Stephanie Watkins

Dr. Stephanie Watkins is a Research Fellow in Immunology at the University of Surrey, affiliated with the Section of Immunology within the School of Biosciences (Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences). She holds a PhD in Nutritional Immunology (University of Chester, 2023) and an MSc Biological Sciences from the University of Liverpool (2018). Her research focuses on T cell ageing, adrenergic regulation of immunosenescence, and vitamin D’s role in asthma. She is a member of SHARP (Surrey Healthy Ageing Research Partnership) and the Centre of Excellence on Ageing (CEA).

Key research areas include investigating interactions between the sympathetic nervous system and immune aging, with expertise in cell culture, ELISA, and flow cytometry. Recent studies demonstrated vitamin D supplementation improves lung function in asthmatics, particularly in those with suboptimal vitamin D status. Her FFQ validation tool enables rapid dietary assessment of vitamin D intake in UK populations.

Awards include STEM for Britain 2025 Finalist in Biological and Biomedical Sciences. Technical expertise includes clinical trial design (e.g., NCT04117581 trial involving 32 participants) and biomarker analysis linking vitamin D levels to anti-inflammatory cytokines like IL-10. Affiliations include the British Society for Immunology and Royal Society of Biology.