Sarah Morel

I am a Research Assistant in the Coeliac Group (TGU-NDM Experimental Medicine) led by Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick and Prof. Paul Klenerman. Our work centres on investigating novel non-invasive, robust, and sensitive biomarkers of both gastrointestinal epithelial damage and adaptive immune response in coeliac disease (CD) – aiding disease monitoring and establishing endpoints in CD therapeutic trials. This research is funded by the charitable organisation Beyond Celiac.

I pursued an undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Manchester, where I gained in-depth knowledge about cellular and molecular biology as well as immunology and pathology. As part of my degree, I completed an industrial placement working on a joint project between the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin, investigating the impact of intermittent fasting on the immune system. I subsequently completed an inspiring MSc in Immunology at Imperial College London, where I joined the Liver Immunology Group and researched novel antimicrobial immunomodulatory therapies in the context of acute and chronic liver diseases.

My research interests include gastrointestinal immune (dys)regulation, the human microbiome, ’omic technologies, and the fantastic world of organoids. My favourite cells are macrophages; their Janus-faced nature in many disorders has always fascinated me.