Inhye Park

I undertook my DPhil project in the laboratory of Prof. Claudia Monaco at the University of Oxford to investigate how a C-type lectin receptor CLEC4A2 directs macrophages towards a protective function in atherosclerosis. In 2021, I was awarded a Novo Nordisk Fellowship to identify key transcription factors that define tissue identity of resident vascular macrophages using in vitro and in vivo validation. The project aimed to identify target genes that were conserved in resident macrophages in human and mouse vascular tissues. Target validation was performed using a platform that combines vascular co-culture and CRISPR screens and functional studies in murine models of atherosclerosis. To pursue my independent research, I applied for a BHF CRE Transition Fellowship to explore the role of a novel subset of vascular macrophages identified in my previous studies in acute and chronic heart failure models. This work will be supported by two leading experts in this field, Prof. Paul Riley (IDRM) in cardiovascular regenerative medicine and Prof. Claudia Monaco (Kennedy, NDORMS) in cardiovascular inflammation. Through this fellowship, I aim to build on my own research linking immunology and metabolism in macrophages in CVD and identifying therapeutic targets for translational application in the clinic.