Before MOAC

I graduated from the University of Warwick in 2008 with a MMath degree in Mathematics with first class honours. During my undergraduate degree I took a lot of applied modules such as Pattern Formation, Topics in Mathematical Biology and Introduction to Theoretical Neuroscience, and while I enjoyed studying the mathematics of a wide range of biological systems, I was keen to learn more about the science behind them to gain a broader perspective - hence why I chose MOAC!

MSc Year

Miniproject 1: Integration of peripheral signals indicating energy status in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus – Supervisor Prof. David Spanswick

In this project I studied the effects of three peptides (oxyntomodulin, PYY(3-36) and Ghrelin) on the cells of the arcuate nucleus with a view to determining their mechanisms of action. These peptides play an important role in the regulation of appetite, and in particular, oxyntomodulin is known to suppress appetite and has the potential to be used as an anti-obesity drug so is a very interesting peptide to study.

Miniproject 2: Two-Variable Stochastic Models of Neuronal Integration – Supervisor Dr. Magnus Richardson

For my theoretical project, I used MATLAB to model the dynamics of a neuron. I represented the neuron using two compartments (one for the soma and another for the dendrites) and simulated the synaptic inputs reaching each compartment. Using this model I studied what effect correlating the two inputs or delaying one of the inputs had on the dynamics of the cell and in particular the firing rate.

Miniproject 3: Electrochemical Detection of Serotonin Using Carbon Electrodes – Supervisors Prof. Pat Unwin and Prof. Julie Macpherson

For my final miniproject I looked at the detection of serotonin electrochemically using three different carbon electrodes - glassy carbon (GC), polycrystalline boron-doped diamond (pBDD) and a carbon nanotube (CNT) network electrode. Carbon nanotubes have the potential to make an extremely good electrode material since they have very low background currents which makes the detection of very low concentrations of a species possible. In this project I compared the CNT network electrodes to the two other popular carbon electrodes to see which was able to determine the lowest concentration of serotonin, which had the highest signal/background ratio and which was the most resistant to fouling (where the signal decreases over time as the surface of the electrode is blocked by oxidation products of serotonin).

PhD: ‘A New View of Membrane Transport Processes: Experiment and Simulation’ – Supervisors Prof. Pat Unwin, Prof. Julie Macpherson and Prof. Mike Allen.

My PhD combines electrochemical techniques with molecular dynamics simulations to study the permeation of weak acids across membranes. Cell membrane permeation is an interesting process to study as it is crucial to the passage of drug molecules across the blood-brain barrier and into general circulation. We are using weak acids as a model for membrane permeation since many drug molecules fall into this class. Using a combination of new electrochemical methods and simulations, we aim to get a very detailed picture of the mechanism and rates of permeation of the weak acids across lipid bilayers.

Life outside MOAC

I am a keen musician and am a member of several of the University's musical societies. I play the clarinet, saxophone, piano and most recently the flute and I play with the University of Warwick Symphony and Wind Orchestras, where I am principal clarinet, Big Band and have conducted or been in the band for several Music Theatre Warwick productions. I also play in a sax quartet and another big band outide the univeristy which doesn't leave me much time for anything else!