Harvard/Veterans Affairs (VA)/Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Physically present in Boston for 3 months working closely with the Executive Officer of the Million Veterans Project (a mega-biobank where participants are genotyped and linked to eHR) providing bioinformatics support for high throughput drug target validation. Continued to provide remote support.

University College London | May 2015 - Aug 2015

MSc project: A systems biology approach of the cellular response to mTB infection.

Dissertation focused on Mycobacterium Tuberculosis: A systems biology approach of the cellular response to Mycobacterium Tuberculosis infection. Key experiences: R programming, High Performance Computers, Linux (Ubuntu 15.10), eQTL data sets, Data visualisation, Cytoscape. Abstract: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (mTB) is a bacterial pathogen that infects a third of the world's population. In infected individuals, it can cause tuberculosis, one of the major and most deadly epidemic world-wide. While genetic studies have shed some limited light on the genetic basis of resistance/susceptibility to tuberculosis, there is still much unknown about the molecular mechanisms associated with mTB infection. To obtain a better understanding of these mechanisms, I have analyzed an expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) dataset of macrophages harvested from healthy individuals from the Cambridge area. RNA sequencing data was generated for cells of each individual and two different conditions: rested and activated state (upon mTB infection). I have focused on the analysis of trans-eQTL modules, and the comparison of the results of this present mTB study with another study of gene expression in monocytes that used a similar eQTL design but a different stimulation approach (using LPS, Fairfax 2014). I identified shared trans eQTL network between both studies as well as trans eQTL networks that were only found in the mTB dataset. Our results highlight the specific and shared factors in the activation of the innate immune system by different activating agents.

St George's, University of London | Sep 2013 - Jun 2014

BSc project: DNA analysis of AIP1 in HIV1 patients with different degrees of disease progression

Dissertation focused on HIV: Sequence analysis of AIP1 in a cohort of HIV-1 patients exhibiting different degrees of disease progression. Key experiences: (Gradient) PCR, Gel Electrophoresis, Sanger Sequencing, CLC viewer 7, PolyPhen2 and SIFT. I initiated contact with various reagent sales representatives and persuaded them to send alternatives to my protocol. Abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that targets and destroys the host’s immune system, leaving the host immunocompromised. The disease is an epidemic, affecting approximately 35.3 million people (including more than 1.2 million Americans and 83,000 UK patients). Research into HIV pathogenesis has favoured the early stages of replication. This approach has been moderately successful identifying ~23% of genetic host factors leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). To address this bias, I focused on AIP1 - a host protein that participates in the later stages of HIV replication. We hypothesise that genetic variations found in AIP1 are related to the variable degree of disease progression in individuals with HIV infection. DNA was extracted from 66 patients ranging from elite controls to rapid progressors. I amplified the DNA through PCR; performed quality checks with gel electrophoresis before sequencing the samples (Sanger Sequencing). I analysed the impact of polymorphisms using PolyPhen2, SIFT and 3D models before carrying out phylogenetic and statistical analysis. My results identified a novel mutation and suggests a documented polymorphism is statistically significant between progression groups in this cohort. However, due to the small sample size, more research needs to be conducted to establish the validity of the findings.

My Education

Take a look at my formal education

Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Drug DiscoveryUCL | 2020

Masters, Pharmacogenetics and Stratified MedicineUCL | 2015

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science, Human/Medical GeneticsSt George's, University of London | 2014

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