Yamni Nigam

Yamni is an Associate Professor in Biomedical Science at the College of Human and Health Sciences at Swansea University. She lectures in anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology. Her specialist teaching subjects include digestion, blood, immunology, microbiology, parasitology and wounds (infection and healing).

Her research career, investigating the immune system of insects and invertebrates, commenced with her doctorate at Swansea University and now spans over 25 years. Her post-doctoral experience includes a period of time spent at Fundaco Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, researching immune defences in insects that cause Chagas’ Disease.

In 2001, she set up the Swansea Maggot Research Group, which focuses on the medicinal maggot, Lucilia sericata, and the molecules involved in larval therapy. She and her team have undertaken numerous investigations, and published their findings primarily on the antimicrobial activity of larval secretions, and wound healing molecules associated with this insect.

In addition, she is investigating the presence of antimicrobial and haemostatic factors in other invertebrates.

She is a member of the Welsh Wound Network group, set up through the Welsh Assembly in 2007, and has recently been awarded a grant from the Welsh Government to fund her investigations into the development of a new antibiotic from larval secretions. In April 2014, Yamni was selected as an elected participant of the elite Welsh Crucible Programme, promoting the development of future Research Leaders in Wales.

Yamni is an Athena Swan Champion. She is also a member of the British Society for Parasitology and an Elected Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society.

She is a trained STEM Ambassador, delivering interactive sessions on Microbiology and entomology to pupils at local schools.