Biography:

Emily graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Molecular and Cellular Biology with Professional Placement from the University of Bath in 2019.  During her placement year, she worked for Janssen Pharmaceutica in Belgium, investigating novel biomarkers to be used in the development of new drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

Emily joined the MRC Toxicology Unit in 2020 and is a Research Assistant in the MacFarlane lab.

Research Interests:

My work is currently focused on studying the epigenetic changes that occur following exposure to pathogenic fibres (e.g. long-fibre carbon nanotubes or asbestos). Exposure to these high-aspect ratio biopersistent fibres including a variety of man-made nanofibers results in the development of pleural neoplasia, which in some cases progresses to the mesothelioma. Changes in the epigenome are considered a key feature, both during the prolonged development of the disease and in end-stage tumours. Our aim is to understand the mechanisms underlying changes in the epigenetic landscape as an adverse outcome resulting from exposure to pathogenic fibres.