Dr Mohammed Rohaim is a Senior Research Associate and his research focuses on understanding the innate immune responses in different hosts that range from sensing of viruses to terminal IFN effectors mediated by a myriad of interferon-stimulated and virus-regulated genes. Additionally, employing reverse genetic tools Dr Rohaim has played important role in developing next-generation vaccines against important viral diseases (e.g., SARS-CoV-2) and developing antiviral coatings for personnel protective equipment.
Dr Mustafa Ozan Atasoy is a Research Associate in Munir’s Group of Virology at Lancaster University. After, graduation from Ankara University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Dr Atasoy’s primary research interest focuses on CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and vaccine development of various animal and human diseases using novel biotechnology approaches. Dr Atasoy has played key roles in generating simultaneous deletion of virulence genes and heterologous gene insertions into the viruses belonging to alphaherpesvirinae subfamily using CRISPR/Cas9 system.
Dr Rania El Naggar is Postdoc and her research was to develop new technologies and innovative approaches to understanding the viral pathogenesis of both human and animal infections. In addition, using genome-editing approaches (e.g., CRISPR-Cas-9), her research aims to study the mechanistic and functional antiviral actions of host ISGs (IFIT5 and IFITMs) against RNA viruses. Understanding the host’s innate immune defense and identifying unique genetic signatures of these viruses will help to guide us in future investigational studies and designing antiviral therapies.
Dr Lucy Balderstone – Laboratory Manager and Research Technician. Whilst studying for a BSc in Chemistry at Aberdeen University, an honors project to engineer an enhanced hydroxyapatite bone implant material revealed a passion for biomedical sciences. Pursuing this passion by undertaking an MSc in Biomedicine at Lancaster University, a research project exploring the role of a DNA repair enzyme in the susceptibility of cancer cells to genotoxic stress highlighted a novel treatment strategy, leading to a focused interest in translational biomedical science. PhD studies at Edinburgh University’s Cancer Research Centre saw the development of novel fluorescent imaging tools to aid drug development. Subsequent roles as a Senior Scientist within the pharmaceutical sector at AstraZeneca and as a Study Manager within contract research at Covance have given me a broad appreciation of the drug development process. Recently joining Professor Muhammad Munir’s Molecular Virology team to concentrate on a translational therapeutic specialism by investigating the role of nuclear receptors in influenza response.
Mahmoud Bayoumi– is a Newton-Mosharafa (MN-EMHE) Funded Ph.D. student. I graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary medicine, Cairo University, Egypt. I gained my master’s degree in the Virology Department in the same faculty under the honorable supervision of Prof. Ausama Yousif and Professor Haitham Amer. In my master’s, I gained a good experience with lots of viruses including the influenza virus and different expression systems and a range of additional methods in molecular biology. Then, in 2019, I joined the Munir group to start my Ph.D. project on viral epitranscriptomics. In this new field, we try to underpin the effect of one of the most important posttranscriptional modifications (the m6A) on influenza virus replication. Through this project, I am trying to get more experience with the most up-to-date techniques that are used for epitranscriptomics and molecular virology. Through this field, we could curb some viruses non only genetically, but also epigenetically.
Manar E. Khalifa – I started my PhD at Munir’s Molecular Virology lab, Lancaster University in October 2019. I am interested in studying virus-host interactions. My PhD aims at understanding molecular mechanisms of Rabies virus entry into different host cells, and the contribution of this virus-host interaction in developing structure-guided novel vaccines and antivirals to block transmission of RV across different animals and humans. My project is supervised by Dr. Muhammad Munir and Dr Leonie Unterholzner and is funded jointly by the Egyptian cultural affairs and mission sector with the British Council.
Emily Clayton – PhD Molecular Virology Student. I studied for my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science at Lancaster University, achieving a first-class degree. During my undergraduate, I always enjoyed microbiology, showing a particular interest in virology, which subsequently lead me to my PhD specialism. My project aims to investigate the innate immune systems of bats and their ability to transmit disease, due to their key roles as zoonotic viral reservoirs.
Emma Louise Gardiner – Molecular Virology PhD Student. I graduated from Lancaster University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. I then continued my studies at Lancaster University completing my Master of Science in Biomedicine in 2020. I am now continuing further education at Lancaster University as a Biomedical and Life Sciences PhD Student in Muhammad Munir’s Laboratory. My project aims to investigate how interferon-stimulated genes, particularly the family of interferon-induced transmembrane proteins, influence the pathobiology of the Avian Influenza A Virus.
Hejan Bozkurt – CGE-funded PhD student. I graduated from Lancaster University in 2020 with an Integrated Master’s degree in Biomedicine. I undertook my Masters in Dr. McKean’s lab, investigating two putative TbRP2-interacting/near neighbor proteins in Trypanosoma brucei. My PhD is under the co-supervision of Dr Muhammad Munir and Dr Leonie Unterholzner. My project aims to investigate the direct and comparative performance of recombinase polymerase amplification with gold standard RT-PCR and isothermal RT-LAMP for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical samples.
Julianne Vilela is currently pursuing her PhD in Biomedical and Life Sciences, specializing in Virology at Lancaster University, United Kingdom. Her doctoral work aims at reducing the effect of viral pathogens on poultry development by creating new and improved vaccines. Her previous research focuses on understanding the genomes of plants and animals, as well as elucidating the molecular mechanisms of virus pathogenesis between organisms. Throughout her career as a researcher, she was part of many active R&D projects funded by the Philippine government and private institutions.
Omnia Khaleel – a PhD student funded by the British Council and the Egyptian Central Department of Missions. I have a Masters Degree in Molecular and Diagnostic Microbiology from Alexandria University, Egypt. My supervisors are Prof. Muhammad Munir and Dr Nikki Copeland. My PhD project is focused on developing an economical user-friendly point-of-care testing system to diagnose human respiratory viruses including SARS-CoV2.
Asmaa Nasr – Newton-Mosharafa and Egyptian ministry of higher education funded PhD student. I got my bachelor’s degree in veterinary medical sciences from the faculty of Veterinary Medicine, at Cairo University in 2014 and became a teaching assistant at the Zoonoses department within the same faculty in 2015. I undertook my Master in 2020 on a thesis entitled ‘’Molecular detection of some Zoonotic pathogens in Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick’’. My current PhD research project is focusing on understanding the molecular berries associated with emergence of novel viruses.
Yaser Edrees – I’m a Saudi PhD student in Biomedical and Life Sciences. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) in the year 2008 from Umm Al-Qura University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and in 2015, I completed a Master’s degree in Public Health (MPH) with a concentration in Occupational and Environmental Health from the University of Toledo in the United States of America. I will be working under the supervision of Prof. Muhammad Munir, Dr. Leonie Unterholzner, and Dr. Craig William, and I aim to identify markers that can predict the prognosis of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza viruses.
Jyothsna P Bandi: Indian Govt. funded PhD student. I earned my IMSc degree from the Central University of Tamil Nadu, India, from the Department of Life Sciences. I joined Prof. Munir’s laboratory as a PhD in 2021. My project aims to understand the molecular mechanisms of influenza virus replication in various susceptible hosts. It especially focuses on two sets of proteins that have well-established roles in various cellular processes but are less explored in terms of their potential to be critical players in anti-viral defenses.
Vidya M – Government of India funded PhD student. Graduated from Government Medical College, Trivandrum, India and master’s degree in Molecular Biology from Madras University, India. Vidya has joined Prof Munir’s Molecular Virology Lab in 2022 for the PhD project to understand the impact of post-transcriptional epigenetic modification on the pathobiology of influenza viruses in diverse hosts. In this project, we focus on viral epitranscriptomics to reveal the role of m6A readers in influenza virus infection and host interaction. Various hosts are included in this study since influenza can cause major epidemics in a broad range of species. Through this study, we aim to understand the epigenetic marks for the development of vaccines and antivirals for these hosts.