Research focus
As a biomedical technician, my role is to support researchers in their research projects by providing specialised assistance with the Disease Model Core (DMC) and Histopathology Core Facilities.
Background and experience
I completed my degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Kent in 2018. My degree included a short research project under the supervision of Dr Wei-Feng Xue on the growth and stability of amyloid fibrils related to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. I then went on to study for my Masters’ degree in Reproductive and Developmental Biology at Imperial College, London. My Masters’ degree project was based at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health under the supervision of Dr Erwin Pauws. I studied the role of FGF signalling in the pathogenesis of cleft palate. After my Masters’ degree, I started working at the IMS-MRL using and developing the histology skills I had learnt during my MSc project. I also learned new skills and techniques needed for animal work for my role with the DMC.
Working at the IMS-MRL
My current focus is quite varied. Within the DMC, I help perform procedures and run experiments to try to obtain the best results as possible for the researchers. In Histopathology I process samples and embed them, which allows us to section and stain the samples for various antibodies, proteins, fats and other molecules, depending on what the researcher is looking for. As a member of both the DMC and Histopathology I am able to follow experiments from mouse through to stained tissue samples which I find really interesting. This helps me understand why a tissue may look a certain way and why its producing particular results.
The best thing about my job at the IMS-MRL is helping researchers make new discoveries that may potentially help people in the future. I have valued the opportunities I have had to focus on my own training and development while working at the IMS-MRL. I have learned a lot about animal work and related procedures, as I had no experience in this before joining this team. I have also developed my histological knowledge, particularly focusing on the brain: neuroscience is a common area of interest to many of the IMS-MRL researchers at the moment. Developing my skills and enables me to contribute more to the research which takes place within the IMS-MRL. Outside of work, I enjoy reading, spending time with my family and visiting new places.
