Katie Croft

I am a DPhil student in the Nerlov lab, in the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit (MHU) of the Weatherall Institute for Molecular Medicine (WIMM). Under the supervision of Prof Claus Nerlov, I am working on computational modelling of hematopoietic stem cell maintenance during physiological ageing and inflammatory stress.

My project will examine the effects of altering Kit ligand/SCF, thrombopoietic and TGFbeta signalling, as well as inflammatory cytokines, on the maintenance and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), in order to develop a computational model of the changes undergone by the HSC compartment throughout aging. This work aims to depict how intrinsic changes to HSCs interact with microenvironmental and systemic changes to cytostatic and inflammatory cytokine production to control HSC pool size and blood cell production.

Prior to joining the Nerlov group, I graduated from the University of Warwick with a First-Class master’s in Physics. My final year project focused on the characterisation of human skin using terahertz light, discerning the effects of skin tone and ethnicity on skin hydration.

Outside the lab, I am a member of the St John’s College Chapel Choir, and a leader at a local Rainbows unit.