London, England, United Kingdom
I am a recent MSc Pharmacology graduate from the University of Oxford (Distinction) with a strong foundation in biomedical research and a focus on central nervous system (CNS) disorders. My academic interests span the pharmacology of neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s) and psychiatric disorders (depression, schizophrenia). I completed my BSc in Biomedical Sciences at UCL, where I developed a deep interest in novel therapeutics for complex CNS disorders. My final-year project in the Gold Lab explored engineering a photoactivable variant of Protein Kinase A (PKA) using blue-light activated proteins to achieve precise spatiotemporal control, addressing limitations of current methods. At Oxford, my MSc thesis focused on the cellular metabolism of AQNEURSA, an FDA-approved therapy for Niemann-Pick Type C. I developed a method to characterise NALL metabolism in brain and liver tissue and estimated the kinetics of metabolism via Michaelis-Menten analysis. Beyond academia, I am passionate about bridging biomedical research and business strategy. I enjoy applying scientific literacy to evaluate the translatability of drug development programs and support informed investment decisions.
AnOvA Education bridges a significant teaching gap in biosciences education by providing Oxbridge-level guidance for both university admissions and academic success. Key milestones -Acquired clients within 14 days of launch. -Established collaborations with prominent bioscience societies across the UK and internationally. -Achieved 1,600% increase in Instagram followers within one week. -Achieved 30,000 profile views in the same period, reflecting strong early engagement and brand interest.
N-Acetyl-L-Leucine (NALL) received FDA approval for treatment of Niemann Pick Type C in late 2024. Despite demonstrating clinical efficacy and a good safety profile at Phase 3, the precise kinetics of its uptake by different tissues is unclear. Preclinical studies showed that the monocarboxylate 1 transporter (MCT1) facilitates cellular uptake of NALL. However, this study utilized cell lines which overexpressed MCT1. Thus, the over aching goal of my project is to develop a method for quantifying the uptake of NALL in chopped brain, liver and intestinal tissue. The kinetics of NALL uptake will then be fitted with Michaelis Menten equations. The second goal is to investigate potential drug-drug interactions between NALL and other drugs at MCT1 with one potential interactor being the anti-epileptic valproate. This is important for clinical applications for dose adjustments and patient selection. Finally, the metabolism of NALL in cells is also a central question that relates to its mechanism of action. Investigating the extent of deacetylation of NALL by into leucine different tissues will provide valuable information on potential tissue-specific effects.
-Helped pharmacology tutors deliver practical classes on key pharmacological concepts to first year Oxford medical students. -Responsible for answering questions from students and assisting in troubleshooting during experiments.
Undertook a market/regulatory positioning project in the EU medical/healthcare sector.
Undertook a project for a Vietnamese NGO, focusing on increasing UK outreach and identifying donors: -Investigated 42 Vietnamese communities across the UK and quantified outreach via social media metrics. -Identified and stratified >100 prospective donors based on geography, funding capacity, duration and interest. -Developed a mathematical scoring system to rank selected Vietnamese communities and donors for collaborative potential with our client based on three metrics: interest, outreach and capabilities. -Achieved client satisfaction and immediate implementation of our recommendations.
Served as a student ambassador for my course (BSc Biomedical Sciences) under the supervision of my course tutors and other representatives from the Division of Biosciences. My duties included the following: -Was part of a student panel responsible for answering questions from prospective students and their parents regarding applications, course-related content, life at UCL and career prospects. -Assisted in operating the Faculty of Life Sciences booth at the UCL Welcome Fair to help shed light on the academic and research culture at UCL. -Provided campus tours to groups of prospective students and their parents, highlighting key landmarks and teaching/research facilities. -Helped conduct laboratory demonstrations for prospective students at the UCL Medical School. -Offered opinions on different research themes within biosciences to help prospective students understand what each degree within the faculty has to offer and thus, make informed decisions for university applications.
Dissertation Title: 'Developing a Photo-Activable Variant of Protein Kinase A' Summary: Protein Kinase A (PKA) is the major intercellular cAMP receptor that is ubiquitously expressed in virtually every cell type. Thus, it plays important roles in both physiology and pathology. However, up till now, manipulation of PKA function have only been conducted via indirect means by altering concentration /activity of cAMP, AKAPs, PDEs and PKIs. As such, there is no way to directly tune PKA activity in a spatiotemporal manner. One way to overcome this limitation is to implement the LOVTRAP system into PKA to design photo-activable PKA (paPKA) constructs. The aim(s) of my dissertation is to investigate design considerations that are important for developing a functional construct that has minimal 'off-state' activity. As part of my laboratory work, I employed molecular biology techniques such as molecular cloning of customized PKA constructs into bacterial plasmids, transformation of chemically competent E.Coli strains, Gel-Electrophoresis, Western Blotting and more. In particular, I helped to optimize the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol for obtaining the desired replication product and identify optimal BL21 DE3 strains for successful transformation. Finally, I used a Foster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)-based plate reader to monitor the catalytic activities of the PKA Calpha subunit and its W196R mutant variant and their respective sensitivities to block by the PKA RIIalpha subunit. For my writeup, I conducted a thorough literature review encompassing the structure and functions of PKA in neurons as well as existing optogenetic, chemogenetic and pharmacological techniques for manipulating/monitoring PKA activity. Furthermore, I utilized pymol to identify a suitable locations for implementing the LOVTRAP system into the PKA Calpha subunit. Finally, I suggested future directions and applications of viable paPKA constructs.