Alison Forrester awarded an Incentive Grant for Scientific Research from FNRS

Prof. Alison Forrester is a cell biologist and microscopist. Her research interests focus on membrane biology and intracellular trafficking. In October 2022, Alison Forrester joined the UNamur-NARILIS as a FNRS Research Associate, with the goal to further expand her research on endoplasmic reticulum (ER), ER exit sites (ERES) and protein trafficking. Her project entitled “ER Exit Site Modulation and its Role in Cellular Homeostasis” has just been selected by the FNRS to receive an Incentive Grant for Scientific Research (Mandat d'impulsion scientifique - MIS)! This prestigious grant of 150 k€ per year for 3 years will enable Alison to build her own research group called “HomER” within the Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology (URBC).

The HomER team will focus its attention on protein secretion, an essential process to life. 30% of the body’s proteins are produced in the ER and trafficked through ER Exit Sites. Secretion is highly error prone and these errors can cause many diseases. Using cell biology and advanced microscopy approaches combined with interdisciplinary collaborations, the team will study the modulation of the early secretory pathway and its effects on cellular homeostasis, and try to identify new compounds that modulate this process to develop a therapeutic approach.

LinkedIn  |  www.narilis.be/research-group/alison-forrester  |  alison.forrester@unamur.be