Spotlight on Puja Mehta

Each month the division will interview a member of staff about their role at UCL and what they do.

What is your current role and what do you enjoy most about your job?

I am a Rheumatology registrar and a MRC-GSK (EMINENT) Clinical Training Fellow and PhD candidate at UCL Respiratory. My PhD project is a multi-omics investigation of the immunological mechanisms of post-COVID-19 interstitial lung disease (ILD), and I have really enjoyed training in both laboratory techniques and bioinformatics. I love that research gives me space to explore scientific curiosity with creativity - asking and answering research questions to ultimately improve patient care!

What is your background and what are your future plans?

I am a Rheumatologist doing a PhD in a lung lab and I am passionate about collaboration and cross-speciality working. I strongly believe that disruption, innovation and creativity happens at the edge, working together in teams with diversity in backgrounds and thought. Moving forwards, my career vision is to explore mechanisms of rheumatic associated ILD and I am really looking forward to a post-PhD fellowship at the Yale School of Medicine, USA, to learn new and exciting techniques. 

What are your interests outside work?

I am driven by connections and community, therefore spending time with different groups of people is really important to me. I am dedicated to personal and professional development; I have a voracious appetite for learning & I really enjoy discussing and interrogating challenging topics, to help us improve research culture. I’m looking forward to speaking at an international summit on transforming cultures at the White House later this year, on the intersection of race and gender in academic medicine.

• For more information: Lancet Profile