I am a junior postdoctoral research scientist with a great interest in stem cell dynamics, the WNT signalling pathway and their role in cell competition and carcinogenesis, particularly but not exclusively in colorectal cancer. I recently joined Prof Owen Sansom’s group at the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, to work on the differential role of WNT alterations on cell competition and cellular dynamics in colorectal cancer.

I moved to the UK at the age of 18 for further education and undertook my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences, at the University of Westminster in London, graduating in 2016. Interested in human disease and genetics, I pursued a master’s degree (MSc) in Human Molecular Genetics at Imperial College London. Following this, in November 2017, I began working as a research assistant at the University of Oxford, working on colorectal cancer and started my PhD a year later.

I undertook my PhD at the University of Oxford with Prof Simon Leedham. The work of my thesis was examining the molecular and histological characterisation of colitis-associated colorectal cancer, investigating the stem cell dynamics, the role of the WNT signalling pathway, and the use of histological and molecular strategies in its early detection. It was whilst investigating the WNT signalling landscape in colitis-associated colorectal cancer that my interest in the WNT signalling pathway began.

In addition to my academic work, I am very interested in working towards a more diverse and inclusive academia. As such, I have been involved in several public engagement projects, including setting up the ethnic and racial diversity and inclusion committee of the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics in Oxford, volunteering as a mentor for the charity in2scienceUK and being part of the EDI committee at the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research. I was also involved in a Instagram Live with the non-profit Connection4Innovation on “Biomedical Research in Europe: What it means to be a researcher?” with the aim to engage with young students wanting to pursue a career in science.