Louise Ince
I completed my B.Sc. in Cognitive Neuroscience & Psychology, M.Res. in Integrative Biology and Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Manchester, UK. My dissertation research focused on rhythmic glucocorticoid signaling and neutrophil migration to the lung after inflammatory challenge in mice, and was performed under the supervision of Prof. Andrew Loudon, Prof. David Ray, and Prof. Julie Gibbs. I discovered that the acute immune response in the lung was highest following inflammatory stimulation during the early rest (light) phase, modulated by rhythms in glucocorticoid signaling in the lung epithelium.
In 2015, I joined the Scheiermann lab as a post-doc, where I studied the influence of biological rhythms upon adaptive immune function, including time-of-day variation in dendritic cell trafficking and response to vaccination. Simply changing the time at which immunotherapies (e.g., cancer therapies, vaccines, and anti-inflammatory drugs) are given can increase their efficacy.
In 2021, I joined the Fonken lab as a research scientist, using my expertise in rhythmic immunology to investigate how changes in neuroimmune rhythms contribute to cognitive decline in aging and dementia. I discovered that a circadian intervention (i.e., time-restricted feeding) ameliorated neuroinflammation and increased social interaction in aged mice, and have ongoing studies investigating the role of circadian rhythms in choroid plexus neuroimmune signaling.
I am now an Assistant Professor at Pomona College, leading a research program in circadian neuroimmunology and teaching Sensory Systems and Chronobiology. If you are interested in joining the lab or taking a class with me - reach out via email and let’s chat!