My 4 year PhD project started in 2007 and is sponsored by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The thesis is entitled “Neural basis of circadian behaviour in birds”, under the supervision of Dr Roland Brandstaetter. The aim of the project is to look at the input and output signals of the songbird hypothalamus in regard to the generation of circadian rhythmicity: using immunocytochemical and molecular biology in situ hybridization techniques to compare in vitro and in vivo cultures, and monitoring the circadian behaviour of the birds.

In 2006-07, I completed a Masters course (M.Res) in Biomedical Sciences and Life Sciences (Anatomy) at the University of Glasgow, which involved two twenty week research posts. I carried out the first research project in Professor Payne’s group in the Anatomy Department, investigating the marks of senescence and dysfunction of SOD-1 and NAP-22 in the cells of the striatum and substantia nigra in a laboratory model of Parkinson’s disease, in the AS/AGU rat – a PKC-gamma mutation. The second research project, I worked in Professor Smith’s and Dr Mackay Embryology research group. This project looked at the role of growth factors in mouse gonadal development and differentiation. The overall aim was to correlate production of growth factors and expression of growth factor receptors with specific morphogenetic events and time points in mouse gonadal development. The project involved E13.5 undissociated testis cultures, correlation of proliferation of E13.5, E16 and PN4 sertoli cells cultured in varying concentrations of NGF; EGF; NGF/EGF, and immunolocalisation of GFRα1 and TrkA receptors in E13.5 testes and ovaries: using micro-dissection, cell culture, Immunocytochemistry, and double fluorescence immunolocalisation techniques.

I graduated from Sheffield University in 2005 with a BSc (Hons.) in Biomedical Science, which involved a wide variety of modules from genetics to human dissection. In the final year I took the anatomy route which involved more in-depth human dissection of the musculoskeletal system, and the head and neck, along with core lecture modules. During the final year I carried out a library project on molecular approaches to blocking vascularization of tumours.