PhD Candidate
I am currently a PhD student in the Kemp Lab, at the University of Otago, New Zealand, and I am looking to further my learning and development in a postdoctoral fellow position in Australia, Europe, and North America.
Experience
Laboratory Demonstrator
University of Otago, New Zealand• Assisting in lab setup and completion • Assisting students with lab coursework and practical laboratory skills and techniques • Lab demonstrator for MICR334 – Advanced Immunology o ~40 students per class • Lab demonstrator for MICR223 – Infection and Immunity o ~40 students per class • Lab demonstrator and head lab demonstrator for HUBS191 – Human Body Systems o ~50 students per class • Lab demonstrator and head lab demonstrator for CELS191 – Cell and Molecular Biology o ~50 students per classResearch Assistant
University of Otago, New Zealand• Assisting in a human nutrition clinical trial: SOOTHE: Could mānuka honey soothe indigestion? • Processing participant peripheral blood samples into a single-cell suspensionTutor
University of Otago, New Zealand• CELS191 – Cell and Molecular Biology tutor for Toroa College, a university hall of residence • Working with students to ensure success in coursework and examination • ~10 students per classPublic Health Tutor
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand• Co-ordinating tutorial sessions online with students • Ensuring Pasifika students achieve their personal academic goals and can complete coursework effectively in a friendly and intuitive environment • ~5 students per class
Education
PhD in Immunology
University of OtagoThesis on the role of cancer-associated fibroblasts in the tumour immune response in colorectal cancer patients. Supervised by Professor Roslyn Kemp (https://www.otago.ac.nz/microbiology-and-immunology). • Title of thesis: Inflammatory alpha-smooth muscle+ fibroblasts limit intratumoural T cell infiltration in colorectal cancer • Department: Microbiology and ImmunologyMasters of Clinical Immunology
Victoria University of Wellington, New ZealandCompleted with distinction
Thesis on the treatment patterns of hormone therapies in prostate cancer throughout different clinical trials in Europe. Supervised by Professor Anne La Flamme and Dr Lisa Connor (https://people.wgtn.ac.nz/anne.laflamme) (https://people.wgtn.ac.nz/lisa.connor) • Title of thesis: Optimal sequencing of hormone therapies in prostate cancer treatment in New Zealand • Department: School of Biological Sciences
Bachelor of Science in Molecular Pathology and Human Genetics
Victoria University of WellingtonRelevant papers 300-level include: Genes and Genomes, Immunology, Systems Pathology, Cellular Regulation
Imaging plaforms; Nikon A1+, Nikon Ti2E, Andor Dragonfly Spinning Disk, Olympus FV3000, Olympus FV1000, Opera Phenix
Staining and imaging via CyTek Aurora, with spectral unmixing and removal of autofluorescence
Manual staining and imaging using Hyperion, and Hyperion XTi in both Cell and Tissue Mode, analysis using custom Python and R pipeline
Isolating and growing primary fibroblast and lymphocyte populations from human patient tissue, using mechanical and enzymatic tissue dissociation
Isolating cells from human tumour and non-tumour tissue, as well as peripheral blood