Emily Swindle

Dr Emily Swindle is an Associate Professor in Pharmacology at the University of Southampton's Faculty of Medicine. With a PhD in Immunopharmacology from the University of Liverpool (2003), she transitioned from NIH postdoctoral work to establish an interdisciplinary research program focused on mast cell-epithelial interactions in respiratory diseases.

• PhD in Immunopharmacology (University of Liverpool, 2003)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship (NIH/NIAID, 2003-2010)
• Lecturer in Pharmacology (University of Southampton, 2013)
• Associate Professor in Pharmacology (since 2018)

Her research explores three main areas: (1) bronchial epithelial cell-immune cell interactions during rhinovirus infection in asthma, (2) mast cell roles in viral immunity, and (3) lung-on-chip microphysiological systems. These projects integrate primary cell modeling with microfluidic engineering for real-time barrier function analysis.

Recent publications highlight her work in membrane lipid dynamics during viral infection (Tissue Barriers 2024), droplet microfluidics for barrier monitoring (RSC Advances 2023), and advanced "airway barrier on chip" systems (European Respiratory Journal 2022). Her team develops models using primary bronchial epithelial cells and mast cells from cord blood.

• EPSRC-funded lung-on-chip project with Prof Morgan
• AAIR Charity grants for IL-33/mast cell research
• Collaborations with engineers and physical scientists
• GlaxoSmithKline-sponsored clinical trial participation

As module lead for the Gastrointestinal (GI) module in the BMBS program and academic coordinator for Prescribing Safety Assessment, she delivers clinical pharmacology teaching while maintaining active PhD examination roles. Her lab's "airway barrier on chip" system employs surface acoustic wave aerosol delivery and droplet-based secretion analysis.