I obtained a MSci in Biochemistry (with Immunology) from University of Aberdeen with a year in industry at GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, UK. As part of an Aberdeen university team, I participated in the international Genetically Engineered Machine Competition at MIT, USA, where scientists across the world present innovative projects to address worldwide problems through synthetic biology. Our project aimed to develop an E. coli-based system to detect infections with the Trypanosoma parasite for people living in underprivileged rural places in Africa.

I completed my undergraduate studies in Life Sciences in the Netherlands, where I was lucky enough to work as an intern in both the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam and Utrecht University Medical Centre. I obtained various experiences in cell and molecular biology and discovered my interest in stem cells while working in Utrecht on the stem cell marker Lgr5.

I completed a Bachelor’s degree in Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology with a focus on neuroscience at Harvard University (Cambridge, USA). I then spent two years working as a research assistant and a teaching fellow at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.

While obtaining my Honours degree in Molecular Genetics at the University of Edinburgh, I spent half a year in Uppsala University in an ERASMUS exchange programme, and a year in industry working at Eli Lilly. I spent most of my summers doing internships in labs in Edinburgh, as well as in ETH (Zurich) as part of a research programme organized by Amgen.

I have a BSc in ‘Biomedical Engineering’ and a MSc. in ‘Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine’ from the University of Applied Sciences Technikum in Vienna, Austria.

As part of my undergraduate Biochemistry degree at Imperial College London, I conducted a year’s industrial placement investigating aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. This ended up being the best year of my degree and confirmed that I wanted to pursue a career in research.