Caitlin O'Brien-Ball

After graduating with a degree in Biomedical Sciences from Queen Mary, University of London, I moved to Oxford to start my 4 year DPhil at the Radcliffe Department of Medicine, supervised by Prof. Simon Davis and Dr. Mafalda Santos.

My studies in the Davis Lab are focussed on the regulation and mechanisms of T cell receptor triggering, including the role of cell topology and signalling microclusters. This work is largely carried out using advanced confocal and TIRF microscopy on live cells to visualise and quantify the relationship between the T cell receptor and its proximal signalling molecules, as well as studying the spatiotemporal regulation of these proteins in relation to cell morphology.

Additionally, in collaboration with the Klenerman group at the University of Cambridge, I am involved in work using super-resolution microscopy to investigate how our current understanding of T cell receptor triggering may apply to other lymphocyte receptors. 

Part of my funding comes from Balliol college, where I was formerly part of the MCR committee as social secretary, although I am still heavily involved in college life.