Alumni

Tony Bélicard

Science Teacher,

London

I joined Peter’s lab right after a PhD in Marie-Anne Felix’ lab. In Peter’s lab I worked on the evolutionary involvement of piRNA by looking at how they epigenetically affect the expression of stress-related genes. Starting a post-doc in Peter’s lab was a big step as I basically was one of the first members joining the lab at the time. I learnt a lot over 3 years, not only about science, but also on how to be more involved in the organisation of a research team. The atmosphere in the lab was great with a lot of different scientific and personal backgrounds. Although I did not pursue my career in research, this experience brought me a lot of confidence and soft skills I can now use as a Science teacher in a secondary school in Vauxhall. It is also great to be able to talk about my experience working on epigenetics or even about technical aspects such as CRISPR, PCR, GFP or RNA silencing to my A-level students.

Kyle Greenland
MRes Student,

Imperial College, London

I completed my BSc in Medical Biosciences at Imperial College London in 2020 and I am currently pursuing a masters (MRes) in Cancer Biology also at Imperial. I joined the TEE lab in 2019 as part of my final year BSc project. While a part of the lab I investigated the role of the Tricarboxylic acid (TCA) Cycle in DNA methyltransferase activity. I am now interested in completing a PhD with a focus on the metabolic, genetic and epigenetic mechanism underpinning cancer drug resistance. Outside of the lab, I enjoy keeping fit and am a keen rower!

Toni Beltran

Postdoctoral Researcher,

Centre for Genomic Regulation, Spain

I studied Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Valencia. Fascinated by the complexity of living systems and gene regulation, I decided to move to Edinburgh for a Master's in Bioinformatics. During my PhD in the Epievo lab, I studied the evolution of small RNA pathways and their role in epigenetic inheritance. Currently, I am a postdoc in the Lehner lab in the CRG in Barcelona, working on deep mutagenesis scans of ordered and disordered protein domains.

Engelbert Carlene Mthunzi
Trainee in Neurosurgery,
London

I joined the EpiEvo lab as part of the Chain Florey research scheme aimed at doctors interested in pursuing a career as academic clinicians. My project involved studying the repair of specific DNA modifications caused by alkylating agents specifically temozolomide, a chemotherapeutic agent used to treat some brain cancers. As well as gaining new research skills and reaffirming those I learnt during my undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences at Trinity College Dublin. I was exposed to fascinating research techniques and met truly inspiring researchers during my time in the EpiEvo lab, the wider MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences and at a short course I was lucky enough to attend on “Epigenetics in Single Cells” organised by the Berlin & London joint schools. It is my desire to become an academic clinician and I hope to use my time at the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences as a foundation on which to build upon. My research interests lie in neurovascular disease, particularly understanding the cellular responses to traumatic brain injury. I hope to explore this in more detail during my training in neurosurgery. Outside work, I love plants, particularly succulents and grasses and making up new recipes.