LINE Symposium 2025:
Speakers & panellists
Careers panel
Click on the following link to watch a recording of the 2025 careers panel:
https://london-infection-postdoc-network.wistia.com/medias/178y2ow7ey
Catrin Beetham
Dr. Catrin Beetham is a policy adviser in the government. After completing her PhD at Imperial College London studying pathways used by S. aureus to survive in low pH conditions - during which she undertook a public affairs internship at The Royal Society - she started on the Civil Service Fast Stream for Science and Engineering. She completed several postings within government, including the Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Currently, she is working on and independent review on technology adoption in the Department for Business and Trade.
Henry Blest
Dr. Henry Blest is the co-founder and CTO of Polari Group, a UK startup focused on anorectal health. With a PhD in biochemistry from Oxford, Henry specialized in virology and immunology, particularly in sexually transmitted infections like herpes simplex virus and HIV. He co-founded Polari Group with Anna Vybornova to innovate the sexual health and wellness market. Under Henry's leadership, Polari Group has secured pre-seed funding and plans to launch its first category-defining product in September 2025, promoting inclusivity and breaking taboos in sexual health.
Tina Chowdhury
Dr. Tina Chowdhury is a Reader in Regenerative Medicine at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). She leads several high-impact research projects, focusing on regenerative medicine to identify therapeutics that slow down inflammation and repair tissue. She is also the Chief Investigator for a clinical trial investigating the environmental impact on pregnancy outcomes and preterm birth. Her work has been recognized with awards from the Times Higher Education, Reimagine Education, and the Royal Academy of Engineering. Additionally, Tina is involved in various public engagement initiatives and serves on editorial boards for several journals.
Cat Gale
Dr. Cat Gale is a producer and director working on high-profile factual programs for major networks like the BBC, Channel 4, PBS and Netflix. After finishing her PhD in HIV and personalized medicine, she transitioned to television, creating award-winning documentaries such as "The Joy of Logic" and "Computer Says Show." Her work has been recognized with multiple nominations and awards, including Best Science Documentary at the BANFF World Media Festival. Cat's unique blend of scientific expertise and creative storytelling has made her a notable figure in factual programming.
Peter Hill
Dr. Peter Hill is an early-career group leader at King's College London (KCL) focusing on molecular and infection biology. Peter completed his PhD at the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre under Prof Petra Hajkova, and then joined Dr Sophie Helaine's lab at Imperial College London. Here, he began researching relapsing Salmonella infections and established his own research group as an Imperial College Research Fellow in 2019. In 2023, Peter joined KCL as a Wellcome Trust Career Development Award Fellow, focusing on relapsing invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella infections.
Aimé Palomeras
Aimé Palomeras is a Clinical Project Manager and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Manager at the NIHR Imperial Clinical Research Facility. She has a background in clinical research and is working with multi-disciplinary teams to manage several experimental, phase I and phase II clinical studies in various disease areas. In her role as PPIE manager she works with stakeholders, including the Imperial BRC Patient Experience Research Centre, UK CRF Network, Multidisciplinary BAME network, and the White city local community to promote diversity and inclusivity.
Invited speakers
Amaya Bustinduy
Prof. Amaya Bustinduy is a Clinical Professor of Global Paediatrics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and an Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases with the UK's NHS. Her academic background includes training in paediatrics and infectious diseases in the United States, with a focus on helminthic infections and their effects on child health in coastal Kenya since 2009. She holds an MD from Universidad Complutense de Madrid, an MPH from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a PhD from the University of Amsterdam.
Her research focuses now on neglected tropical diseases, particularly schistosomiasis, and their impact on child and adolescent health. She leads the Schistosomiasis Clinical Research Group at LSHTM, conducting field studies in countries including Uganda, Malawi, and Zambia. Amaya’s work encompasses clinical epidemiology, point-of-care diagnostics, and pharmacokinetic studies of antiparasitic drugs in children. She is particularly interested in female genital schistosomiasis, aiming to integrate its diagnosis with screenings for cervical cancer, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV. In addition to her research, she contributes to teaching at LSHTM, serving as a module organizer and lecturer for courses on neglected tropical diseases and tropical medicine.
Joe Grove
Dr. Joe Grove is a virologist specializing in how enveloped viruses, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV) and SARS-CoV-2, enter host cells. After earning his PhD at the University of Birmingham and conducting postdoctoral research at the MRC Laboratory for Molecular and Cell Biology, he established his independent group at UCL. He joined the University of Glasgow in 2021 and received the Medical Research Foundation's Emerging Leaders Prize in 2023 for his innovative work using AI to predict viral protein structures. The Grove lab combines molecular virology, advanced computational approaches and structural biology to unravel the complexities of viral glycoprotein function and evolution. Most recently, using cutting-edge AI, his team predicted the structure of HCV entry proteins, revealing a novel entry mechanism—marking the first large-scale application of AI tools to examine viruses.
Carers in STEMM
Carers in STEMM is a grassroots network led by three UKRI Future Leaders Fellows:
Dr. Laura Carter (University of Leeds), Dr. Laura Pallett (University College London), and Dr. Laura Wolz (University of Manchester). Their initiatives focus on advocating for flexible, adaptable, comprehensive, and transparent support for carers in STEMM fields. They have proposed steps for improvement, such as flexible funding to cover dependent care costs, adaptable funding applications for changing circumstances, comprehensive policies for early-career scientists, and transparent implementation of these policies.