Meet The Team
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dr Danielle Brain
Danielle is a research associate focused on improving assays used to assess the immunocompatbility of novel biomaterials and long-acting formulations.
Danielle obtained both her undergraduate and PhD at the University of Liverpool. Her PhD was in the immunocompatibility group on an NIH-funded grant, POP, focusing on improving assays used to assess the immunocompatbility of novel long-acting formulations, particularly those designed for HIV treatment and administered subcutaneously.
Danielle also spent 3 years working on the Intracellular Drug Delivery Centre (IDDC) project, which aimed to improve assays and knowledge of the immunocompatibility of intracellular drug delivery systems in the UK, using LNPs as an example delivery system.
Danielle’s current role is on the GreenNanoBone project, where she is adapting and developing assays to assess a sustainable, plant-based biomaterial to treat Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ).
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dr Beth Heaton
Beth is a postdoctoral research associate investigating interactions between novel therapeutic technologies and immune responses, focusing on their mechanisms, safety, and clinical potential.
She completed her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and an MRes investigating how HIV antiretrovirals affect glucose uptake and immune cell activation. Her completed PhD, funded by SAFE-N-MEDTECH, focused on nano-enabled medical technologies and their interactions with components of the human immune and haematological systems.
After her postgraduate research, Beth contributed to a range of postdoctoral projects focused on repurposing and adapting existing drugs for new therapeutic applications.
Currently, Beth is working on the BBSRC-funded Lipid Voyage project, where her research investigates how bacteriophages interact with the innate immune system.
Biomanufacturing Strategy Manager
Dr Makeba Lawson-Williams
Makeba is the Biomanufacturing Strategy Manager for Work Package 2, based at the University of Liverpool.
She has 10 years’ experience spanning pharmaceutical manufacturing and life science consulting.
Within the BRITE project, she informs biomanufacturing strategy, bringing industrial insight and regulatory alignment to biologics development and scale-up feasibility.
Enterprise Manager and TTO
Dr Alex Osgerby
Alex has a background spanning industrial biomanufacturing, with experience across process development, scale-up and cGMP production of novel therapeutics.
He holds a PhD in molecular microbiology, where his research integrated genetic engineering, synthetic biology and bioprocess engineering to optimise recombinant protein expression systems. He has also developed experience in technology transfer, translating research into impactful applications.
He currently works as an Enterprise Manager within the BRITE programme at the University of Liverpool, supporting the development of a regional ecosystem to identify, protect, and commercialise biologics innovations.
Scientific Data and Insights Officer
Dr Claudia Gutiérrez-Arellano
Claudia is the Scientific Data and Insights Officer of the Biologics Regional Innovation and Technology Ecosystem (BRITE) programme at the University of Liverpool.
She contributes to the development of modelling approaches and decision-support tools for biologics manufacturing and innovation.
She holds a BSc in Biology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, an MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation from the University of Southampton, and a PhD in Geography from King’s College London.
Her experience spans research, consultancy and policy-focused projects, with expertise in quantitative analysis, data management, reproducible workflows and scientific communication
PhD Student
Luke Wingrave
Luke is a PhD student in the Immunocompatibility Group at the University of Liverpool, investigating the immunomodulatory effects of small-molecule drugs and their potential for therapeutic repurposing.
Luke completed his undergraduate and MRes degrees in Pharmacology at the University of Liverpool. During his MRes, Luke investigated how small-molecule drugs affect glucose transporter (GLUT) activity and the potential effects on immune cell function.
His current PhD research focuses on the immunomodulatory potential of small-molecule drugs and their effect on cellular metabolism to influence immune responses. The project examines how small molecule drugs affect responses such as glucose uptake, lactate secretion, ATP production, glycolysis, glycolytic enzyme activity, cytokine secretion, and inflammasome-associated responses.
Luke's research focuses on how the timing of drug exposure relative to immune activation affects cellular responses. His work aims to understand how changes in cellular metabolism and bioenergetics contribute to context-dependent immunomodulatory effects, and how this may inform potential repurposing for inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.
PhD Student
Isabel Upstone
Isabel completed an integrated Master's degree in Molecular Biology at the University of Sheffield and is currently working towards a PhD funded by The Leverhulme Trust, via the Pandemic Institute, and the National Measurement Laboratory.
Her research focuses on understanding how lipid nanoparticles (LNP's), widely used for the delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics, interact with the innate immune system.
The project investigates whether pre-existing trained immunity states influence responses to LNPs and contribute to interindividual variability in inflammatory outcomes, aiming to support the development of LNP-based therapeutics with improved safety and predictability.
PhD Student
Ashleigh Hill
Ashleigh is a first-year PhD student supported by the BBSRC North-West Doctoral Programme. She recently completed her undergraduate BSc (Hons) degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of York, including a year-in-industry at LifeArc.
During her degree, she explored biomaterials for restoring age-related osteoporosis, which piqued her interest in how biomaterials can manipulate immune microenvironments and support the development and delivery of next-generation therapeutics.
Ashleigh’s PhD investigates how controlled changes in biomaterial properties shape innate immune responses. Through linking material features to underlying biological mechanisms, her work will aim to deepen understanding of immune sensing, inflammation and tissue repair.
PhD Student
Currently reviewing
This PhD will investigate why innate immune responses to emerging viruses vary between people and whether they can be safely programmed towards sustained protection.
Using human blood and immune-cell models, the project will study trained immunity, immunometabolism and antiviral responses to identify predictors of protection and new host-directed interventions.