Faces behind the science- Emma Dunning
Published: 26 August 2024
Meet technician Emma Dunning
What is your job within SCMH?
I am a technician with the unique role of working in both sport and exercise science and molecular physiology research. I began working in the sport science group in August 2022. With no experience in this area, this was a steep learning curve to begin with, but I now support various studies in the Sir James Black Building and at the CRF at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. My work includes running exercise testing, taking blood samples, processing muscle biopsy samples, and training undergraduate, MSc, and PhD students in techniques for their projects. I joined the Fuller lab part-time in June 2023 and support the projects there through cloning, cell culture, training project students, and carrying out experiments.
What is the most enjoyable part of your job?
I love the wide variety of people I come into contact within my work- colleagues, PhD students, study participants, undergraduate and MSc project students, as well as occasional visiting high school students on outreach trips. I also enjoy the balance of work that I do now. I didn’t realise it at the time, but I had missed being at the bench in a more ‘traditional’ lab setting when I was in sport science full time. Equally, because sport science is so different to anything I’ve done before, I’m always learning new skills, which keeps things engaging. Working with study participants is also great, particularly seeing the physiological differences between so many different people with all kinds of abilities.
What are you most proud of having been part of during your time in SCMH?
I was very quickly involved in research as part of this role, and this has led to being credited with authorship on four papers in both areas that I work in. It’s very motivating to be recognised for the work that I do.
First published: 26 August 2024