Biography
Jan 2012-Present Edinburgh Napier University
Senior Research Fellow, lecturer in materials
Nov 2007-Dec 2011 Self Employed Technical Copywriter
Freelance website search engine optimisation copywriter, with responsibility for researching, creating and managing accessible SEO driven articles and reviews, often on complex topics, ranging from science and engineering tools and services to financial investments.
July 2004-Nov 2007 University of Edinburgh Research Fellow
Worked under Peter Keightley in the Institute of Evolutionary Biology. Duties: independent scientific research, experimental planning, publishing results, writing and presenting reports and designing, managing and supervising the main research project on determining empirically the per nucleotide mutation rate. Results published in Nature, 2007. Funded by the Wellcome Trust.
July 2003-July 2004 Heriot Watt University Research Fellow
Duties: planning and conducting independent marine biological research, maintaining database, collating scientific information and presenting results. During this period I developed a mechanism for disrupting the interaction between farmed salmon and the sea lice copepod Lepeoptheirus salmonis, Funded by BBSRC
July 2000-July 2003 University of Strathclyde Research Fellow
Duties: independent scientific research on Plasmodium falciparum, planning and conducting experiments, supervising student projects, teaching, writing, presenting and publishing results. Funded by the Wellcome Trust
June 1996-June 2000 University of Edinburgh PhD: Molecular Evolution
Conducted PhD under the supervision of Mark Blaxter in the Institute of Evolutionary Biology. Focus was on nematode phylogeny and evolution and in particular evolution of the parasite Strongyloides. I also developed a procedure for the reversal of formalin fixation on genetic material and gained extensive experience and training in bioinformatics and molecular evolution. PhD awarded July 2000. Funded by BBSRC and the Leverhume Trust
Sept 1991-June 1995 University of Glasgow 1st Class Honours:
Molecular Biology
Core subjects included genetics, chemistry, biochemistry, plant biology, and computer programming. Completed final year project on the Varicella Zoster virus, and published text book for schools on higher human biology, between 3rd and 4th years.