Dr Gavin Meehan
- Affiliate Researcher (School of Infection & Immunity)
email:
Gavin.Meehan@glasgow.ac.uk
MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Sir Michael Stoker Building, Garscube Campus, 464 Bearsden Road, G61 1QH
Biography
I received a MSci (hons) degree in pharmacology from the University of Glasgow in 2011. As part of this degree I undertook research in the life sciences industry, working for both a local biotech company, Biofilm, and the pharmaceutical company, Pfizer. Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, I began a Ph.D., studying the roles of anti-glycolipid antibodies in autoimmune neuropathies, with Prof. Hugh Willison at the University of Glasgow.
After my Ph.D. I began my postdoctoral research at the University of Glasgow in the Laboratory of Immune Cell Visualisation and Examination (LIVE) under Profs James Brewer and Paul Garside. My research in this laboratory focussed on the roles of the immune system during autoimmune diseases and infections with a particular emphasis on studying the dynamics of these processes using multiphoton microscopy.
Following on from this work I took up a position at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research to develop models as part of the COVID-19 Drug-Screening and Resistance Hub (CRUSH).
Research interests
I first developed an interest in the role of the immune system in disease during my Ph.D. where I created a series of anti-glycolipid antibodies for studying paralytic autoimmune neuropathies. Following on from my PhD, I was keen to expand my knowledge of immunology further and decided to join the Laboratory of Immune Cell Visualisation and Examination (LIVE). As part of LIVE, I was able to study both the formation of the immune response as well as its dysregulation during infection and disease.
An area of particular interest has been the development of the immune response in host organisms. This interest led me to take up a position in the COVID-19 Drug-Screening and Resistance Hub (CRUSH) at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research. As part of CRUSH I am developing animal models that can be used to for both studying SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as the development of new treatments.