Profile

I live with my husband and our cat in Oxford. I like late mornings and long walks. When I am out of the lab you can find me starting a new craft project, trying a new “improv” recipe, watching some good detective series or playing board games with my husband. I also love nature and hiking (just got back from walking Hadrian’s Wall Path from coast to coast!!). Ah, and I am a huge fan of Doctor Who!

My kitty says hi!

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Oxford. I am interested in understanding how changes in serotonin have an impact on emotional learning in experimental models. Neurons use specialised chemical mediators called neurotransmitters to communicate with each other, within and across brain regions. Serotonin is a key neurotransmitter in healthy mood regulation and emotional processing. I am researching how changes in the serotonin system in specific areas of the brain have an impact on emotional learning.

Understanding the role of serotonin in emotional learning will help us better understand healthy mood states and the biological mechanisms that make us prone to disorders such as anxiety and depression.

I usually get up to the cat-alarm asking for breakfast, but I like sleeping in so my husband usually has to chip in to make sure I do wake up! Breakfast varies but my first coffee is really a must! A walk through the parks gets me to work (usually with lots of stops to see new ducklings and other little wonders!). At work my days are quite varied. Some days I spend a lot of time on my computer analysing data, preparing future experiments or writing up. Other days are really busy with experiments. No time to get bored! I enjoy having different challenges to face every day. On some days I also attend meetings or teach. At the end of the work day I have another nice walk home. Some evenings I go to the gym for a bit of Zumba or running on the treadmill to unwind. I also always find time to play with my kitty and to work on my crochet projects while watching some detective series or the last episode of Doctor Who on the telly!

Views from my walk to work!