The Lee Placito Research Fellowship will support Linh’s research into how changes in the gut’s mucus barrier contributes to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Under the fellowship Linh, a postdoctoral researcher at the Kennedy Institute, will research the mucus layer that lines the colon, a critical defence system that separates gut bacteria from the intestinal wall. In IBD, this protective barrier underwent significant remodelling , allowing inflammation to take hold. Her research aims to understand how the mucus layer changes over time during inflammation and to identify ways of restoring its integrity through dietary and microbiota-based interventions.
Using advanced imaging and molecular techniques, Linh will map how different regions of the colon respond to inflammation and how shifts in gut bacteria and metabolites influence disease progression. The project has joint support from Professors Fiona Powrie and Irina Udalova, integrating immunology, microbiology, and tissue biology to build a comprehensive picture of gut health and disease.
‘The Lee Placito fellowship gives me an exciting opportunity to investigate how the gut’s mucus barrier adapts during disease and to pioneer new ways of strengthening it to prevent or treat inflammation,’ said Linh.
Linh completed her PhD at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where she studied the development of immune cells in the brain. She joined the Kennedy Institute as a postdoctoral researcher in 2023, contributing to work on immune cell behaviour in intestinal inflammation.
Her long-term goal is to develop new therapeutic strategies that enhance mucus integrity and promote gut health through targeted, non-invasive approaches.