Halim Group
Programme overview
We are excited to offer an opportunity for Year 12 students to gain hands-on experience with the Halim Group, a research team studying how the immune system works to keep tissues healthy and how it behaves in diseases like inflammation and cancer. This placement will introduce you to the fascinating world of immunology, where we study special immune cells called innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) to understand their role in health and disease.
Our work focuses on discovering how the immune system can be regulated to fight cancer and reduce chronic inflammation.
What you will do
During the placement, students will have the chance to:
- Observe cell culture techniques, where immune cells are grown and studied in the lab to understand their functions.
- Learn about flow cytometry, a technique used to identify and analyze different immune cells based on their unique features.
- Observe experiments involving microscopy, where immune cells and tissues are imaged to study how cells behave in different environments.
- Explore DNA and RNA extraction techniques to understand how scientists study the genetic information in immune cells.
- Watch how researchers analyze immune responses using ELISA (a method to measure immune molecules like cytokines).
- Participate in basic data analysis, learning how scientists interpret results to answer big questions about immunity.
About the lab
The Halim Group is interested in understanding the role of a special group of immune cells called innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). These cells play a critical role in regulating the immune system to keep our bodies healthy.
Our research focuses on:
- Studying how ILCs interact with other parts of the immune system to maintain balance in healthy tissues (tissue homeostasis).
- Understanding how ILCs contribute to inflammatory diseases like chronic inflammation, where the immune system overreacts.
- Exploring how ILCs influence immune responses in cancer, including ways to use them to improve therapies.
By studying these processes, our long-term goal is to uncover new immunological mechanisms and use this knowledge to develop therapies that can help treat cancer and chronic diseases.
What to expect
This placement will be an interactive and inspiring experience, designed to introduce students to the exciting field of immunology research. You’ll have the chance to observe real scientific experiments, learn about key lab techniques, and see how scientists work to understand and regulate the immune system.
Potential Activities Include:
- Cell culture: Watching how immune cells are grown and maintained in sterile lab conditions.
- Flow cytometry: Observing how researchers analyze immune cells to understand their types and roles.
- Microscopy: Using imaging techniques to see how immune cells behave in tissues.
- DNA and RNA extraction: Learning how scientists isolate genetic material to study immune cell functions.
- ELISA experiments: Observing how immune molecules like cytokines are measured in lab samples.
- Basic data analysis: Understanding how experimental results are processed and interpreted.
What you will gain
By the end of the placement, you will:
- Gain insight into how the immune system works and how immune cells are studied in the lab.
- Learn about the tools and techniques scientists use to explore immunity in health, inflammation, and cancer.
- Develop key scientific skills, including observation, critical thinking, and teamwork.
- Understand how research in immunology can lead to new treatments for diseases like cancer and chronic inflammation.
If you are curious about biology, the immune system, and how science can help solve big health challenges, this placement will give you an exciting introduction to immunology research and inspire you to explore careers in science and medicine!