Technologists
We are fortunate to have such a fantastic range of technicians working at the UK DRI on various research projects. Here you can view our current staff and their specialities and read our longer conversations about what it means to work as a technologist during this exciting time at the UK DRI.
A conversation with Uren Lab Manager Megan Winterbotham
A conversation with Lab Manager Megan Winterbotham about her role at the UK DRI and managing the exciting new facilities we have at the Sir Michael Uren Hub on the White City Campus.
Interviewed by UK DRI Project Officer Hannah Gowland
January 2023
Dan, Nanet, Emily
Dan Clode
Senior Technician
Lab: Paul Matthews
I focus on iPSC research, specialising in differentiating glial, neuronal and endothelial cell types. Creating in vitro culture systems focussing on relevant cell-cell interactions.
Dr Nanet Willumsen
Senior Technician
Lab: Paul Matthews
I use wet-lab techniques to generate multi’omic data (e.g., genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and lipidomics), enabling characterisation of pathogenic mechanisms contributing to Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr Emily Adair
Research Technician
Lab: Paul Matthews
I specialise in transcriptomic technologies including: single nuclei RNA-sequencing (10x) and Digital spatial profiling (GeoMx)
Naz, Sandra, Devyani
Dr Nazanin Doostdar
Laboratory Manager
Lab: Sam Barnes
I lend my expertise in the development and optimisation of key in-vivo experimental techniques (surgical and imaging) and provide expert guidance on experimental design. I am also responsible for: equipment set-up and maintenance, management of experimental schedules across the lab, data storage, training students and staff on experimental techniques and data analysis, and liaising with support staff.
Sandra Diaz Clavero
Research Technician
Lab: Marco Brancaccio
I work with stem cells, specifically with neurons and astrocytes derived from hiPSC looking for a link between circadian rhythms and Alzheimer's Disease.
Devyani Saini
Research Technician
Lab: Raffaella Nativio
I investigate the epigenetic landscape of stress-induced cellular senescence in primary human astrocytes in vitro. I am deciphering the mechanism of stress-induced senescence using RNAi-based gene knockdowns
Dorcas, Sasha and Yuqian
Dorcas Cheung
Research Technician
Lab: Paul Matthews
I specialise in histology based methods such as immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and Imaging Mass Cytometry.
Sasha Pokrovskaya
Research Technician
Lab: Raffaella Nativio
Yuqian Ye
Research Technician
Lab: Sarah Marzi
I am a computational technician developing algorithms for cell-type deconvolution based on epigenomic signatures.