2023

September 2023

Lecturer in Proteomics and Integrative Data Analysis, Imperial College London

2022

October 2022

Elected Chairperson of London Proteomics Discussion Group (LPDG)

2021

June 2021

Honoury Research Fellow, Institute of Women's Health, University College London

June 2021

Honourary research position at the National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, Russia

2020

June 2020

Lead in Proteomics for the National Phenome Centre and the Division of Systems Medicine, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London. Reporting to Dr Matthew Lewis, Prof Jules Griffin and Prof Zoltan Takats. Alongside my research, I am establishing proteomics capabilities with the NPC. My research is to investigate the role of protein methylation in cancer, with a focus on the relationship between metabolic changes arising from MTAP deletion (occurs in 15% of all cancer) and protein methylation. For information click here.

June 2020

Invited to the organising committee, and to moderate a session for the pre-conference training programme for HUPO Connect 2020

November 2020

On the organising committee for the Virtual BSPR Annual Conference in 2021

November 2020

Honoury Position at the University of Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia

2019

July 2019

On the founding organising committee for the London Proteomic Discussion Group. We organise a tri-annual proteomics meeting for the SE with an emphasis on supporting early career researchers.

2019

Joined the board of directors/management committee for the British Society for Proteome Research (BSPR) and developed the BSPR proteomic map, connecting proteomics scientists from across the UK.

2017

May 2017

Took a research associate position in Chemical Engineering, Imperial College with Dr DiMaggio (until 2019, then Dr Ceroni), Professor Fuchter and Professor Brady to use methyltransferase-specific co-factors to discover new substrates of the methyltransferases DOT1L and SETD7. We also develop mass spectrometry and data analysis methodology for identifying novel substrates.

2016

June 2016

Awarded PhD with thesis: "Nanoparticles, their Protein Corona and Impact on the Immune Function of Human Lung Cells". We showed that nanoparticles can sequester important innate immune proteins (surfactant protein A and D) following inhalation and that they may disrupt the function of pulmonary surfactant through binding of phosophoglycerol species and pulmonary surfactant protein B.

2015

May 2015

Research assistant/associate position in Dr John Timm's lab at the Institute for Women's Health, UCL developing new network and longitudinal biomarker models for ovarian cancer.

2012

Regulatory Licencing

I had a brief spell in producing licencing at the gobal office for Reckitt Benckiser in Hull.

July 2012

Started a PhD in Infection and Immunity at the University of Southampton in the lab of Dr Jens Madsen, Prof Howard Clark and Dr Paul Skipp

2011

July 2010

BSc(hons) in Biology from the University of York

October 2011

MSc in Bioscience Technologies from the University of York

2007

Cancer

I specialise in a technique, called mass spectrometry, which allows us to study proteins and how these essential biological molecules interact with each other in cancer. We focus on modifications (post translational modifications) to these proteins that can affect their function, localisation and turnover, in particularly I am interested in protein methylation. I combine highly multidisciplinary research to identify and isolate potential new substrates and inform on biological impact of protein methylation.

Data Analysis

I have developed a number of tools for data analysis for mass spectrometry data and biomarker discovery. Biomarker tests often use a threshold based upon a population and this value may not be relevant to an individual. We have developed a longitudinal algorithm for diagnosing Ovarian Cancer; the test uses changes in an individual over time and thus is personalised. We also have developed a network-based biomarker model (parenclitic network) which can combine many pieces of information about an individual to confer a diagnosis.

Research Vision

My goal is to use and develop state-of-the-art experimental and analytical methodologies to uncover molecular changes in the onset of cancer and realise new therapeutic opportunities.

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About me

My Research

My goal is to use and develop state-of-the-art experimental and analytical methodologies to uncover molecular changes in the onset of cancer and realise new therapeutic opportunities. Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) modulate protein function through affecting binding kinetics, structure, location and turnover. This layer of regulation goes some way in explaining the lack of correlation between mRNA and protein expression in mammalian cells and in many cases is a direct readout of protein activity, and thus the phenotypic properties of a cell. By uncovering new PTMs within biological context (e.g. disease or cellular process), and using systems-based analytical approaches, I hope to uncover new pathways and regulatory processes in cancer, identify novel therapeutic targets and develop new tools to support scientific inquiry. My research is highly multidisciplinary, combining chemical, mathematical and physical approaches.

For more information on my research, follow the links on my

Home Page

About me

Society Involvement

I am on the management board/board of directors for the BSPR. The society promotes proteomics across the UK, funding speakers, travel and organising annual meetings. I am also a founding member of the organising committee and communications officer for the London Proteomics Discussion Group (LPDG). Founded in 2019, the LPDG runs meetings 3 times a year in central London. The ethos behind the seminar series is to promote discussion, which we do so by avoiding auditorium layouts and inspiring discussion with proteomics challenges over beer and pizza!

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About me

Teaching

I regularly lecture and run workshops on proteomics for MSc and MRes courses at Imperial College London. I am module lead on for the Grant Writing Module for the Biomedical Research MRes in the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction.

Awards and Presentations

2024

October 2024: Waters Webinar - Making Manual Pipetting Obsolete

Andrew+ - Supporting Proteomics Sample Preparation

September 2024: AI, ML and Data Meetup (AICamp)

Prophetic Proteins: Predicting Disease Fate with Machine Learning

August 2024: Alzheimer's Research UK - £267,328.13

Proteomic Changes at the Synapse Specific to Parkinsons's Disease Dementia (PI: Dr Yu Ye)

May 2024: Irish Mass Specteometry Society Meeting

Data Acquisition to Synolitic Network Analysis

March 2024: 7th LPDG Meeting

Waters-sponsored speaker: "Using Andrews Plus for Proteomics Sample Prep"

March 2024: The Royal Society

How do stress-induced proteasome condensates impact cellular proteostasis? (PI: Dr Yu Ye)

January 2024: Festival of Genomics and Biodata, London

"Prophetic Proteins: Unravelling Disease Fate Through Network Biomarkers"

2023

Novemeber 2023: 16th India Proteomics Society Meeting

Key-note speaker: "Data Acqusition to Synolitic Network Analysis"

March 2023: 6th LPDG Meeting

Sciex-sponsored speaker: "Data Aquisition to Synolitic Network Analysis"

March 2023: Sciex Proteomics Workshop

Invited Speaker: "Data Aquisition to Synolitic Network Analysis"

March 2023: Blood Cancer UK - £279,762.72

The Role of CXXC1 and SETD1A in Multiple Myeloma Co-I (PI: Prof Anastasios Karadimitris)

2022

November 2022: EPSRC Core Equipment Award 2022 - £63,000

Co-I (PI - Prof Mary Ryan)

November 2022: MRC World Class Labs Capital Equipment Award - £673,345

Building research capacity with high-throughput ultra-performance liquid chromatography high resolution Q-TOF Application Lead

July 2022: BBSRC Alert21 - £433,938.96

A proteomics platform to enable next generation multidisciplinary bioscience Co-I (PI: Prof Ed Tate).

July 2022: BSPR Annual Conference

Presentation: SP3 Based Sample Preparation from Low Concentration, Large Volume Glial Nuclei

June 2022: 60th LBMSDG Meeting

Invited to present "Methyltransferase-Specific Cofactor Targeting DOT1L"

March 2022: Integrative Analysis Project

Invited by Prof Paul Matthews to present the application of Syinolitic networks for integrative `omics analysis in neurological disease.

2021

UKDRI Collaborative Proteomics Studies Award - £10,183

Nuclear Factors Associated with Microglia Activation as Modulators of Disease-associated Cell States. With Dr Alexei Nott

UKDRI Collaborative Proteomics Studies Award - £14,205

Developing a High Throughput Proteomics Assay for Dementia Research. With Dr Brenan Durainayagam, Dr Rui Pino and Dr Abbas Dehghan

CRUK-EPSRC Early Detection and Diagnosis Award - £507,787.12

Serial Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Classifiers for Personalised Risk Stratification and Early Detection of Lung, Bowel and Pancreatic Cancers in Women. With Dr Oleg Blyuss, Dr John Timms, Dr Tatjana Crnogorac-Jurcevic, Prof Alexey Zaikin, Prof Usha Menon

BSPR Interact 2021 Session Chair

Session co-chair for the computational biology session.

2020

Departmental Rewards and Recognition - bronze

Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London

HUPO 2020: Pre-Congress Training Programe

Session Moderator: Proteogenomics Live Session.

HUPO 2020: Virtual Congress Meeting

Session Co-chair: CoVID-Proteomics.

2019

MRC-NIHR Methodology Research Programme (Co-I) - £557,000

(PI: Prof Alexey Zaikin): "Construction of Graph-based network longitudinal algorithms to identify screening and prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets (GBNLA)"

2018

University of Bologna, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Speciality Medicine

Invited seminar: "Parenclitic Networks Applied to Ovarian Cancer Prediction and Their Further Applications with Emphasis on SNP-SNP Interactions"

Volga Neuroscience 2018

Invited speaker: "Parenclitic Networks Applied to Ovarian Cancer Prediction"

2017

MJ Dunn Fellowship

£1,500 competitive travel award from BSPR

Human Proteome Organisation Annual Symposium

Presentation: "Longitudinal Analysis of Serum Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer"

2016

Institute for Women's Health Annual Conference

Presentation: "Longitudinal Analysis of Serum Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer

London Biological Mass Spectrometry Discussion Group

Presentation: "Nanoparticles - Interactions with Pulmonary Epithelial Lining Fluid"

FENAC Academic Workshop

Presentation: "Nanoparticles - Interactions with Pulmonary Epithelial Lining Fluid"

2015

BSPR Annual Meeting

Poster: "Using mass spectrometry to characterise the interaction of airborne nanoparticles with pulmonary lipids and proteins"

F1000 Poster of the Month

"Nanoparticles, their protein corona and effect on the immune function of human lung cells"

5th Zing Bionanomaterial Conferece

Poster: "Nanoparticles Interacting with Protein and Lipids can Disrupt Pulmonary Surfactant"

BSI Travel Grant

£1,500 competitive award

2014

Royal Society of Bio-Nano Interactions Conference

Poster: "Nanoparticles, Their Protein Corona and Impact on the Immune Function of Lung Cells"

British Society of Immunoloy Congress

Poster: "Nanoparticles, Their Protein Corona and Impact on the Immune Function of Lung Cells"

BSI Travel Grant

£1,500 competitive award

2013

FENAC Seminar Series

Poster: "Nanoparticles, Their Protein Corona and Impact on the Immune Function of Lung Cells"