I joined Professor Gopal Sapkota's lab in September 2026 as a PhD student in the MRC PPU. My research focuses on dissecting the molecular targets of the FAM83D-CK1a complex in mitosis. The Sapkota Lab previously demonstrated that FAM83D recruits CK1a at the mitotic spindle and that CK1a activity is essential to ensure proper spindle alignment and error-free progression through the cell division cycle. Furthermore, as depletion of FAM83D causes mitotic errors and the inhibition of cell proliferation, I am exploring whether disruption of the FAM83D-CK1a complex may be a valuable strategy for anti-cancer therapeutics.

Prior to joining the Sapkota Lab, I completed an MScR in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. During this degree, I undertook two research projects: one generating models of cyclin E overexpression in high grade serous ovarian cancer cells with different genetic backgrounds, and another exploring the role of a novel adhesion protein in aberrant extracellular matrix synthesis in glioblastoma.

In 2024, I completed my BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Dundee. Under the supervision of Dr William Farnaby at the Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation, my Honours project research focused on optimising the NanoBRET target engagement assay to evaluate novel GSK3β PROTACs and assess their potential for efflux via P-glycoprotein at the blood-brain barrier.

I also completed a summer internship with the MRC PPU's Reagents and Services team, gaining experience in antibody purification and the production and purification of recombinant proteins using E. coli expression systems.