Meet the scientists!

My CV

School:

Ormskirk Grammar School

University:

Edinburgh University where i studied Neuroscience

Work History:

Employer:

Newcastle University

Current Job:

I am a post doctoral research scientist.

Photo:

Amy Reeve

i am gobsmacked! Thank you so much :D

Favourite Thing: my favourite thing is to make someone else see how exciting my research is!!

Me and my work

I am trying to understand what makes brain cells die in Parkinson’s disease, when we understand this we can begin to develop better treatments for this disease.

Parkinson’s disease is caused by the death of brain cells in a very specific region of the brain. This part of the brain helps us to control our muscles. We don’t yet know what causes these cells to die in some people but not others, but we think that the energy supply to these cells is important. Within each cell in our brains there are batteries called the mitochondria. These batteries take the products from the food we eat and turns them into energy to allow the cells to work well and carry on communicating with each other. We think that when these batteries don’t work properly anymore this will effect how well the brain cells work and might lead to their death.

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My Typical Day

My typical day involves looking at brain slices, growing brain cells and studying mitochondria.

What I'd do with the money

I would use the money to organise an event where i could take my science out of the lab and into a class room.

My Interview

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

Clumsy, Neuroscientist, Commited.

Who is your favourite singer or band?

My favourite band is Mayday Parade.

What is the most fun thing you've done?

Travelling to Melbourne and New York……with work!

If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

To be help find a cure for Parkinson’s disease. To win a Nobel prize. To time travel.

What did you want to be after you left school?

A scientist. When i got to university i quickly realised that learning about the brain was the aspect of science i found most interesting.

Were you ever in trouble in at school?

No.

What's the best thing you've done as a scientist?

Travelled the world meeting people with similar interests and telling them about my research.

Tell us a joke.

Where does bad light go? ………………………To prism!