Profile

Hi! I’m Lisa, I’m originally from Bristol (and have the accent to prove it!). My pronouns are she/her.

I have just started a computational bioinformatics PhD at the MRC Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh and am particularly interested in using science to treat diseases.

I love  plays, poetry and comedy and before I decided to go to university I worked as an actor in both TV and theatre for about 6 years. In fact, my CV is a big mismatch of all different types of jobs. I like trying new things all the time, that’s one thing I love about doing a PhD, is that I now get to learn lots of different concepts and techniques!

I love being outside, long cycle trips, kayaking and camping. THE SOUND OF THE RAIN ON A TENT!

We all have thousands of tiny machines called ‘proteins’ that perform lots of important jobs in our bodies, from transporting oxygen through our blood and digesting food to fighting infections! In order to do their jobs they often have to interact with other proteins or molecules that are moving about in our body.

The proteins themselves are made up of small molecules called ‘amino acids’ which build up in different combinations and lengths forming a ‘sequence’ which then folds up to form a precise 3D shape. The instructions to build the correct sequence are stored in our DNA. The shape of a protein determines what it can interact with, just like the shape of a key determines which locks it can open.

Sometimes, a change in the DNA (we call this a ‘mutation’) changes the sequence of amino acids which can change the 3D of the protein. This sometimes stops it from interacting with what it would usually or makes it interact with new molecules entirely! Both can cause diseases.

Scientists can use imaging techniques that take ‘pictures’ of these proteins, which allows me to look at their structures. I use my computer to look at a very large number of mutations from both healthy people and those with disease. From this, I try to see which mutations are more likely to cause disease and look at the protein structures for the reason why. Is the mutation located somewhere where an important molecule binds? Does the mutation damage the structure entirely?

My working from home set up. Daily planner and cup of tea is essential! I usually analyse data on one screen and read articles on the other.

If we were able to answer those questions this could help medical doctors diagnose some diseases quicker and use the information to design more personalised treatments. Boost!

A typical day:

My friendly and helpful lab group!