Widad Dantoft

Background

About Widad Dantoft

I currently work as a researcher associate in Dr Andreas Moosmann’ lab at LMU Klinikum in Munich. My research focuses on investigating the virus-specific T cell repertoire in transplant patients. In my previous role at the Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology (Helmholtz Center Munich) I focused on uncovering the role of the glucocorticoid receptor in post-transcriptionally regulating inflammation. I have additionally worked in the lab of Prof Peter Ghazal at Cardiff University, focusing on uncovering the host response to viral (CMV) and bacterial (sepsis) infections - using both wet lab and dry lab (bioinformatics) techniques. My overall interest lies in understanding on both a high and low level the intricate regulation of immunity during inflammation or in the presence of infections, and how this affects the disease outcome. In addition to research, I've spent a year working as the clinical research project manager for Project Sepsis, with the aim of setting up the project platform together with Prof. Peter Ghazal and others. Project Sepsis is research collaboration across medicine and science disciplines that addresses an urgent medical need for recognizing and accurately detecting infection underlying sepsis - “blood poisoning” - in extremely vulnerable populations of the very young and old. Project sepsis is part-funded by the European regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government. My research in Prof Ghazal's lab fell under the umbrella of Project Sepsis. Prior to my move to Cardiff University, I was employed as a research fellow at University of Edinburgh, where I started my postdoctoral research in Prof. Peter Ghazal's lab (lab relocation from Edinburgh to Cardiff). I did my PhD in Prof. Ylva Enströms group at the Department of Molecular Biosciences (MBW) at Stockholm University. My PhD project focused on studying the role of POU/Oct transcription factors in regulating host immunity and tolerance in Drosophila melanogaster. My research was to a large part wet lab focused and provided me with the experience of working with a wide range of molecular, immunological, and microbiological techniques.