Thashani Gunasekera

Thashani Gunasekera

Email: c3082883@hallam.shu.ac.uk
Research Centre: BMRC
Research Group: Health and Disease
PhD Thesis Title: Understanding the biological mechanisms of Long COVID: Linking immune activation and tissue damage
Director of Studies: Dr. Caroline Dalton
Supervisors: Dr. Nicholas Peake, Dr. Tom Maden-Wilkinson

RESEARCH

Recent studies have shown that people with Long COVID have tiny clumps of misfolded proteins in their blood, these have been termed ‘microclots’. These microclots contain lots of different proteins, including some that are known to activate the immune system. Some of the molecules released by activated immune cells can be damaging to nearby tissues including muscle tissues.

My research will measure these molecules in blood and muscle tissue samples from people with Long COVID and model the process of immune activation in response to microclots in the laboratory. The results of the study will help our understanding of the mechanisms that cause the symptoms of Long COVID.