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Brigitta Stockinger facts for kids

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Gitta Stockinger
Born
Brigitta Stockinger
Alma mater University of Mainz (PhD)
Awards
  • FMedSci
  • FRS (2013)
  • EMBO member (2008)
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions

Brigitta Stockinger is a brilliant scientist who studies the body's defense system, called the immune system. She works at the Francis Crick Institute in London. Her research helps us understand how special cells, called T cells, grow and work. She also looks at how things like our food and environment can change how our immune system protects us.

Dr. Stockinger is very interested in a specific type of T cell called a CD4 T cell. These cells are like the commanders of the immune system, helping to fight off things like viruses and bacteria.

Her work has taught us a lot about a special kind of CD4 T cell called a Th17 cell. She studies why some of these cells can sometimes cause problems, like inflammation (swelling and redness) or autoimmune diseases (when the immune system attacks the body). Her team also found a key link, called the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), which helps explain how our environment affects these immune cells.

Becoming a Scientist

Brigitta Stockinger studied at the University of Mainz in Germany. There, she earned her PhD in Biology. After that, she continued her advanced studies in London, Cambridge, and at the Cancer Research Institute in Heidelberg. These studies helped her become an expert in how the immune system works.

Her Career Journey

  • 1985 - 1991: She was a member of the Basel Institute for Immunology.
  • 1991 - 2015: She led the Division of Molecular Immunology at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research. This division is now part of the Francis Crick Institute.
  • 2015 - present: She became a main researcher at the Francis Crick Institute. In July 2020, she also joined the Institute's leadership team as an Associate Research Director.

Awards and Special Recognitions

In 2013, Dr. Stockinger was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the United Kingdom. Her nomination recognized her important discoveries about how T cells work.

She was especially noted for:

  • Finding out how Th17 cells develop.
  • Showing that these cells can change their function depending on the environment.
  • Discovering the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). This receptor connects the immune system to things in our environment. It helps explain how our surroundings affect both our defense against germs and our risk of autoimmunity.

In 2008, she also became a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). She is also a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. These awards show how important her research is in the world of science.

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