Current Title and Department: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, the University of Manchester
Undergraduate Degree: Integrated Masters of Neuroscience, The University of Manchester
Graduate Degree: PhD in Inflammation Sciences, The University of Manchester and A*STAR Institute

Who do you consider your mentors?
I have been very fortunate as I have had mentors guiding me through each stage of my academic career. All my mentors have continued to support me today, and I am deeply indebted to all of them. During my Masters studies, Dr Jaleel Miyan encouraged me to pursue a PhD and provided me with the initial training I needed to pursue a career in research. For my PhD, I was awarded the Manchester-A*STAR joint PhD scholarship, which allowed me to split my studies between the two institutions. During this time, I had the privilege to work with Dr Chin Yan Lim, Dr Kimberly Mace and Dr Matthew Ronshaugen. They sparked my interest in applying multi-omic techniques to characterize cell phenotypes from development to ageing. As a postdoc, I look up to and work with Dr Stephen Richardson on exciting, cutting-edge projects. Steve has been an incredible mentor and has encouraged me to pursue every opportunity available. Working with him has boosted my confidence as a researcher, and he has dedicated a lot of time to my development as a researcher. I am also grateful to Prof Judith Hoyland, who is now retired but continues to actively support my career development and is always available when I need advice or help. I also have a formal career mentor, Prof Dino Samartzis. Dino has opened doors I never knew existed. I am thankful to him and the ORS for bringing us together.

What is your specific area of interest in research?
I am interested in the cellular and molecular changes that occur in the human spine, particularly the intervertebral disc, from development to degeneration. I focus on the integration of genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and epigenomic datasets to understand how these intervertebral disc cells develop, mature, and eventually degenerate.

What are you currently working on?
I’m currently creating a high-resolution spatial transcriptomic and proteomic map of the developing human spine using some of the latest techniques available in the field. Through this project, I hope to create an accessible resource for the spine community to enhance our understanding of human development.

What has been the biggest challenge for you lately in your research?
Handling and integrating large-scale multi-omics datasets have been challenging. It is even more challenging when you are getting this data from limited amounts of highly inaccessible human tissues. I have had to get all the help that I need from our bioinformatics department, and that’s how we have maintained momentum on the project.

What projects are you looking forward to?
I’m excited about upcoming projects where we apply what we learnt from multi-omics studies to answer specific questions about how the intervertebral disc develops in humans and how that compares to the current models we are using in the field.

What changes would you like to see in the future of the orthopaedic research community?
I’d like to see the development of more in-vitro models for studying human notochordal cells. I think we may be almost there, but further interdisciplinary research combining developmental biology, tissue engineering and gene-editing is needed.

What do you like to do outside of your work?
Outside of work, I enjoy travelling, watching Korean dramas and sleeping. I simply cannot function if I don’t get enough Kdrama or sleep.

What is the last book you read?
I’m currently reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I actually don’t own the copy, and my friend has been asking for his book back for a while, but it’s a good read for anyone still discovering themselves.

What is the most unusual/unexpected item sitting on your desk right now?
A LEGO biosafety cabinet! It was a birthday gift from one of my best friends. It’s cute and has a Minifigure doing cell culture.