Main interests

• Neurodegeneration and associated diseases
• Demyelination and contribution to neurodegenerative diseases
• Traumatic brain injury
• Protein dynamics and associated biochemical and molecular techniques to study them
• Neuropathology
• Comparative and translational research of naturally occuring veterinary diseases

Background

I graduated from the Univesity of Glasgow in 2018 with an MSci(Hons) in Veterinary Biosciences. During my undergraduate, I completed a summer project under the supervision of Dr Mark McLaughlin. I studied various proteins found in myelin with the aim of understanding more about the types of proteins found in myelin as well as their proportions. It is hoped that, combined with previous and future research, this study can help to understand the dysmyelinating mechanisms that characterise diseases such as Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. I was part of the protozology group at the Moredun Research Institute for twelve months investigating pathology caused by Toxoplasma gondii as part of my Masters work placement. Here, I was supervised by veterinary pathologist, Dr Francesca Chianini, who taught me how to identify and score lesions in several murine organs including the brain. For my final year Honors project, I was involved with taking cloacal samples from wild birds at the University of Glasgow Garscube campus and Blair Drummond Safari Park by a qualified British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) ringer and a veterinarian. Cloacal samples were then analysed to establish which bacteria were present and if any of them were of particular zoonotic interest. The supervisors for this project were Dr Karen MacEachern, Dr Katarina Oravcova, Dr Paul Everest and Dr Stewart White.

Until late 2023, I worked towards a PhD in Veterinary Medicine (Research) from the University of Glasgow. I investigated the pathological mechanisms of canine degenerative myelopathy (DM) under the supervision of Dr Mark McLaughlin, Mrs Catherine Stalin, Dr Richard Burchmore and Prof Jim Anderson. DM is a neurodegenerative disease that has genetic, clinical and histological similarities to some familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (fALS) cases in humans. We investigated the pathological changes associated with superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) misfolding in DM by using in vitro cell culture models and various 'omics' techniques. It is hoped that further research into DM will benefit both dogs with the disease and humans with fALS.

After completing my PhD, I was a short term Research Assistant investigating biomarkers for cardiomyopathy syndrome in Atlantic Salmon before becoming a Research Associate at the Glasgow Brain Injury Research Group (GBIRG) led by Prof William Stewart. I now look forward to contributing to their research into the neuropathology of traumatic brain injury. 

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I was a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Laboratory Demonstrator between 2019 and 2024 and I have contributed to the delivery of practical classes to BSc Veterinary Bioscience and Bachelors of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVMS) students at the University of Glasgow. The main subject areas of interest were comparative veterinary anatomy, pharmacology and common laboratory techniques.

I have also been involved with various aspects of examinations on the BVMS course. In 2024, for my contribution to exam proctoring during the COVID pandemic, I received a Student Partnership Impact Award from the Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA).

In my new role as Research Associate, I hope to get involved in more outreach projects, particularly in association with STEM Ambassadors Scotland. 

Prizes, awards & distinctions

• 2024: Student Partnership Impact Award (Staff and Educational Development Association)
• 2022: Award for conference presentation (Association for Veterinary Teaching and Research)

Selected international presentations

• 2022: 76th Annual AVTRW Conference (Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom)
• 2017: APICOWPLEXA 2017: 4th International Meeting on Apicomplexa in Farm Animals (Complutense University of Madrid, Euroforum, Madrid, Spain)
• 2017: 71st Annual AVTRW Conference (University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom)