ELLIE MAKIN

Frontrunner Student

I am a second-year undergraduate Biomedical Sciences student currently completing my internship as a Molecular and Behavioural Genetics Frontrunner. During my first semester in Dr Breda’s lab I have been introduced to the use of fruit flies as a model organism and learnt about the beauty of genetics in practice. I hope to use the skills I have gained under Dr Breda’s supervision to further my future career in research as I continue my studies at De Montfort University. Outside of the lab I am the chairwoman of DMU Barbell, the university’s powerlifting team!

WERONIKA WROCLAWSKA

Third Year Biomedical student

As a passionate third-year biomedical science student at Montfort University, I am appreciating research and I would love to embark on a PhD journey after my graduation. My academic pursuits have instilled on me a passion for the fascinating world of Genetics, particularly on Parkinson’s disease and neurodegenerative disorders.

Outside the lab, I enjoy travelling, cooking traditional food, and learning new skills and languages.
I’m also passionate about helping others, volunteering as a care assistant and support worker which has given me valuable insights into psychiatric disorders and disabilities. These roles have provided me with invaluable insights into the multifarious requirements of persons with an array of disabilities.

Embarking on my medical research journey, I extend profound gratitude to Dr. Breda for being part of his group. I’m driven by a strong desire to learn and foster meaningful scientific discoveries that can make an impact.

CHARLEY CLARK

Volunteering Frontrunner Student

I am a second-year undergraduate Medical Science student who had the pleasure of volunteering in Dr Breda’s lab over the past academic year. With a love of genetics, this experience gave me a deeper understanding of the use of fruit flies to study human diseases. I was lucky enough to work on genetic crosses for a project investigating a specific neurodevelopmental pathology.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time under Dr Breda’s supervision, and the skills and knowledge I acquired have allowed me to secure a genetics-based summer internship (University of Edinburgh), as well as a year-long placement (Glenfield Hospital). My interest in the interaction between genetics and the pathogenesis of the disease remains, with the hopes of carrying this through my future research career.

JOSIE DUNNE

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Frontrunner Student

I’m currently a third-year undergraduate at DMU studying Nutrition. I’m a mature student and my previous work has been as a chef. I love yoga and was chairperson of the yoga society at DMU for two consecutive years. I also love nature and animals, particularly baby goats. 

My primary passion is Nutrigenomics, epigenetics and understanding nutrition’s impact on molecular pathways. I feel understanding the mechanisms by which nutritional compounds interact with our bodies on a biochemical level can give an insight into key transduction pathways in disease and reveal effective new targets for drugs. My dream for future research would be to investigate the natural metabolic shift that occurs with ageing; this ‘Warburg effect’ also coincides with cancer aetiology and I would love to study the interaction of metabolic shift with oxidative stress, nutrition, genetics and the related pathologies- particularly neurodegenerative conditions. 

I have been very lucky to have been given the opportunity of working in Dr Breda’s lab, both as a frontrunner and for a studentship project and I’m really looking forward to developing my knowledge and skill set further. 

DUYGU KEMEL

Master Student

My project is focusing on understanding the effect of quinolinic acid – a neuroactive metabolite of the kynurenine pathway – on Drosophila behaviour.

VENITE ISIOMA NKAMA

Master Student

Venite I. Nkama is an International student from Nigeria who moved to the United Kingdom for her Master’s in Advanced Biomedical Science at the Faculty of Health and Life Science, Leicester School of Allied Health Science, De Montfort University. She is also a Clinical Biomedical Scientist who majored in Chemical Pathology/Biochemistry during her BSc and is currently registered with the Health and Care Professional Council (HCPC) in the UK and also an associate member of the Medical Laboratory Council of Nigeria (MLSCN). In addition to her career, she has developed a keen interest in research and writing. Her current research focuses on Neurobiology, where she is curious about the combined effects of downregulating Ras analogue in the brain (Rab39B) GTPases and over-expressing alpha-synuclein in the brain cells of Drosophila melanogaster models of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). She hopes to establish how these two proteins synergistically initiate Parkinson’s disease and the outcome of her research will provide insight into future therapeutic interventions.