I received a BSc(Hons) from Cardiff University in 2018 in Biomedical Sciences (Neuroscience). During my time in the BRG, I held various positions including Senior Technician, Professional Specialist and Research assistant, aiding the lab’s goal of understanding the mechanisms behind Huntington’s and Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and the application of cell replacement and gene therapies.

 

In 2022, I completed a higher education associate fellowship programme aimed to improve the quality of teaching for future scientists. Within the same year I hosted a placement for In2ScienceUK, helping young people gain vital laboratory experience to prepare them for a future career in STEM.

 

In 2023 I completed my PhD within the BRG, under the supervision of Dr. Mariah J. Lelos and Dr. Emma Lane. The aim of my PhD was understanding the role of dopamine and investigating a range of dopamine replacement therapies on improving cognitive impairments in a rodent model of PD. During that year I presented at a Parkinson’s Research in Wales event and participated in round table discussions with people with Parkinson’s, gaining the invaluable opportunity to understand their patient experience and providing information about PD research in Wales.

 

Now as member of the Dementia Research institute (DRI) in Cardiff, working as a Research Associate the Moondance Dementia Research Laboratory, I collaborate with Dr. Mariah J. Lelos in investigating how human-derived microglia with different polygenic risk levels of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) may function when transplanted into a familial rodent model of AD.