Helen Foster

Profile

I studied Biological Sciences (Molecular Biology Honours) at the University of Edinburgh for my undergraduate degree, where I had my first taste of lab work in the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology.

Soon after this, I joined Andrew Carter’s lab at the MRC-LMB in Cambridge, initially as a research assistant then as a PhD student. I joined the LMB at an exciting time for the development of cryo-electron microscopy and was able to carry out work into both the regulation of large, dynamic protein complexes (the microtubule motor dynein) and the organisation of the environment in which they function (through cryo-electron tomography of primary neurons).

For my postdoctoral research, I joined the lab of Gaia Pigino, initially based at the MPI-CBG in Dresden and then the Human Technopole in Milan. While there, I worked to understand how motile cilia, which contain a highly organised microtubule cytoskeleton, are constructed.

In August 2025 I joined the University of Leeds as a Lecturer in cryo-electron tomography where I am working to understand how cytoskeletal remodeling and intracellular trafficking are regulated during immune responses.

Research interests

My research aims to understand how nanoscale changes in the cytoskeleton drive cellular transformations. We work at the interface of structural and cell biology - combining biochemical approaches with proteomics and advanced imaging to understand how molecular machines work in their cellular context. A major current focus in the lab is in understanding how communication platforms between immune cells form. These structures are crucial for immune surveillance, and their disruption can lead to persistent infections, autoimmunity, or cancer. Ultimately, our goal is to reveal fundamental mechanisms of immune regulation and identify new therapeutic targets for treating immune-related disorders.

Qualifications

• BSc Biological Sciences (Molecular Biology Hons), The University of Edinburgh (First Class)
• PhD in Biological Sciences, MRC-LMB, University of Cambridge (Andrew Carter’s lab)
• Postdoctoral research with Gaia Pigino, MPI-CBG in Dresden, Germany and then the Human Technopole in

Professional memberships

• Biochemistry Society

Student education

I act as academic personal tutor to students studying Biochemistry. I also contribute to tutorials in core skills within the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology and teach advanced methods in structural cell biology.