CoL Centre 2022 Students

I am a PhD student working under supervision of Dr Jeremy Carlton at the Francis Crick Institute/ Kings College London (KCL) and Prof Victoria Sanz-Moreno at Barts Cancer Institute (Queen Mary University of London). My project revolves around observing and describing the molecular markers and phenotypes related to migration of metastatic melanoma cells. Specifically, I am exploring the mechanisms of nuclear membrane remodelling and its role in metastasis using techniques such as gene editing, migration assays, and advanced microscopy.

I obtained a BSc in Biomedical Science from the University of Surrey in 2021. As a part of my degree, I completed a Professional Training Year at Washington State University. For my final year project, I worked with Dr Lisiane Meira on novel drug combinations against glioblastoma, involving base excision pathway inhibitors. In 2022, I completed an MRes in Translational Cancer Medicine from KCL, where I worked in Dr James Arnold’s lab, investigating pathways of tumour associated macrophages activation and in Dr Anthony Kong’s lab where I studied the combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy in triple negative breast cancer.

I am a PhD student on the CRUK City of London PhD programme primarily supervised by Dr. Luigi Ombrato at Barts Cancer Institute (QMUL) in collaboration with Dr. Sophie Acton at UCL. My project will investigate the systemic effects of local radiotherapy on the immune system, particularly on the myeloid cell compartment, and how they can impact the development and microenvironment of metastasis. The final aim of the study is to identify specific molecular targets to develop novel immunotherapy approaches against metastatic disease.

I obtained both my BSc and MSc in Biotechnology and Medical Biology at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan, Italy. For my MSc thesis project I worked at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in the Experimental Immunology lab, led by Dr. Paolo Dellabona and Dr. Giulia Casorati, focusing on engineering invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cells with antitumor cytokines to develop a new adoptive cell transfer approach for the treatment of solid tumours. After completing my MSc, I continued working in the lab and on my project, expanding my expertise in the fields of immunology and oncology and reinforcing my passion for research.

My PhD is jointly supervised by Prof Richard Jenner at the UCL Cancer Institute and Dr Faraz Mardakheh at Barts Cancer Institute (QMUL). My research explores the roles of post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms in the acquisition of cytotoxic function in tumour-infiltrating CD4+ T cells. The project focuses primarily on the roles of RNA-binding proteins, and through proteomics-based methodologies I hope to identify mechanisms that can be harnessed to improve the anti-tumour function of CD4+ T cells.

I obtained a BSc in Medical Pharmacology from Cardiff University. During this time, I completed a placement at Prof Bożena Obmińska-Mrukowicz’s laboratory at the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, testing novel compounds for canine haematological cancers. After completing my degree, I worked as a research technician with Prof Henning Walczak’s group at the UCL Cancer Institute, where I carried out research on the role of death ligands in cancer and potential therapeutic strategies in in vitro and in vivo models, which helped develop my interest in cancer immunology and the tumour microenvironment.

I am a UCL MBPhD student based at the Samantha Dickson Brain Cancer Unit at the UCL Cancer Institute. My work, supervised by Prof Simona Parrinello and Mr Ciaran Hill, will examine the role of tumour microenvironment on glioblastoma invasion, with a focus on the importance of axonal injury and degeneration. The aim of this work is to increase the understanding of the mechanisms of glioblastoma invasion, which is thought to be a key barrier in glioblastoma management, and unravel potential therapeutic targets which could be targeted in conjunction with current gold standard treatment.

Prior to starting my PhD I studied medicine at UCL and completed an intercalated BSc in Neuroscience.

I am an MBPhD student supervised by Dr Paul Maciocia at UCL Cancer Institute and Professor Fran Balkwill at Barts Cancer Institute. My project involves developing next-generation CAR T-cells to target high grade serous ovarian cancer and testing these in vitro and in vivo, with the aim of developing a safe and effective novel therapy which can be taken to clinical trial.

Before starting my PhD, I was studying medicine at UCL and completed my intercalated BSc in Clinical Sciences.

I am a Clinical Research Training Fellow supervised by Prof. Adele Fielding and Dr Clare Bennett at the UCL Cancer Institute. By the end of my research degree I hope to have understood how chemotherapy alters the dynamics of macrophages in the B-acute lymphoblastic leukaemic microenvironment and how these immune cells contribute to a chemoprotective niche. Additionally, I aim to develop a 3D organoid model of the leukaemic bone marrow which we will use to further investigate the niche’s interactions with B-ALL cells at different treatment timepoints.

I have a medical degree from the University of Cambridge and a BSc in Physics from Imperial College London. I am specialising in haematology at University College London Hospital.