I began my higher education at the University of Liverpool, graduating in 2014 with a BSc (Hons) in Biological sciences.
I then went on to complete an MSc in Molecular Biology of Parasites and Disease Vectors at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, in which I investigated mechanisms of resistance to the volatile pyrethroid, transfluthrin, under the supervision of Dr. David Weetman and Dr. Mark Paine. I soon re-joined the school as a molecular biology research technician, in which I continued to conduct scientific research in the field of insecticide resistance with Professor Hilary Ranson.
My work is focused on major mosquito vectors of disease. In particular, the rapid evolution and spread of resistance associated variants is a major focus. I am interested in investigating the underlying genetic mechanisms behind the regulation of resistance-associated genes, such as the involvement of non-coding RNAs.
I was attracted to the MRC DTP due to the emphasis on statistics and programming – skills I believe will be valuable as a researcher in global health. There is a breadth of expertise at LSTM and Lancaster University to learn from, and in particular, LSTM’s unrivalled leadership within the field of vector control is a major attraction.
In the course of my PhD, I hope to use bioinformatic analyses to interrogate the Anopheles 1000 genomes data, as well as developing robust CRISPR-Cas based methodologies to investigate the role of specific variants in conferring resistance to insecticides.