientific tools, their mission is to understand how human lactation works. They aim to identify strategies to improve breastfeeding, particularly in women with low supply, to enhance the long-term health outcomes of women and children.
Their research group profile is available here: https://www.phar.cam.ac.uk/modelling-human-lactation-support-long-term-health.
Group 2: Dr Florian Merkle
Dr Merkle leads the Merkle group, who are interested in how human genetic variation contributes to disease, in particular obesity and sleep disorders. Originally a part of the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Dr Merkle was interested in the following research topics:
- Models of obesity and neurodegeneration
- Therapeutic translation
- Genetic stability in human stem cells
Currently, Dr Merkle and his group are still finalising their transition to the Department of Pharmacology. His research topics may change, along with the contents of his group page. His page is available here: https://www.phar.cam.ac.uk/human-stem-cell-models-obesity-and-neurological-disease.