SULSA Early Career Committee

With representatives from each of SULSA’s 13 members, our Early Career Committee provides a direct line to PhD students, Postdoctoral Researchers and Early Stage PIs to help shape our activities and undertake their own activities to support their professional development.

Dr Thomas Adams

Dr Thomas Adams

Postdoctoral Researcher at the James Hutton Institute

Thomas.adams@hutton.ac.uk

Research Interest: Understanding and Improving Potato Disease Resistance

Dr Badri Aekbote

Dr Badri Aekbote

Research Associate at the University of Glasgow

badri.aekbote@glasgow.ac.uk

Research Interest: Clean-room processing, developing lithography techniques, with micro-nano fabrication, biosensors, mechanobiology and microscopy

Liam Butler

Liam Butler

Postdoctoral Researcher at Glasgow Caledonian University

liam.butler@gcu.ac.uk

Research Interest: Metabolism, Cancer, Liver, Cell Biology

Iona Campbell

Iona Campbell

PhD Student at the University of Strathclyde

iona.campbell.2018@uni.strath.ac.uk

Research Interest: Impact of S-acylation on the trafficking of transmembrane proteins in the secretory pathway

Yuk Woon Cheung

Yuk Woon Cheung

PhD Student at James Hutton Institute

YukWoon.Cheung@hutton.ac.uk

Research Interest: Bioinformatics, Plant Pathology, Genetics and Resistance

Jack Allan Cockerill

Jack Allan Cockerill

PhD Student at University of Strathclyde

jack.allan-cockerill.2019@uni.strath.ac.uk

Research Interest: Identifying peptide inhibitors for the acyltransferase zDHHC-17 to help understand how it regulates cell pathways in pancreatic beta cells and neurons

Victor H. Villar Cortes

Victor H. Villar Cortes

Junior Group Leader at University of St Andrews

vhvc1@st-andrews.ac.uk

Research Interest: Cancer Metabolism, Biomarkers, LCMS Metabolomics and Cell Signaling

Debabrata Dutta

Debabrata Dutta

Postdoctoral Researcher at Heriot-Watt University

d.dutta@hw.ac.uk

Research Interest: Molecular Plant Pathology, Auxin Transporters and Protein Modelling

Tegan Gaetano

Tegan Gaetano

PhD Student at University of Aberdeen

t.gaetano.22@abdn.ac.uk

Research Interest: Pollination, Ecology, Nutrition, Genomics and Hymenoptera

Kay Grace

Kay Grace

PhD Student at University of the West of Scotland

kay.grace@uws.ac.uk

Research Interest: Parasitology, Ecotoxicology and Zoology

Sean Thomas Graham

Sean Thomas Graham

PhD Student at University of Aberdeen

s.graham2.23@abdn.ac.uk

Research Interest: Biophysics, Bere Barley, Plant-Soil Interactions, Rhizosheath and Root Hairs

Ines Jmel-Boyer

Ines Jmel-Boyer

PhD Student at University of Dundee

2436525@dundee.ac.uk

Research Interest: Asymmetric Cell Division in Drosophila Neural Stem Cells

Namanpreet Kaur

Namanpreet Kaur

PhD Student at University of Dundee

2661267@dundee.ac.uk

Research Interest: Molecular Mechanisms of Neurodevelopment and Intellectual Disability

Nuruddin Mahadik

Nuruddin Mahadik

PhD Student at Robert Gordon University

n.mahadik@rgu.ac.uk

Research Interest: Nano based drug delivery systems, development of multi-target treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease

Nicola Morrice

Nicola Morrice

Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Dundee

nzmorrice@dundee.ac.uk

Research Interest: Dementia, DNA Damage, Diabetes and Metabolism

Amy Newall

Amy Newall

PhD Student at the University of Edinburgh

a.s.newell@sms.ed.ac.uk

Research Interest: Plant Photobiology and Protein Production

Lydia Niemi

Lydia Niemi

Postdoctoral Researcher at University of the Highlands and Islands

lydia.niemi@uhi.ac.uk

Research Interest: Emerging Contaminants, Pharmaceutical Pollution, Sustainable Healthcare, Wastewater Treatment and Instrumental Analysis

Dr Prosenjit Pal

Dr Prosenjit Pal

Senior Research Associate at the University of Dundee

pzpal@dundee.ac.uk 

Research Interest: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Tina Sarapa

Tina Sarapa

PhD Researcher at Heriot-Watt University

ts66@hw.ac.uk

Research Interest: Photoactivatable Fluorophores and Single Molecule Localisation Microscopy

Livia C T Scorza

Livia C T Scorza

Data Team Leader at University of Edinburgh

livia.scorza@ed.ac.uk

Research Interest: Open Science, FAIR Data, Data Curation and Data Sharing

Jamie Whitelaw

Jamie Whitelaw

Lecturer at University of the West of Scotland

jamie.whitelaw@uws.ac.uk

Research Interest: Toxoplasma, Host-Parasite Interactions, Cytoskeleton, Actin, Cell Migration

Meng Wu

Meng Wu

CDT SuMMeR Postgraduate Researcher at Heriot-Watt University

mw2029@hw.ac.uk 

Research Interest: Fisheries Science, Data Science and Energy Transition Engineering for Fishing Activities  

“SULSA has been an invaluable resource for me as I start my own independent research career. I was fortunate to be a recipient of the ‘SULSA Innovation Seed Fund Award’ which has enabled myself as an early career lecturer and PI to establish my first independent collaboration with industry. SULSA have also provided me with the opportunity to support the graduate employability masterclasses which are an outstanding resource for life sciences university students in Scotland. Furthermore, they have also given me the opportunity to attend numerous events and it was through networking at one of these events in which I was introduced to my first Ph.D. student.”

Dr Ryan Kean
SULSA ECR Rep, Glasgow Caledonian University

“I am a recipient of the SULSA ScotCHEM Natural Products in the Bio-economy funding grant. Although the project has been delayed due to the pandemic, leading a funding call as a the main PI has been an excellent training process for future grant applications. Moreover, this award has boosted my CV and I am sure will help me in my next career steps as it is important to demonstrate skills on funding acquisition.”

Dr Sylvia Soldatou
SULSA ECR Rep, University of Robert Gordon

“SULSA has provided me with invaluable opportunities and support in recent years. In my role as SULSA ECR representative, I have sat on award and funding panels, been a member of the Disruptive Technologies Conference organising committee, and tweeted about the funding landscape and research activity in Life Sciences across all sectors in Scotland. These experiences have equipped me with vital knowledge, skills, and networks for progressing my career. As a direct result, I have been able to form two new collaborations that each secured SULSA seed funding towards establishing independent lines of research.”

Dr Christine Merrick
SULSA ECR Rep, University of Edinburgh

“I was involved in the launching event of Scottish Natural Products Network (SNaPNet) where I moderated the sessions on “What training do graduates need for a career in NPs”. As an ECR actively working and building a career on natural products research, this networking event has been a great opportunity to meet and interact with scientists from academia and industry based in Scotland who share the same interested in natural products. It has expanded my network and is great to know that there is great potential for future collaborations.”

Dr Sylvia Soldatou
SULSA ECR Rep, University of Robert Gordon

“SULSA has helped me make invaluable connections with others in a number of Scottish Universities’ and ‘I have been supported by SULSA to attend a number of SULSA’s conferences and skills training courses which I found insightful and I would recommend others to attend in the future.”

Dr Gemma Barron
SULSA ECR Rep, University of Robert Gordon

“Inspired by the successful Breaking Barriers in STEM first event, I am currently a member of the Breaking Barriers in STEM: Mental Health & Wellbeing Working Group. Along with other ECRs and senior scientists we aim to identify issues that are jeopardising our wellbeing within academia, and propose solutions. As an advocate of work life balance and prioritising our wellbeing, this opportunity has allowed me to share my thoughts on this matter and to help build a better academic environment for future generations.”

Dr Sylvia Soldatou
SULSA ECR Rep, University of Robert Gordon

“SULSA has provided numerous and impactful ways to create an active network of researchers, especially early career researchers, across Scotland. One of the events SULSA helped me organised was the Infectious Diseases Research Initiative in Scotland (IDRIS) satellite meeting for ECRs working in parasitology. This event attracted over 100 attendees, mostly ECRs, and promoted open and positive discussions about career progression, alternative career paths, as well as lots of networking opportunities.”

Dr Juan F. Quintana
Former SULSA ECR Rep, University of Glasgow

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