About Me

Education:I’m a PhD student at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, UK, since October 2020. I obtained my BSc in Biochemistry in June 2018 at Imperial College London, in UK.

Research Interests: My research aims to determine some of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that control and generate behaviour in C.elegans via understanding neuronal interactions and dynamics. I use a combination of computational and experimental tools including network analysis, behavioural assays and microscopy in order to test how neuromodulation affects the synaptic connectome and how that translates to behaviour, in particular locomotion.

Hobbies: Outside of my research I am pasionate about art, chamber music and outdoor sports like sailing or rowing. I also enjoy doing Outreach activities and you can usually find me in shopping malls or museums bringing science to the public.

Research

Mapping the Neuropeptidergic Connectome of C.elegans
The synaptically-wired neuronal circuitry is modulated by monoamines and neuropeptides, which act mostly through extrasynaptic volume transmission. This modulation is critical to nervous system function, yet little is known about the structure and function of extrasynaptic signaling networks at a whole-organism level. To this end, we used the recently published single neuron gene expression from the CeNGEN database along with deorphanization data for neuropeptide-activated G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to generate a draft connectome of neuropeptide signaling networks in C. elegans. We then use graph theory analysis and other data analysis methods to better understand the network structure and how it relates to worm behaviour.

Outreach

Conferences: I have helped organise two student conferences, the 2019 BAC (Biotechnology Annual Conference) in Madrid, Spain. The 2021 LMB/IBMB student symposium in Cambridge, UK. And I co-organised the 2022 LMB/MPIB student symposium also in Cambrige, UK.

Workshops: I enjoy taking part in lots of different scientific workshops including: The Royal Society MRC-LMB Exhibit in 2019, the Cambridge Science Festivals with activities like "Worms are Cleverer than you think", the Imperial Summer Festivals

Teaching: I have tought STEM subjects to high school students as part of several volunteer experiences. I have also tutored Cambridge undergraduate students in a range of subjects related to Neurobiology and I have given lectures at the KU Leuven Endocrinology master program.