What is a typical day like for you?
I try to get up to do some work things before the family is out of bed. I stop when everyone gets up, then run into work once the children have left for school. I do the day job. At the end of this we juggle the kids’ sports activities and homework, then when we are home, cook dinner, eat and fall over.
What do you think people in the School would find most surprising about you?
I’m a pretty open book, so not much.
What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?
Be focused, be daring.
Do you have any current projects that you’d like to tell us about?
In the Lab, quite a few, but if I had to single out one or two: a new project that we’ll be doing with Jon Richardson and Julian Naglik (FoDOCS) studying Candida albicans pathogenicity…a new area for me. Secondly a project with Deena Gibbons where we are studying an RNA binding protein that has markedly elevated expression in neonatal naïve T cells, but its expression is silenced in adult naïve T cells. We’re trying to determine what its role is in the neonate. This project spills into the Leukaemia space where the protein is re-expressed, so I’m working on developing a project there. For all of these projects, doing the best science that we can is very important to me. Out of the Lab, I’m very interested in the career progression of our students and early-career colleagues.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
I’ll be retired in 5 years, so if I can stay fit enough, spending more time in the mountains. More hiking, climbing, surfing and cycling, none of which I’m an expert at. We’re also looking to build on some farmland we have in the west of Ireland and also growing more things.
What do you do with your time outside academia/work?
I’m extremely lucky to have many interests and ambitions within each that I juggle to make time for. I’m a bit sport obsessed, trail running, climbing, via ferrata and pretty much any other mountain sport I can try. I really enjoy cooking for people. I like going to galleries, museums, music and theatre and also spend a lot of time supporting my children’s sports activities which are bit a different from my own. During the rare pockets of time that are left, I like to see my friends and family and to go to grow things on our allotment.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
In the Lab, definitely making progress on our projects. Out of the Lab, there’s a mountain trail run between Switzerland and France that I’ve had my eye on for a while called the OCC (Orsieres, Champex-Lac, Chamonix), so I want to up my training, particularly how frequently I run to the upper floors of the tower, to try to prep for that.
QUICK-FIRE:
Favourite season:
Autumn
Favourite London restaurant:
My kitchen
Coffee order:
Anything so long as the coffee beans are nice.
Describe yourself in three words…
Energetic, multipotentialite, curious.