Profile

I live in Cardiff With my Partner and our two boys (one is 6 and the other is 2). My eldest child has Autism, ADHD and Sensory issues.

I myself have Tourette’s syndrome, so as you can imagine, our Lab is certainly not quiet or still, but it definitely makes it a more interesting place to work!!

I’m quite an energetic person, so I like to keep busy, When I’m not at work or taking the kids to clubs, I like to go cycling/running and train for my OCR races and Triathlons. But my favourite thing to do at the weekend is on a Sunday afternoon we have our film and Pizza time in our house, my sons pick a film, we order pizza and just have fun!

Initially I worked within clinical laboratories for 10 years as a Biomedical Scientist, having obtained my BSc degree in Biomedical Science. This role was based in Pathology, where I would be doing a range of different things within the hospital; from testing patients blood samples to aiding in autopsies, running tests whilst patients are in surgery (particularly brain surgery) to dissecting organs and tissues removed from the body in order to help diagnose and treat patients.

Looking for a new challenge, I completed my Teacher Training (PGCE) for a year and then  I chose to move into scientific research, combining my scientific skills and expertise with my teaching and academic skills. My first role in research was working in Alzheimers research and then more recently; I have moved into the NCMH team (National Centre for mental Health).

My Typical day currently tends to be a bit of both working within the laboratory to generate ‘data’, as well as curating and analysing the data.

A typical day for me consists of:

1. Receiving, processing and storing samples for participants in our research that have been sent to us from our sites all around the UK

Sample receipt

Sample processing

Sample Storage

Once this is done, I can then test participants samples. This may be by a number of different methods:

• Getting the DNA and checking how much there is, followed by genetic tests.
• Plasma and serum testing of proteins (proteomics)
• RNA analysis and tests
• Antibody and immune response testing
• Cell cultivation and testing

to do all of this, I use a lot of different machines; some are in the pictures below:

Once these  tests have been completed, I then look at the information from them in order to see what links or differences there are.

These are some examples of the graphs I have to create/analyse in order to be able to understand the information I have got

As a person with a disability myself, and a son who is also disabled, I know how hard it can be to not only fulfil your work aspirations within science, but sometimes to get others to see that it is more than possible for anyone to be a scientist..

That is why I would use the prize money to fund running some fun and interesting science workshops for those with any type of disability/impairment. These would be to encourage them and others around them to see the possibilities that are open to them and to help show them that they can become fantastic scientists.