Jen Southcombe

I research immunity in the female reproductive tract, with specific focus on understanding immunological events that lead to the establishment of pregnancy. The endometrium is a highly dynamic mucosal tissue and immune cells not only provide host responses against pathogens, but they are essential for embryo implantation, placentation and pregnancy success. I also research endometriosis and adenomyosis, and seek to understand the mechanisms behind infertility and pain in these patients. Cellular mechanisms behind lesion formation and pathology in endometriosis and adenomyosis. Women who suffer form endometriosis have severe pelvic pain and have both an increased risk of autoimmunity and fertility issues, we are studying the endometrium and lesions in women with endometriosis and adenomyosis, to identify cellular differences in patients. For further information click here. We are growing organoid cultures of lesions and endometrium to further understand disease mechanisms. Endometrial immune cells and their role in recurrent pregnancy loss. We have identified changes to immune cell subpopulations in RPL, using RNA sequencing, flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry to investigate transcriptomic and phenotypic changes. Our work on Treg in RPL can be read here https://rdcu.be/cyd7N The PIP Study - Pre- IVF Immune Profiling Study (PIP) The immune cellular landscape of peri-implantation endometrium remains poorly defined in Recurrent Implantation Failure (RIF), Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) and subfertility. This study aims to define normality and identify changes to T, B, NK, NKT cellular proportions in women suffering from these pathologies. Extracellular Vesicles in reproductive Health Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) range in size from 50nm – 2000nm in diameter, they are released by cells and are enriched in specific cargoes (for example, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids and metabolites), reflecting their cell of origin, and can deliver these to recipient cells. I am researching EVs and their role in reproductive health, for example they are present in seminal fluid and we have shown they influence the female reproductive tract.

An integrated single-cell reference atlas of the human endometrium. Marečková M. et al, (2024), Nat Genet, 56, 1925 - 1937 Characterisation of peri-implantation endometrial Treg and identification of an altered phenotype in recurrent pregnancy loss. Granne I. et al, (2022), Mucosal Immunol, 15, 120 - 129 B Cell Subset Analysis and Gene Expression Characterization in Mid-Luteal Endometrium. Shen M. et al, (2021), Front Cell Dev Biol, 9 The genetic architecture of sporadic and multiple consecutive miscarriage. Laisk T. et al, (2020), Nat Commun, 11 L26/P-556 associations between luteal phase duration and early pregnancy loss: evidence from a digital fertility cohort. Maslej L. et al, (2026), Human Reproduction, 41 Deep immune profiling of endometrial and peripheral blood cells in endometrios