The Team
Prof. Andres Floto
Principal Investigator.
Andres Floto is Professor of Respiratory Biology at the University of Cambridge, a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator, and Research Director of the Cambridge Centre for Lung Infection at Papworth Hospital, Cambridge.
His research is focused on understanding how immune cells interact with bacteria, how intracellular killing and inflammation are regulated and sometimes subverted during infection, how population-level whole genome sequencing can be used to reveal biology of bacterial infection, and how therapeutic enhancement of cell-autonomous immunity may provide novel strategies to treat multi drug resistant pathogens.
Clinically, he specialises in the treatment of patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), non-CF bronchiectasis, and infections with Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM). He is co-chair of the British Thoracic Society NTM guidelines committee, the joint US CF Foundation-European CF Society (ECFS) NTM Guidelines Group and the ECFS working group on NTM.
amy blowers
Personal Assistant to Prof. Floto.
I joined the Floto lab in June 2023, having moved from Royal Papworth Hospital where I had worked for over 17 years as a Medical Secretary within the Cambridge Centre for Lung Infection team, caring for patients with conditions such as Bronchiectasis and Cystic Fibrosis.
Outside of work, I like to spend time with friends and travel with my family including my rescue dog in our Campervan.
Dr. Anja Hagting
Lab Manager.
After being a postdoc for more than two decades in the cell cycle field I joined the Floto lab in February 2019 for a new role and new research topic. While learning all the ins and outs of innate immunity, I will try to keep the lab running as smoothly as possible. When I’m not in the lab, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, going for hikes and playing badminton.
Karen Brown
Research Fellow, NHS.
For over the past 10 years I have been part of the research team of Professor Floto. Previous to this I was a clinical scientist in molecular haemostasis at Addenbrookes Hospital.
I divide my time between Papworth Hospital in the Cambridge Centre for Lung Infection where I undertake patient related duties, and the MRC LMB where I undertake academic research. I thoroughly enjoy the two very different aspects of my work. The main focus of my research interests is centred around the problematic mycobacterial infection systems which occur within the Cystic Fibrosis patient population.
Janet allen
Research Fellow
Dr. Divya Arora
Post-Doctoral Research Associate.
I am a Postdoctoral Associate new to this wonderful Place Cambridge I am a microbiologist and have done my PhD in mycobacterial cell wall biosynthetic proteins from the National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India. I am interested in understanding the highly dynamic host pathogen interactions-the key to understand pathogenesis. This interaction triggers complex pathways in both pathogen and the host. With my role I will be working towards developing the methods for precise understanding of these pathways at single cell level.
Beyond Science, I love travelling, dancing and cooking.
Dr. sebastian bruchmann
Assistant Research Profesor.
I am a Senior Research Associate working across both wet and dry lab to study the evolution of antibiotic resistance and host–pathogen interactions in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and other human pathogens.
My current work centres on understanding the genetic basis and fitness trade-offs of antibiotic resistance, with a particular interest in epistasis and its role in shaping resistance evolution.
I also use transcriptomics to investigate how Klebsiella pneumoniae interacts with the innate immune system, particularly macrophages, and employ the Galleria mellonella infection model to study virulence and immune evasion in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Outside the lab, I enjoy running, cycling and learning Italian.
Dr. Sophie Burbaud
Assistant Research Professor.
For a long time now, I have always wished to implicate myself in the fight against infectious diseases. Curious, eager to learn and to solve problems, it appeared obvious to me to direct myself toward the field of Research.
What better way than to do so in the fast moving and resourceful environment of Cambridge? Just arriving from France, I can also mix my vocation for science with my passion for travelling and discovering new cultures.
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Felicity crawshay-williams
Post-Doctoral Research Associate.
I am a PhD student at the LMB in the Department of Medicine and the Nanoscience Centre in the Department of Engineering. My research will focus on antibiotic development and delivery for mycobacterial infections, with a particular emphasis on nanotechnology. I recently completed a Master's in Chemistry from the University of Bath with a year of research at the University of Oxford. Before arriving in the Floto lab, I was workstation manager at a National COVID-19 PCR Testing Centre at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital at the University of Glasgow. In my free time I enjoy bouldering and cycling with friends!
Dr. Adam Dinan
Post-Doctoral Research Associate.
I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Floto Lab. I am using computational methods and machine learning to study gene regulation in human pathogens. In particular, my current research involves the use of high-throughput genetic perturbations and natural genetic variation to map gene regulatory networks. Apart from science, I also enjoy playing music, hiking, reading and learning Spanish.
Dr. wendy figueroa
Post-Doctoral Research Associate.
I am a postdoctoral scientist at the Floto lab, having completed my PhD at the Welch lab at Cambridge, and a postdoc at the Penades lab at the Imperial College London. My research focuses on elucidating the factors that drive bacterial pathogenicity, virulence and antimicrobial resistance, particularly in ESKAPE pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. I have investigated two predominant aspects of this field: the evolution of pathogens through mutations and phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer, and the ecological factors of infections (including polymicrobial interactions).
My work is multidisciplinary, spanning a broad range of approaches from microbiology, molecular biology, and bioinformatics. Now, in the Floto lab and the Harrison lab at the Sanger Institute, I’ll be investigating bacterial genomic signatures associated with disease and the factors that drive its emergence.
Dr. Sina Krokowski
Post-Doctoral Research Associate.
I’m a microscopist interested in host-pathogen interactions, specifically cell-autonomous immunity against bacteria. I’ve recently completed my PhD in the Mostowy group where I studied the cytoskeleton during bacterial infection. Now in the Floto group, I’m investigating host factors restricting intracellular bacteria and I’m excited to learn techniques beyond microscopy. Outside the lab I love CCC (cooking, climbing and computer games).
Dr. ella marshall
Post-Doctoral Research Associate.
I completed my PhD at Imperial College London in the Dionne group, where I studied the host-pathogen interactions between Mycobacterium abscessus and Drosophila melanogaster as a model host organism. Now I've joined the Floto group, I plan on continuing my research into M. abscessus host-pathogen interactions. I'm especially interested in the interplay between microbial metabolism and host immune responses, and I am very excited to use a range of experimental techniques to study genetic factors of M. abscessus pathogenesis!
Dr. Vitor Mendes
Assistant Research Professor.
I am a senior research associate with a background is in microbiology, biochemistry, structure biology and structure-guided drug discovery. I am particularly interested in understanding bacterial permeability, accumulation, efflux and metabolism of drug-like molecules and how understanding these processes can lead to the development of predictive models, using machine learning methods, that can guide rational antibiotic development. I am further interested in understanding how bacterial metabolism of antibiotics affects their efficacy, how antibiotic interactions modulate bacterial drug metabolism, efflux and retention and how understanding these processes can lead to improved antibiotic combinations.
Dr. Charlotte Passemar
Assistant Research Professor.
I am an infectiologist with a strong background in Mycobacterium tuberculosis research and a passion for understanding how pathogens interact with the host immune system. My research spans multiple infectious agents, with a particular focus on the role of autophagy in pathogen clearance. I am CL3 trained and work extensively with macrophages and primary airway epithelial cells cultured at air–liquid interface. I have developed advanced in vitro platforms, including a 3D lung-on-chip model, and use CRISPR-based gene knockout approaches to dissect host–pathogen interactions in patients with lung conditions such as Bronchiectasis. Outside the lab, I enjoy exploring Cambridge while occasionally reminiscing about the sunny days of the South of France.
Dr. Chris Ruis
Post-Doctoral Research Associate.
In my research I use genetic sequences to understand the evolutionary dynamics of pathogens and the factors that influence pathogen transmission and spread. By combining pathogen genome sequences with evolutionary methods, I aim to understand pathogen evolution at all scales, from infections of individual patients through to large outbreaks. I’m currently working to understand when, where and why Mycobacterium abscessusemerged to become a highly prevalent cause of morbidity in patients with Cystic Fibrosis. This work will inform efforts to prevent patients becoming infected in the future. I’m also working to develop new methods to understand evolution of the bacterial pangenome. Historically, I’m a virologist, and maintain an interest in virus evolution and spread, in particular norovirus, the leading cause of gastroenteritis worldwide.
Dr. Mousumi shyam
Post-Doctoral Research Associate.
I'm a passionate chemical-biologist in the broad domain of mycobacterial infections, with a focus on the tuberculosis causing pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. I am interested in understanding the idiosyncratic nature of the pathogen that resulted in the rapidly emerging antibiotic resistance. I am always motivated and curious about developing newer expertise to contribute significantly to the TB Drug Discovery and Development Horizon.
Before starting my postdoc at Cambridge, I was a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Seal-of-Excellence awardee, Newton Bhabha UK-India International Fellow, Sakura Science Exchange and Japan-Asia Youth Exchange Fellow, and DST-SERB Senior and Junior Research Fellow.
I am affiliated with Trinity College Cambridge, where I am currently serving as the Academic Events Officer of the Postdoctoral Society. Beyond lab, I enjoy spending time capturing alluring moments of my college and publishing them in TrInfo magazine, as well as organising and participating in various events at my college/university.
Dr. sundeep vedithi
Assistant Research Professor.
Dr. Sundeep Chaitanya Vedithi leads a research team at the Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge. Specialising in drug discovery and diagnostic development for leprosy, Dr. Vedithi’s work focuses on Structure-Guided Fragment-Based Drug Discovery and PROTACs (proteolysis targeting chimera) development against Mycobacterium leprae, the causative bacillus for leprosy. Utilising advanced Genomics, Transcriptomics, Structural and Computational biology, his team aims to uncover novel drugs and diagnostics to detect Mycobacterium leprae and treat leprosy efficiently. Through global initiatives with the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Vedithi is dedicated to translating laboratory research into practical solutions, striving to reduce the global burden of leprosy and other skin neglected tropical diseases (Skin NTDs) and contribute to their ultimate eradication.
Dr. Aaron Weimann
Assistant Research Profesor.
I am a research associate in pathogen bioinformatics co-supervised by Prof. Floto at the LMB and Prof. Parkhill in the Pathogen Genomics group at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. My postdoc project is on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is a prevalent hospital-acquired pathogen and frequently associated with infections in cystic fibrosis patients. I am working on establishing a genomic model of P. aeruginosa by relating high-throughput phenotype data – particularly virulence related phenotypes – and single-cell transcriptome sequencing data with the ultimate goal of gaining a better understanding of pathogenicity using methods from machine learning, genome wide association studies, image processing, etc..
Outside of academia I like to sing and I am currently looking for a new choir in Cambridge. The lab is really international and it’s always fun to learn about the various cultural backgrounds represented in our group.
Dr. david abelson
PhD student.
A respiratory and sleep physician from Australia with a first-class honours degree in mathematics, I joined the Floto Lab to pursue bioinformatics and machine learning. My clinical background in lung transplantation and chronic infection inspired my research on how the lung microbiome evolves during pathogenic infection and how we might predict bacterial behaviour using computational approaches. Outside research, I have three delightful toddlers, am chronically sleep deprived, and occasionally indulge myself in a game of tennis and watching the Ashes on repeat..
Lucy gale
PhD Student.
My background is as a clinical dietitian. I have worked for the NHS for over 20 years and 12 of those were as a Specialist Cystic Fibrosis Dietitian at Royal Papworth Hospital. I have been involved in research throughout that time and a few years ago I moved to focus on pursuing my long-term ambition of doing a PhD in the Floto lab. What an amazing and inspiring group. I am the Clinical Project Manager for Professor Floto's home monitoring studies in people with cystic fibrosis; Project Breathe and ACE-CF and more recently Bronch-EX in people with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. With these studies we aim to empower patients to take control of their own health and to detect acute respiratory exacerbations before a patient is aware they are becoming unwell. My other research interests include Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes and the impact of muscle mass depletion on outcomes.In my spare time I enjoy walking my dogs, horse riding, gardening and travel.
Xinyu guo (lucie)
PhD Student.
I am a PhD student working on fragment-based drug discovery. Before joining the lab, I completed my part II (BA) and part III (MSc) in Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge. My research focuses on developing novel antibiotics targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium abscessus, combining structural, biophysical, biochemical, and computational biology methods. Outside of working, I enjoy travelling and cooking.
MODESTAS MATUSEVICIUS
PhD Student.
I am currently pursuing a PhD in the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge, where I also completed my BA and MSc degrees in Biochemistry. My research is dedicated to the development of new therapeutics for leprosy, targeting the causative agent Mycobacterium leprae bacterium. To achieve this aim, I apply a mix of established and novel methods in structural biology, biochemistry, biophysics, and computational biology.
Outside of my academic pursuits, I enjoy engaging in a variety of sports and spending quality time with my family.
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MARIA NTEMOURTSIDOU
PhD Student.
As a machine learning researcher interested in AI applications in Life Sciences and Healthcare, I have dedicated the past few years to developing machine learning algorithms and computer vision models. My work has primarily focused on advancing stem cell-based meat research, optimizing fermentation conditions, and predicting pulmonary exacerbations.Recently, I relocated to Cambridge to begin my PhD, where I am focusing on creating AI models to accelerate drug discovery. Outside of working, I really enjoy playing volleyball, martial arts and loads of hiking!
maciek wiatrak
PhD Student.
I am a PhD student at Cambridge Centre for AI in Medicine (CCAIM) working on deep learning for genomics. My research focuses on developing machine learning methods to understand how a cell works, with a focus on antibiotic resistance, gene regulation and perturbation prediction. Before starting my PhD, I completed my undergraduate studies at UCL with distinction, majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Mathematics, after which I worked for 3 years at a biotech called BenevolentAI as a Machine Learning Engineer and later Applied Research Team Lead. When I am free, I love doing various sports, including volleyball, hiking, alpinism and cycling.
They started new adventures!
Dr. Daniela Rodriguez-Rincon
Dr. Agnes Foeglein
Dr. Mark Schiebler
Catherine Klapholz
Dariya Nikitin
Dr. Isobel Everall
Vasanthini Athithan
Dr. Bethan Morris
Dr. arun prasad prandurangan
Dr. Iris Batalha
Dr. Ieuan Evans
Dr. yu zhang
Dr. will flowers
Dr. odiri eneje
Dr. Louise Ellison
Dr. Lucas Boeck
Dr. Asma Mounir
Judy Younts-Ryan
Dr. Josephine Bryant
Dr. Gabrielle Budd
Dr. Santiago caño-Muñiz
Dr. Dorothy Grogono
Dr. Charlotte Maserumule
Dr. shikang lang
Jasper sangen
Tristan trebaol