Erin Thompson
Erin Thompson
I am an MIBTP PhD student in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick, working on membrane biophysics and the immunological synapse. My research focusses on how lipid organisation influences the spatial arrangement of immune receptors.
Research Focus
• Immunological synapse organisation
• Lipid rafts and membrane phase behaviour
• Biophysical and structural biology techniques
• Coarse-grained and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations
Methodology
• Biophysical spectroscopy (Circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence spectroscopy, UV-Vis, NMR)
• Molecular dynamics simulations (Martini 3, GROMACS, Insane, CHARMM-GUI, AlphaFold 3)
• Data analysis (Python, R, Excel)
• Model membrane preparation (Small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs), Giant unilamellar vesicles, solid-supported lipid bilayers (Langmuir deposition)
Teaching & Community Building
• School of Life Sciences Graduate Teaching Assistant (undergraduate laboratory demonstrator in biochemistry, postgraduate programming and statistics MIBTP modules).
• Senior Residential Community Assistant (support on-campus resident students in adjusting to university life, liaison between RCA team and senior management).
Output & Links
Publications & Presentations
• Poster: How membranes shape protein assembly in the immunological synapse, MIBTP Poster Presentation (2025)
Conferences & Training
• MIBTP Masterclasses (Python, Biophysical techniques, Fiji (ImageJ))
Professional Profiles