Elspeth Johnson

As a research technician in the Metabolic Research group, I’m developing culturing methods of lipid-laden cells in 2-dimensional monolayers and 3-dimensional scaffolds in vitro. I aim to develop a 3D in vitro culture system suitable for the investigation of cell function and metabolism in human adipocytes and hepatocytes, with a focus on mechanistic pathways in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obesity.

I will be testing in vitro culture systems such as scaffold biomaterials, gel matrices, and spheroid culturing methods to provide a solution to the problem of floating lipid-laden cells in 2D culture. These culturing methods may also replicate the in vivo cellular environment more closely, improving the understanding of metabolic function in different human fat deposits. My research also involves the investigation of the potential of 3D cellular models to replace in vivo experiments and the use of animal-derived reagents.