Why Study HereGraduate Profile
Fiona Denison
CSC PhD graduate April 2010
I’m currently reaching the end of my first year as a postdoc at the University of Florida, where I am working on Arabidopsis proteomics. This has been quite a change from the focus my PhD research at the CSC where I studied a mammalian metabolic regulatory protein (LKB1). This protein is implicated in several human diseases. Despite the transition from mammalian to plant biology, many of the techniques I learned during my PhD have been relevant to my postdoc and the broader experiences I gained at the CSC have also been invaluable. The interdisciplinary nature of the CSC means that you are often exposed to fields outside of your own PhD research through interacting with people in other groups and attending seminars. This also means that there is often someone close by that you can go to if you need advice.
My main interest as a biology undergraduate at Durham University was molecular biology and, in particular, the molecular basis of disease. The CSC was the ideal place for me to do a PhD as I was able to work on a project that brought together several aspects of biology including gene expression, protein function, cell biology and physiology. This gave me the opportunity to gain experience in different areas of biological research, which helped me make decisions about my future career as well as increasing my employability. Towards the end of my PhD I looked into some of the clinical implications of my research with a group of human fertility experts at Charing Cross Hospital. Overall, I feel that the experiences, knowledge, friends and contacts I gained at the CSC have served me well and will continue to do so as I progress in my scientific career.
CSC PhD graduate April 2010
I’m currently reaching the end of my first year as a postdoc at the University of Florida, where I am working on Arabidopsis proteomics. This has been quite a change from the focus my PhD research at the CSC where I studied a mammalian metabolic regulatory protein (LKB1). This protein is implicated in several human diseases. Despite the transition from mammalian to plant biology, many of the techniques I learned during my PhD have been relevant to my postdoc and the broader experiences I gained at the CSC have also been invaluable. The interdisciplinary nature of the CSC means that you are often exposed to fields outside of your own PhD research through interacting with people in other groups and attending seminars. This also means that there is often someone close by that you can go to if you need advice.
My main interest as a biology undergraduate at Durham University was molecular biology and, in particular, the molecular basis of disease. The CSC was the ideal place for me to do a PhD as I was able to work on a project that brought together several aspects of biology including gene expression, protein function, cell biology and physiology. This gave me the opportunity to gain experience in different areas of biological research, which helped me make decisions about my future career as well as increasing my employability. Towards the end of my PhD I looked into some of the clinical implications of my research with a group of human fertility experts at Charing Cross Hospital. Overall, I feel that the experiences, knowledge, friends and contacts I gained at the CSC have served me well and will continue to do so as I progress in my scientific career.
