Pinky Langat

PhD Student

Alumni

This person is a member of Sanger Institute Alumni.

Pinky is a PhD student working jointly between the Virus Genomics and Microbial Pathogenesis groups. She is interested in the dynamics of host-pathogen co-adaptation, in particular how pathogens evolve in response to immune pressure and how the host immune system in turn adapts to pathogen variation exposures.

Jointly supervised by Paul Kellam and Gordon Dougan, I am interested in investigating pathogen evolution and host adaptive immune responses using both computational and laboratory methods. For my research so far, I have used whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic approaches to explore influenza virus dynamics, namely how strains spread around the world and adapt to immune pressures. My current work involves using flow cytometry, serological assays, and immune receptor sequencing to study changes in immune repertoires in mouse models of sequential infection with variable influenza strains as well as evaluate differences between candidate and current vaccines to Salmonella Typhi.

During my undergraduate studies at McGill University, I worked in a range of research areas such as focusing on the biophysical properties of photoswitchable fluorescent proteins in Dr. Amy S. Blum’s group, and on the host genetics of cerebral malaria susceptibility as an Honours student in the laboratory of Dr. Philippe Gros. I also investigated the ethics of sharing research data in public health emergencies as a research intern with Dr. Ross Upshur at the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics.

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