Leila Hermosilla Andrivet

Role: PhD student

Nationality: French & Spanish

I completed my BSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. At University I discovered a strong passion for the field of development and became particularly enthusiastic about its potential to shape the future of medicine. As part of the Amgen Scholars programme, I gained my first research experience at the Pasteur Institute, where I studied the role of epithelial apoptosis in Drosophila wing development. I am currently part of the Wellcome Trust PhD programme Advanced Therapies for Regenerative Medicine at King’s College London. I have previously completed the MRes component of the programme, during which I undertook three laboratory rotations.

I have now joined Prof. Spagnoli’s lab to pursue my PhD in pancreas development. My project focuses on the co-differentiation of endodermal and mesodermal cells towards pancreatic fates. I am particularly interested in investigating the crosstalk between these two lineages during development, with the aim of improving our understanding of organogenesis and contributing to regenerative strategies for the pancreas.