What motivated you to come to Bristol and do this programme?

The University's reputation and the structure of the PhD programme. The mini projects in my first year enabled me to develop a multidisciplinary skills set, which will provide helpful for my PhD project.

What is the key research question of your PhD research project and what have you found out so far?

I am interested in how the IGF system interacts with pathways in cholesterol metabolism to promote prostate cancer progression. Using Mendelian randomization techniques we have found that men with prostate cancer are genetically more likely to have higher circulating LDL cholesterol. We are extending this analysis to investigate interactions between cholesterol and IGFs using epidemiological and cell culture techniques.  

Where did your research lead and what are your future career plans?

My research will hopefully contribute to the understanding of how prostate cancers progress from indolent to clinically significant cancers that will affect a man's life. I hope to continue working in this field as a postdoctoral researcher.

Where are they now?

I have remained at the University of Bristol as a Senior Research Associate in the School of Cellular and Molecular medicine.