Dr. Jen Southcombe

Biography

I completed my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Leeds, before moving to the University of Oxford to work in the Human Immunology Unit at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine. I obtained my DPhil while working with Professors Xiaoning Xu and Gavin Screaton. I joined the Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in 2007, where my work focused on immunology in relation to pre-eclampsia, studying how placental derived factors contribute to maternal systemic inflammatory changes during pregnancy. A key aspect of my research was examining the interactions between syncytiotrophoblast microvesicles and exosomes with immune cells during pregnancy. My research interests lie in understanding the immunity of the female reproductive tract, particularly the immunological events that lead to the establishment of pregnancy. I am specifically investigating endometriosis and adenomyosis, aiming to uncover mechanisms of infertility and pain in affected patients. This includes studying cellular mechanisms of lesion formation and the pathology of endometriosis and adenomyosis, with a focus on immune cell roles in recurrent pregnancy loss.

Research Interests