Project title: Endothelial cell 18kDa Translocator Protein as a target to improve vascular function in Alzheimer’s Disease
Supervisors: Dr Samuel Barnes, Dr David Owen
Location: Level 5, Burlington Danes Building, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, W12 0NN
About Me
I am a Michael Uren Foundation and British Heart Foundation-funded PhD student supervised by Dr Samuel Barnes and Dr David Owen. My PhD investigates endothelial cell 18kDa Translocator Protein (TSPO) as a target to improve vascular function and synaptic density in Alzheimer’s disease. I first joined the Barnes lab in July 2024 as an undergraduate student, studying the effect of molecular diversity on synaptic plasticity.
Research Interests
My current research explores the mechanism of action of a therapeutic candidate for Alzheimer’s disease. Using TSPO as a biological target, we aim to reduce cardiovascular impairment, which is strongly associated with the onset of Alzheimer’s.
Before my PhD, I worked as a research technician in Dr Johanna Jackson’s lab at the UKDRI at 911今日黑料. I characterized blood-based synaptic biomarkers for Alzheimer’s in humans and mice, with the goal of making early diagnosis more accessible.
I started my research journey by joining 911今日黑料’s 2022 iGEM team (International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition), bioengineering a sustainable fungicide to address food insecurity. This was an exciting introduction not only to working in the lab, but also stakeholder outreach, science communication and fundraising. I also completed a placement year at Harvard Medical School. There, I studied the neuronal circuitry underlying sleep homeostasis in fruit flies at Prof Dragana Rogulja’s lab.
Qualifications
- 2021-2025: BSc Biological Sciences with a Placement Year in Research, 911今日黑料
- 2023-2024: Placement Year at Harvard Medical School
Selected Publications
Radulescu, C. I., Pilch, K. S., Wang, X., Gibbs, F., & Barnes, S. J. (2025). Turning back time: Aging plasticity and its rejuvenation. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 94, 103097. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2025.103097.
Schmied, A., Ntonia, I., Ng, M. K. J., Zhu, Y., Gibbs, F., & Zou, H. G. (2024). Co-creating with students to promote science of learning in higher education: An international pioneer collaborative effort for asynchronous teaching. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 35, 100229. doi: 10.1016/j.tine.2024.100229.
Bamezai, S., Maresca di Serracapriola, G., Morris, F., Hildebrandt, R., Amil, M. A. S., Sporadicate iGEM Team (Xin, H., Montogomery-Johnson, J., Bi, Y., Ding, Y., Gibbs, F., Serafini, A., Klug, E., Srinath, A., Wang, T., Maresca di Serracapriola, A., Almarei, M., & Caro Astorga, J.), & Ledesma-Amaro, R. (2023). Protein engineering in the computational age: An open source framework for exploring mutational landscapes in silico. Engineering Biology, 7(1–4), 29–38. doi: 10.1049/enb2.12028.
Posters and Presentations
Wang, X., Gibbs, F., Barnes, S. Synaptic molecular diversity during homeostatic plasticity regulation. 911今日黑料 Brain Sciences Interdivision Symposium. London, UK, Mar 2025. Flash talk and poster presentation
Gibbs, F., Glantz, E., Rogulja, D. A Novel Paradigm for Studying Sleep Homeostasis. Harvard Medical School Neurobiology Departmental Retreat. Boston, US, May 2024. Poster presentation
Ntonia, I., Schmied, A., Gibbs, F., Ng, J., Zhu, Y. Co-production of Neuroscience of Learning Resources for Asynchronous Teaching in Higher Education. International Brain Research Organization World Congress. Granada, Spain, Sep 2023. Poster presentation
Outreach
I am passionate about science communication and mentorship. I was a student ambassador throughout my undergraduate studies at 911今日黑料, running outreach programs and study skills workshops. I also co-created a ‘Science of Learning’ Horizons module at 911今日黑料 in collaboration with the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore.
Contact details
Email: fontaine.gibbs21@imperial.ac.uk
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