Lab Members

Jeanne Lefévère-Laoide, Oliver Gatty PhD student
Jeanne has a background in cell biology, with a strong interest in the interface between cell dynamics and mechanobiology. Her project investigates the mechanical and molecular mechanisms of post-mitotic spreading, and explores its role in cancer. At the onset of mitosis, most cells display mitotic rounding, driven by reduced adhesions to the substrate and an increase in cell surface tension and stiffness. After cytokinesis, the two daughter cells typically spread out. In contrast to mitotic cell rounding, post-mitotic spreading is poorly understood. Using live-cell microscopy, Jeanne aims to quantitatively characterise the dynamic changes in cell shape and mechanical properties occurring during post-mitotic spreading, as well as describe actin regulators at play, in both healthy and cancer cells

jl2276[at]cam dot ac dot uk

Ana Raffaelli , PhD Student
For a stem cell to make a fate decision and differentiate, it needs to receive a signal. Historically, the role of biochemical signalling in this process was mostly studied. However, it is now known that mechanical properties of the extracellular environment also play a part in this process. In Ana’s PhD project, she is  aiming to investigate the mechanism that underlies the effect that mechanical signalling has on biochemical signalling interpretation ultimately determining the cell fate. In particular, Ana uses human pluripotent stem cells and their response to BMP signalling in different mechanical environments to investigate the role of receptors of the cellular microenvironment, signalling platforms and cell surface mechanics in this mechanism.

ar2067[at]cam dot ac dot uk

Tasmin Sarkany, PhD Student
Tasmin is interested in the interface between theoretical physics and biology. Her project investigates the link between cell shape and cell fate during cell state transitions. Cell state transitions occur during embryonic development and tissue regeneration and are associated with diseases such as cancer. They are often associated with a change in cell shape, however it is unclear how shape and fate affect each other or what role cell surface mechanics plays in these shape changes. By modelling cell shape change as a stochastic process and the cell cortex as an active surface, she aims to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying cell state transitions.

ts854[at]cam dot ac dot uk

Belle Sow, PhD Student
Skin wound healing is an extensively studied process, which is critical for ensuring the integrity and structure of tissues. While the process is known to be mechanosensitive, how tissue mechanics affect specific components of wound healing remains poorly understood. There has been a keen interest to understand why wound healing ability varies greatly across the lifespan, with young individuals having more regenerative potential and the ability to recover better compared to adults and aged individuals. In Belles PhD, she plans to explore how changes in tissue mechanics as a function of age could explain the changes in wound healing ability. Understanding on a cellular level how cells respond to such mechanical changes in the skin will shed light on why there are functional differences in wound healing with respect to age.

bms54[at]cam dot ac dot uk

Iona Thelwall, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Iona is a postdoctoral researcher interested in the interplay between stem cell biology, physics, and engineering.
As part of the Paluch Lab, Iona’s current work focuses on understanding how ECM-induced cell shape dynamics and mechanical fluctuations influence cell state transitions, particularly during epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its reversal, mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET). She combines quantitative imaging, advanced cell culture systems, and biophysical approaches to investigate how cell morphology and mechanics are regulated, and how these properties feedback to control cellular identity and plasticity. By integrating principles from cell biology and biophysics, Iona aims to develop physiologically relevant in vitro systems that more accurately model organ morphogenesis and cell fate decisions in 3D microenvironments.

igt20[at]cam dot ac dot uk

Marta Urbanska, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Marta is a biophysicist with a deep interest in the role of mechanobiology in development and disease. In her postdoc project, she is investigating how cell fate is influenced by cell surface mechanics in gastruloids — a multicellular model system mimicking a gastrulating embryo. To achieve this, she combines advanced microscopy techniques, cell shape analysis and biophysical characterisation approaches. She is also keen to find out how perturbing cell mechanics during gastruloid growth impacts cell fates and spatial patterning. With this work, she hopes to contribute to answering the long-standing question in developmental biology of how physical determinants coalesce with biochemical signalling to drive embryogenesis.

Google Scholar

mu272[at]cam dot ac dot uk

Liz Williams, Lab Manager
Liz supports both the Paluch and Franze labs within the department as lab manager. Liz generates and provides expert technical advice for hydrogel production, one of the core resources used across both groups. In addition to her lab role, Liz is heavily involved with the wider aspects of laboratory management including pastoral care and sustainability. Liz has previous research experience in the industrial sector through Cambridge Antibody Technology and within the education sector.

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lkw32[at]cam dot ac dot uk

Alex Winkel, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Alex completed his PhD in Atomic Force Microscopy of polymers at the University of Bristol in 2001 and then spent 17 years working for AFM manufacturers, latterly as Senior Application Scientist for JPK Instruments.
He came to PDN in 2018, where he has been involved in numerous projects based around applying AFM to tissue and cell mechanics and co-authoring several papers in that time. His work is currently supported by the BBSRC.
He’s always happy to discuss collaborations around AFM, which is his specialty

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akw48[at]cam dot ac dot uk