Wednesday 13 November 2013

Books 3

As part of my PhD I have already read so many articles and textbooks my head is spinning with all this new information, but with all of that my studies seem to be forming a direction at last (after at least a month of being a bookworm). Anyway I want to talk about one book in particular which was lent to me by my main supervisor.
It is a sort of guide into the world of epigenetics for beginners which is the stage I was at. A totally fascinating read and goes through step by step the evidence for epigenetics and has lots of diagrams so is very easy to follow and it has a clear logic which is amazing considering the depth of the field and how most of the events are interwoven. It totally changed my view on genetics, before I viewed it as very static with a blueprint and that was it, now it seems more fluid and technically controlled. The depth with which scientists can view things is incredible and this emerging field highlights this. I am so excited to hopefully be contributing work to this field in my PhD...bring on the fun in the next 3yrs

Wednesday 2 October 2013

Let the PhD commence

This week has been very hectic. Firstly organizing everything and then moving, which all went surprisingly well.
Then there was all the formal things that had to be done at the Uni but am now settled so all is fine.
It is now onto the task of choosing courses and reading the subject area in more depth so I can determine the exact question I am going to research, all very exciting stuff. Even delving into the field of epigenetics so am in a kind of geek heaven at the moment I believe.
All in all lots done in a short space of time and yet bizarrely it seems like I have done very little at all, like this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Thursday 12 September 2013

University and festival times :) 2

Well life has been hectic over the past two or three weeks.
It was then I was contacted about an opportunity to do a PhD at the University of Nottingham which I thought had gone as I had applied months ago but nope, so I am now going there to study at the end of this month :) Since the e-mail it has been a whirlwind to get paperwork done and things ready but I can't wait!!! To top it off the PhD is in a genetics based topic!!! I finally feel like I am getting somewhere after almost a year of trying. So on Tuesday I went to explore the city and see where I will be studying and sort out details. I can say I love the place already and felt at home there even in such a short space of time.
In amongst that excitement on Monday I went to the British Science Festival that was held in Newcastle (a city I am very familiar with). I think this festival can be described as the Edinburgh Fringe for nerds. I was definitely disappointed to only make one day but in that day I sat in on two very interesting talks: one on perception which featured a little bit on autism, and another on how chimpanzee brains differ from ours. I would have loved to have sat in on Michael Mosley's talk yesterday....soooo many amazing things. There were even interactive exhibits and street entertainers around Newcastle University so it was truly for all ages. Even the cat looked interested for all of a second
As you can gather a very busy two days but they were well worth it.
Any advice on doing a PhD and balancing the workload would be much appreciated :)

Monday 26 August 2013

University and festival times :)

Yesterday I just registered for a course in Medical Genetics (MRes) at Newcastle University :) I am sooooo excited about this opportunity and cannot wait to be a student again :)I have already started looking over some of the modules I will be studying and am so inspired already. Gunna be a long year but a good one.

Also today I have been looking at the British Science Festival which is coming to Newcastle 7t-12th September. It seems amazign so many shows and exhibits even street performers...no doubt be bloggin about it on here after I've been. Anyone fancying it look at @BritSciFest on twitter

Nature Vs Nurture- eating disorders

This is the age old debate in science and psychology. The idea being how much of our traits are determined biologically (specifically by our DNA) and how much is due to the environment we surround ourselves with.

A good example of this debate in action is eating disorders. In psychology there are many theories why individuals may develop a disorder including a good mix of biological and environmental arguments. A specific place where this really comes to light is in dancers. As a dancer myself since the age of 3yrs old being in and out of classes of differing styles and teaching in the past year or so it has obviously played a huge part in my life so naturally I am curious about this special case and how much research has been done. It is argued that traditionally this is seen in ballet dancers with the pressure to be thin to produce beautiful lines and increase flexibility, I would argue this is the case for aerial arts as well which I have started taking classes in within the last few months and already I find myself working out more whether it is because I want to lose weight and be thinner or to get stronger so I can do more complex moves I cannot decide.

What got me thinking about this topic was this article on the BBC News website that I read ironically during my lunch break at work
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22985310
Like I have mentioned above in my experience as a dancer the arguments in this article ring true. In the studio you are used to seeing other people in tight clothing and it is very competitive always wanting to improve and better yourself and if that means losing weight so be it. You will naturally compare your figure to those around you as well as your idols. My idols range from Ginger Rodgers to Dita Von Tease (yes I do have a wild side) so I would consider myself as having a healthy outlook yet I will watch what I eat and the amount I exercise so there is still some element of control and wanting to stay a certain weight there. The articles listed at the end of this post which I have also read agree also.
You can therefore easily see the environmental factors at work in my case, but has anyone done any work to determine whether there is a biological predisposition or trigger that makes certain individuals more prone to this? If anyone knows of any research into this I would be most interested to know :)

http://eat-26.com/Docs/Garner-Sociocultural-Factors-1980.pdf
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/erv.605/abstract
http://www.mclean.harvard.edu/pdf/news/mitn/mp0803.pdf
http://londondance.com/articles/features/danceuk-conference-nutrition-and-disordered-eating/
http://www.scienceofeds.org/2013/05/09/dancing-your-way-to-recovery-from-anorexia-nervosa/
http://www.dancing-times.co.uk/features/item/830-thecomplicatedtrutheatingdisordersinballet
http://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/3584
http://dancerseatingdisorders.wordpress.com/2011/05/09/effects-of-eating-disorders-on-dancers/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2719561/
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eat.20299/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false

Wednesday 10 July 2013

Books 2

Well we have word from the interviewer and it turns out they are looking for voluntary work so I can gain some Laboratory experience. Onwards and upwards :) Still applying for jobs and did get an exciting e-mail this week things are looking better.

Anyway the book (which I will admit I finished weeks ago but life has prevented me from typing this up), it is a MUST read for any budding geneticist out there (well any scientist really). Such an emotional read as it really tells the story of the family as well as the cells. I know from experience of working with cells it is easy to forget that those cells come from a human being and that person has a life, this is a concept that can really be seen in this book and fascinated me. Deborah's journey learning about the cells so she can be closer to her mother was heartbreaking and amazing to read. It shows how much scientists can affect the world and the people within it. The other fascinating thing reading the book was how much the cells have improved science and technology, plus the fact they are still being used today.

In the near future I plan to access some of the references from that book and look into the use of the cells more.

Monday 3 June 2013

Books

          Well so far no word after last weeks interview on what the guy is looking at for me, but never fear I am still applying for jobs and reading the news.

           I have recently downloaded some samples of a few genetics books on my kindle. Three guesses which one has caught my attention the most.....

Yep, good old Henrietta. I devoured the sample in less than half an hr I was that engrossed (I am a pretty slow reader). Definitely getting the book out from the library tomorrow. The reason it caught my attention so much was because unlike conventional scientific books that get bogged down in detail, this writer is very refreshing and portrays the subject with genuine intrigue which makes me want to read more. I have wanted to read this book since it was mentioned in one of my genetics modules but I just haven't had the time in between uni work then, traveling and working in America last summer, and real life now (if there is one thing you should know about me it is I like to keep myself busy as I get bored easily). I will report back when I have read the full book.

                

Thursday 30 May 2013

Introduction


         I guess I should start by explaining what this blog is about. Basically I love genetics. Ever since my first biology lesson at GCSE level when it was mentioned something caught my imagination. That was it, in that moment I knew I wanted to work in that field or if not a field closely related. During my first year of Sixth Form I studied a course with the Open University which was entitled Human Genetics and Health Issues. Through studying at that high a level I started to appreciate what genetics could do and how wide an impact it actually has. Also I hadn't realized how many ethical issues there are surrounding genetics, particularly stem cell research as in the stroke trial that is currently ongoing.
        I guess I also have a pretty personal reason for liking genetics as well. I have Turners Syndrome, for anyone that doesn't know this is the condition that originates from inheriting only one X chromosome. There are also other conditions in my immediate family which I have looked into and research seems to show that at least part of their conditions is based in genetics. Either way there is definitely a personal interest there either selfish or curious about others I'll let you decide.
        As curious as I was then and still am I did a lot of reading and found myself doing a degree in Bio-medical Sciences where again my interest was captured by the genetics modules more than any other. Also in my dissertation I was lucky enough to get the chance to work on a project that aimed to produced plasmid vectors the would underexpress the NDOR1 gene whose products are believed to be involved in the metabolism of some anti-cancer drugs so it is hoped that evidence gathered from this research maybe used for potential cancer therapies. All of this showed me the potential of genetics and the impact it has on each and every one of us.
         When I was in America in the summer of 2012 I met an amazing woman who is currently involved in research so naturally we got chatting and she showed me around her work place which was awesome! This again showed me the power of science and reinforced the idea that I wanted this as a future career. I am still in contact with her and yes ladies and gentlemen we do talk about things other than science (though that is what we both love)


                So that is the short story of how I got to where I am today, basically a petite lady with a big dream which is to get into the field of genetics research. I will use this blog to chart my progress and anything I find interesting as in books or research articles. I am opinionated when it comes to articles so be warned...only joking but I will say what I think.

               Today I might have taken a step in the right direction career wise. I had an interview on Tuesday for a job as a Medical Laboratory Assistant, in the hospital I currently work for, which seemed to go well and I had a tour of the laboratory which was very exciting. A lot different to the laboratories I was used to at university as the tests are mostly done by machines so they are a lot easier to standardize and monitor. It was actually like seeing my dream place to work, a privilege really as currently I work in an office prepping patient notes for clinics. I was contacted today and told I hadn't got the job I was interviewed for, but not all hope is lost ..... and I shall leave you on that cliffhanger. If anyone has any advice or comments in general I would love to know :)