معرفی
Laura Ciacchi is a Postdoctoral Scientist (mapped to Research Fellow academic rank) at the University of Oxford, affiliated with the Ogg laboratory. With a PhD in conventional T cell structural biology from Monash University (Australia), her research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of T cell specificity, cross-reactivity, and self-tolerance breakdown in autoimmune diseases.
- PhD Institution: Monash University, Australia
- Current Affiliation: Ogg laboratory, University of Oxford
- Email: laura.ciacchi@imm.ox.ac.uk
Her work bridges structural biology and skin immunology, particularly investigating CD1a-mediated T cell immunity and lipid antigen recognition in health and disease contexts. She pioneered multisensory approaches to convey complex immunological concepts like molecular mimicry and autoimmunity to diverse communities, including those with visual impairments.
Recent publications highlight her dual focus on basic immunology (T cell receptor-gluten epitope interactions in celiac disease) and science accessibility (tactile models for autoimmune disease communication). These span 2022-2024, with keywords in structural biology, autoimmune pathogenesis, and public health outreach.
Currently, she employs high-throughput analyses to discover lipid antigens and develop therapeutic approaches for skin/systemic diseases, representing a significant extension of her structural biology expertise into dermatological immunology.
