Sofia Hain

Sofia did her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of York, with a year in industry at GSK investigating the role of macrophages in gene therapy delivery for rheumatoid arthritis. This sparked her interest in innate immunity, which she took forward for her final year undergraduate project investigating the role of microRNAs in macrophage trained immunity.

Sofia remained in York for a research technician post in helminth immunobiology, prior to starting her Wellcome Trust-funded PhD in Mechanisms of Inflammatory Disease at the University of Birmingham. After a year of lab rotations, Sofia joined the lab of Dr Rebecca Drummond to study the neuroimmune mechanisms of cryptococcal meningitis. Her project used in vivo models to study the specific immune mechanisms of the microglial response to fungal infection, as well as the mechanisms of fungal entry into the brain through the meninges. This project drove her passion for mycology and the desire to pursue a career in neuroimmunology research.

Sofia joined the lab of Dr Fränze Progatzky as a postdoc to study the immune functions of peripheral glial cells in the lung in health and in disease, focusing on flu infection.