MissLucy Thorne

In the Thorne Lab we study the interactions between emerging viruses and our frontline defence against infection, the innate immune system.

All viruses have to overcome this system to infect, and our goal is to understand how this contributes to emerging virus transmission, pandemic potential and pathogenesis. A key question for us is what makes pandemic viruses special? We focus on understanding their ability to manage and manipulate the innate immune system for effective human-human transmission. This is key to understanding which viruses pose the most risk for future pandemics. Through studying virus-host interactions, we aim to reveal novel opportunities for therapeutic intervention to limit virus replication and inflammation, and to use viruses as discovery tools to uncover new knowledge of cell biology and innate immune regulation.

BIO


I joined Imperial College London in 2023 as a lecturer in molecular virology and to establish my own group. Through my career I've used different viruses as discovery tools to study virus-host interactions, to gain new knowledge of virus and cell biology and reveal novel targets for intervention. My PhD from Imperial, and early postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge, was focussed on characterising virus and host factors that are important for norovirus infection. During this time, I deployed with molecular virology skills to support the Ebola virus outbreak response in Sierra Leone. I moved to investigate HIV interactions with the innate immune system at UCL with a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship. We took a multidisciplinary approach with medicinal chemists and gene therapists to develop novel inhibitors of innate immunity that enhance lentiviral stem cell gene therapy. By working on different viruses, I gained an appreciation of the importance of the innate immune system as a central determinant of virus infection, transmission, and disease. At the start of the pandemic, I pivoted my research to help lead a team focussed on understanding how SARS-CoV-2 overcomes the human innate immune system, combining my experience in RNA virology, innate immunology, outbreak responses and containment level 3 viruses.

Public engagement is central to my research approach. I've volunteered for a variety of public engagement activities including demonstrating at national and international science festivals, giving public talks and lectures, podcasts and engaging with the media. Following the Ebola virus outbreak, I established an Infectious Science public engagement programme for school children in Sierra Leone with colleagues at the Universities of Cambridge and Makeni. Through creative discovery-science based activities, the programme conveys the excitement of discovery science to spark curiosity and conversations about infectious disease. As part of this I developed an interactive Outbreak scenario, which I run in primary and secondary schools in London, with the help of a network of volunteers from my lab, the department and different institutes. Please check out my public engagement tab for more info!

JOIN US!


We are always looking for motivated and enthusiastic students and postdocs and visiting scientists to join our team. We have a PhD studentship and postdoctoral position coming up, please check out thethe News section on the research page for more info, and the file below.

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We are also happy to discuss and develop ideas and project options to support external funding opportunities and fellowship applications, please email lucy.thorne08@imperial.ac.uk.


INFECTIOUS SCIENCE OUTBREAKS

The goal of our public engagement programme is to create the excitement of discovery science through hands-on activities that spark curiosity and conversations about infectious disease. Our aim is to empower participants with the simple message that by understanding how infectious diseases spread, we can take action to protect ourselves and our communities. This is key to shaping how we respond to outbreaks and daily encounters with infectious disease.

I realised the importance of this after witnessing the response to the Ebola virus outbreak in Sierra Leone first-hand, whilst providing in-country molecular virology support at a local treatment centre. With Professor Ian Goodfellow from the University of Cambridge, and colleagues from the University of Makeni, Sierra Leone, we created a 5-day programme of discovery-based activities to introduce microbes, how they spread, how to prevent them and how vaccines work. Developing these activities leveraged my public engagement experience gained through volunteering at science festivals, developing creative ways to engage using low-cost, locally available resources. We trained a local team of engagement officers to independently deliver the programme in primary and secondary schools in Makeni. Since 2015, our team has engaged over 7000 students, with evaluation showing hugely improved understanding of infectious disease, high levels of excitement and enthusiasm for science and commitment to scientific careers. Engaging and training the teachers has been the key to long-lasting and widespread impact.

Our programme culminates in an Outbreak! activity, which enables students to deploy their new knowledge in a real-world scenario experiencing many aspects of being a scientist. Students race to investigate, identify and contain a mystery disease that begins in their school and spreads internationally, with regular news flashes and press briefings to reiterate urgency as the outbreak develops in real-time. They perform a series of tests I devised to discover the cause, interpret their results to decide a course of action and communicate this to the press. I have since developed different versions of Outbreak! to run in UK schools for 8- to 18-year-olds, encompassing topics ranging from how viruses jump species, to antiviral development, virus evolution and drug resistance. The success of Outbreak! is thanks to teams of volunteers, inclusive of undergraduate students through to professors, who I have trained to maximise student-scientist interactions and create opportunities to informally discuss science careers. I have found that volunteers hugely benefit from developing confidence, clarity of thought and communication skills. Feedback has been integral to refining my activities and navigating the steep learning curve to develop the most effective ways to communicate, excite and engage our audiences. Integrating this with my research on emerging viruses has shaped my approach and sharpened my focus on addressing the most important questions, which are often developed through talking to the youngest of students.

We are always looking for volunteers to help run Outbreak! sessions so please get in touch if you're interested and we will provide training in all the activities and public engagment tips and advice as well.