Dr. Lucy Thorne

Assistant Professor

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Biography

At the Thorne Lab, we study the interactions of emerging viruses with the innate immune system, focusing on understanding how viruses manage to overcome this system to infect and contribute to virus transmission and pandemic potential. The key question we ask is: what makes pandemic viruses special? My research includes revealing novel opportunities for therapeutic intervention to limit virus replication and inflammation, using viruses as tools to uncover new knowledge in cell biology and innate immune regulation. I joined Imperial College London in 2023 as an Assistant Professor of Molecular Virology to establish my research group. My career has included utilizing viruses as discovery tools to study virus-host interactions, with a PhD from Imperial and postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge, where I characterized host factors important in norovirus infection. A significant part of my work has involved responding to the Ebola virus outbreak in Sierra Leone, and I further pivoted my research in response to SARS-CoV-2, combining my expertise in RNA virology and innate immunology to help in outbreak containment. Public engagement is a central part of my research ethos, and I have created the Infectious Science program to stimulate interest in infectious diseases among school children through interactive activities. My goal is to empower participants with knowledge about how infectious diseases spread and how we can take action to protect our communities.

Research Interests

Experience

Assistant Professor

2023-01-01 — Present

Imperial College London • London, United Kingdom

Leading research in molecular virology, focusing on the interactions between emerging viruses and the innate immune system.

Requirements for Imperial College London

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
IELTS
Listening
Required:6.5
Reading
Required:6.5
Writing
Required:6.5
Speaking
Required:6.5
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Listening
Required:22
Reading
Required:22
Writing
Required:22
Speaking
Required:22
Total
Required:100
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:125
Overall
Required:125
Prerequisites
Materials Science Mechanical Engineering Civil Engineering Chemical Engineering Physics Chemistry
Application Checklist
  • Personal statement
  • CV/resume
  • Official university transcripts
  • Two academic or professional references
  • Application fee (£90)
Specialization Notes

Specialisms available in Materials for the Energy Transition or Theory and Simulation of Materials.