معرفی
Dr. Mona Bajaj-Elliott serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation at University College London's Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (Faculty of Population Health Sciences). She concurrently holds the position of Co-Departmental Graduate Tutor at UCL. External appointments include Lecturer for the MSc Cancer program at the University of Nottingham, External Reviewer for Oxford's MSc Experimental Immunology, membership on the British Society of Gastroenterology's Gut Microbiome for Health Expert Panel, and Scientific Officer at BoobyBiome since April 2022.
Her educational background includes a PhD from Birkbeck College (1984) and a BSc (Hons) from the University of London (1980). Her research centers on the gut microbial-immune axis in pediatric contexts, with five primary focus areas: (a) Gut microbiome dynamics in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation outcomes, (b) Microbial metabolite impacts on gastrointestinal homeostasis, (c) Gut microbiome roles in infant development, (d) Microbiome contributions to antimicrobial resistance, and (e) Mucosal defense mechanisms in infection and food allergy. Her laboratory investigates host-microbe-food antigen interactions at mucosal surfaces.
Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals dominant research themes in pediatric microbiome-immunology interfaces, with significant emphasis on stem cell transplantation, renal transplantation, and infant/maternal microbiome dynamics. Key methodological approaches include longitudinal microbiome tracking, metabolome analysis, and translational models of infection and inflammation. Her work consistently bridges basic microbial science with clinical pediatric applications.
Teaching responsibilities encompass Module Directorship for Acute & Chronic Infectious Diseases (BSc Population Health Year 2), co-direction of Epidemiological Transition (BSc Year 1) and Personalised Medicine (MSc) modules, and cross-faculty instruction on gut microbiome roles in intestinal/extraintestinal health including mental health connections. Her work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being).
