Lea Lortal obtained her BSc in Biotechnology from Sup’Biotech Paris in 2017, followed by an MSc in Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology in 2019 from Imperial College London. Her final research project was in Dr Cota’s laboratory, studying the expression and purification of the adhesin Hyr3 in Candida albicans.

She completed her PhD, investigating the EGFR activation events induced by candidalysin in epithelial cells, at King’s College London in 2024. Lea is now a Research Associate in  Professor Julian Naglik's laboratory.