My role is to provide assistance within the Moffett lab, by supporting lab management and carrying out key techniques. I will be collecting and processing human patient samples to isolate primary cells. I will be involved in aiding current and new projects involving the use of organoid culture, flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry.
The Moffett lab focusses on investigating how interactions between maternal immune cells (uterine Natural Killer (NK) cells) and trophoblast cells influence pregnancy success. These NK cells have killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) for HLA class I ligands on extra-villous trophoblast cells. Genetic analysis has identified that different KIR/HLA-C genetic combinations are associated with differences in birth weight and with an increase in the risk of obstetric syndromes in both Europeans and Africans.
