Brief CV

Key Publications

Host susceptibility to severe influenza A virus infection.

Genome-wide CRISPR screen identifies host dependency factors for influenza A virus infection.

Comprehensive characterisation of molecular host-pathogen interactions in influenza-A virus infected human macrophages.

Hybrid Gene Origination Creates Human-Virus Chimeric Proteins during Infection.

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in Covid-19.

Dynamic data-driven meta-analysis for prioritisation of host genes implicated in COVID-19.

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19.

GWAS and meta-analysis identifies 49 genetic variants underlying critical COVID-19.

The genomic landscape of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: a meta-analysis by information content of genome-wide studies of the host response.

Knowledge exchange

• Provided expert insights for Host Genomics Lessons for Infectious Disease report by the PHG foundation (Turner H. et al Host genomics: lessons from infectious disease. PHG Foundation. 2024).
• Patient Public Involvement during establishment of the NICU cohort for the GenOMICC study, funded by a CMVM Seed grant.
• Lecturer for Animal Body Systems and Cases (BVMS08064) at The University of Edinburgh, specifically ‘The Mechanics of Ventilation’.
• Appeared in a radio interview on BBC Scotland to discuss the GenOMICC influenza project. This interview was accompanied by coverage of the project in major national newspapers including The Scotsman and The Times.
• Met with sepsis survivors and charity board members in collaboration with FEAT Sepsis Research to discuss GenOMICC. This included giving tours of the labs at Roslin and presenting lab experiments to volunteers and survivors in layman’s terms to provide them withan understanding of the importance of genomics in medicine.

Career Development and Training

• Cruse Scotland Bereavement Support Training (2024).
• Accepted to, and attended, the UK Reproducibility Networks “Leadership in Academia” Workshop (2022).
• Received a Bursary to complete the Health in Data Science course offered by The University of Edinburgh (2021).
• Good Clinical Practice (2014 – present).

Key Skills

• Bioinformatics: Python, R, Experience with cleaning and processing large datasets including RNA-Seq and CAGE.
• Primary cell culture -Human: Isolation of primary human monocytes and subsequent differentiation to human monocyte-derived macrophages.
• Primary cell culture -Mouse: Isolation of bone marrow and subsequent differentiation to mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages, Isolation of Murine Embryonic Fibroblasts (MEF).
• Science communication: Continued involvement in on-site public engagement activities.
• Presentation skills: Regular presentations to colleagues, lab and institute wide.
• Administration and Project Management: Comprehensive experience with management of lab paperwork, organisation and coordination of large multi-lab projects.
• Teaching: Supervision of undergraduate students during lab projects and dissertation writing, supervision of PhD students, Biology and Chemistry Tutor for high school students.

Employment and Education

• Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Core Scientist),
  Baillie Lab, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh
  Nov 2017- Present
  Check out the lab profile!

• Postdoctoral Research Fellow,
  Baillie Lab, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh
  Apr 2014- Oct 2017

• PhD University of Edinburgh
  Ohkura Lab, The Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh
  Thesis - KANK: a novel EB1 interactor and Drosophila orthologue of a conserved tumour suppressor
  2009-2013

• BA Mod Natural Science (Biochemistry with Cell Biology)
  First Class Hons
  Trinity College Dublin
  2005-2009