Yonglin Mai

I am a DPhil student jointly supervised by Dr. Fränze Progatzky (Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology) and Prof. Timothy Hinks (Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine). My research focuses on the roles of glial cells in chronic airway diseases, particularly asthma.

I gained my MBBS degree in China in 2020. Alongside my medical studies, I received clinical research training as a student researcher at the State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease in China since 2016. My early work centered on neurobiological mechanisms underlying chronic cough. I conducted a prospective clinical study and also contributed to the development of a novel diagnosis device for assessing cough sensitivity. These efforts led to publications as first author and a patent.

Motivated by a growing research interest in neuro-immune interactions in chronic respiratory diseases, I pursued a Master by Research Degree (Distinction) at National Lung and Heart Institute, Imperial College London, after completing my medical internship. 

Now in Progatzky lab, I aim to further deepen my expertise in neuro-immune interactions in chronic respiratory diseases. I hope to elucidate the roles and functions of pulmonary glial cells in application of a broad range of methodologies including human and animal studies, as well as bioinformatic approaches.