Comparative Investigation of Macrophage Lipid Pathways in Liver Infection and Metabolic Disease

My career aspiration is to establish an internationally recognized research programme that fundamentally advances liver disease therapeutics through spatial immunometabolism while creating inclusive research environments that overcome intercultural communication barriers. This award will establish me as an independent leader in liver immunometabolism through four transformational activities: First, I will conduct a systematic comparison of how LPCAT2-expressing macrophages— immune cells I have identified as key metabolic controllers—rewire their metabolism when fighting parasitic infection versus metabolic liver disease, revealing therapeutic pathways for diseases affecting 1 in 25 deaths worldwide. Second, an 8-week visit at the University of Queensland will position me at the forefront of metabolic liver disease methodology using unique model systems while embedding me within international networks. Third, I will create the world's first annotated web-based cartography resource for liver immunology—the "Google Maps" for liver disease research—enabling researchers globally to generate hypotheses about immune interactions. Fourth, building on my Research England-funded work on intercultural communication, I will scale this programme to national impact through evidence-based guidelines and workshops.This integrated approach will establish me as a unique leader advancing both cutting-edge spatial biology and research culture, fundamentally transforming our understanding of liver pathologies while creating frameworks for international scientific collaboration.