Moredun

Jackie is a research scientist at the Moredun Research Institute with over 30 years of experience working on livestock diseases in support of Scottish Government-funded work. Her expertise includes tissue culture, molecular biology and parasitology.

Eilidh Geddes was awarded an EASTBIO Doctoral Training Partnership PhD studentship entitled “A holistic approach to internal parasite control on hill and upland sheep farms” in 2020, under the supervision of researchers from Moredun Research Institute, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.

My research background has focused largely on the molecular pharmacology and cellular signalling processes of membrane bound G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). My PhD work focused on the pharmacology of neuropeptide Y receptor dimerization and their role in appetite regulation and my postdoctoral work focused on the spatial-temporal signalling of the Luteinizing hormone receptor within intracellular compartments and their role in reproduction and fertility. My current research is focused on the development of 3D and 2D cell culture models to screen Mycobacterium Avium subsp.

David is a Principal Investigator at the Moredun Research Institute leading a research group with a diverse research portfolio, including a) the development of advanced cell culture systems (e.g. organoids) for modelling infectious diseases; b) pathogen invasion and persistence; c) discovering novel therapeutic targets for disease intervention. Parasites are the central theme of the different research projects ongoing in David’s group, including single-celled protozoan parasites (e.g.

Sean Wattegedera joined Moredun in 1999 following his undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences (Hons) at Lancaster University. In 2014, Sean became a Senior Research Scientist and completed his PhD (by Research Publications, University of Edinburgh) in 2021. Sean has an interest in cytokine biology and cellular immunology applying this to bacterial and viral diseases of livestock. His main research area is in the understanding of host-pathogen interactions for Chlamydia spp. and developing control strategies for ovine enzootic abortion.

My background is in ecology and evolution and my main research interest is in how and why animals vary in their responses to infection. I primarily work on sheep and their nematode parasites, and current research is exploring the relationships between resilience, resistance and tolerance to these worms, and we can exploit variation in these traits to reduce their impact on animal health and welfare and the sustainability of the industry.