Our Body

What if the bacteria living in your gut could shape your brain… before you’re even born? In my research, I study how tiny bacterial ‘messages’ can travel through the body, sneak into the brain, and influence how we think, feel, and even socialize. From pregnancy to adulthood, these invisible signals can quietly rewire behavior in ways we’re only starting to understand. It’s a hidden conversation inside your body, and once you hear it, you won’t stop wondering what your microbes are saying about you!

During my talk I will share some of the amazing journeys T cells go on to help kick-start the immune response to specific invaders. I will share how we can use the mechanisms of cell movement to help treat and prevent disease, and how the latest research could help direct T cells where they need to go more specifically. 

Why do we have sex? Why do males even exist? These fundamental questions have puzzled evolutionary biologists for decades. In this talk, we will explore how sexual reproduction evolved in our ancestors, how some species have managed to do without it, and whether this would be possible for us. Finally, we'll talk about the costs and benefits of different reproductive modes, and what the latest research says on why "facultative" reproductive modes are not more common.