Editorial Board

Marina Kolesnichenko (Max Delbrück Center, Berlin): Group leader at the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin working on inflammation and cellular senescence. Marina was a post-doctoral researcher at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine where she worked NFkappa B signalling. She completed her DPhil in Biochemistry with the focus on RNA processing in Oxford, and her PhD in the lab of Peter Vogt at TSRI, researching mTOR signalling in senescence. Before coming to Oxford, Marina was at UCSF for her MSc in Biomedical Sciences. Marina is active in outreach and is currently serving as Regional Leader for the Lincoln Alumni in Germany and as Vice-President of the Oxford Alumni Society Berlin.

Stefania Monterisi (DPAG): cellular and molecular post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (DPAG) at Oxford University. Stefania is investigating intracellular mechanisms and signalling pathways that lead to diseases like cystic fibrosis, cardiac hypertrophy and cancer. She earned her Master degree and her PhD in Italy, and she trained as visiting scientist in different research centres, including the prestigious Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine in Padova and the University of Glasgow. Stefania serves as President of the DPAG Post Doc Society. Apart from lab work, she enjoys gym sessions, reading and choir singing, and she fills up most of her spare time with volunteering in different projects that help homeless people in Oxford and taking part in science clubs as STEM Ambassador.

Alex (Che Chun) Tsui (Biochemistry): Skaggs (USA) and Croucher (Hong Kong) Scholar on a joint PhD and DPhil program between Oxford University and TSRI. Previously Rhodes Scholar Finalist from Hong Kong. Alex researches mechanisms of novel ion channels, via a combined structural-computational approach. Before coming to Oxford, Alex graduated with a MSc in Biology (Structural Biology & Biophysics) from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zürich). He was awarded First Class Honours for his BSc in Biochemistry from the University College London. At Phenotype, Alex manages sponsorship, funds, and layout design. Outside of work, Alex enjoys wine tasting and learning about viticulture. He recently attained the WSET Level 3 (Advanced) Award in Wines.

Komal Yasmin (Biochemistry): Komal is a Wellcome trust funded student working in the Neil Brockdorff lab. She is enthusiastic about investigating the mechanisms responsible for differential CpG island methylation during X inactivation in mammals. Before coming to Oxford, she graduated from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan with distinction and an award for Dean’s honor roll. She was awarded a gold medal for her undergraduate in microbiology and molecular genetics. She also serves as a  tutor at New College, University of Oxford , where she teaches undergraduate molecular biology courses.

Grace Pixton (The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla): After completing a BSc. with Honors at the University of Illinois, Grace began her biotechnology career at Amunix Pharmaceuticals, a Bay Area start-up company. Her interest in Molecular Biology led her to AbbVie Inc., where she worked as a Scientist in Protein Engineering for early-stage Immuno-Oncology research. Passionate about bridging the gap between industry and academia, Grace began her Ph.D. at The Scripps Research Institute in 2020. Her research focuses on antibody affinity maturation and vaccine design under the supervision of Dr. William Schief. Grace is a devoted wife and mother of three and enjoys discussing Philosophy, exploring the outdoors, and baking in her free time.

Elif Özcan (Charite Universitätsmedizin Berlin): is a Ph.D. student in the laboratory of Dr. Kolesnichenko where she is investigating the NF-kB-driven cellular senescence in IBD and CRC. After completing her bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and genetic program at Middle East Technical University, Turkey, she continued her master’s degree in the molecular and cellular biology program at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany. In her leisure time, she enjoys going to art museums, cinema festivals, and concerts. 

Laura Steel: Laura is a DPhil student in the Peirson Circadian and Visual Neuroscience group, supervised by Professor Stuart Peirson and Professor Russell Foster. Her research aims to integrate circadian neuroscience with visual ecology, to understand how circadian rhythms are regulated by the natural light environment.

Daniel Frey: Daniel is a Wellcome Trust funded DPhil student in the Department of Biochemistry, who aims to combine structural biology with computational biochemistry to study interactions of proteins involved intracellular protein trafficking. He is also enrolled in the University of Bayreuth’s certificate programme in Biological Physics. Before moving to Oxford, Daniel conducted his B.Sc. and M.Sc. studies in Biochemistry at the Technical University of Munich in Germany, where he computationally investigated the mechanisms underlying proton transfer within the respiratory chain enzyme cytochrome C oxidase. In addition to his scientific interests, Daniel enjoys playing the clarinet, rowing, and climbing.

Swathi Lingam (National University of Singapore and A*STAR, Singapore): research fellow developing novel cellular therapeutics against degenerative retinal diseases and investigating how retinal ageing leads to degeneration. Prior to this, Swathi was a postdoctoral scientist at DPAG, Oxford, where she studied the function of an ABC transporter in diabetes.  She completed her PhD in Biochemistry and MSc in Cancer research from the University of Manchester, where she studied two ABC transporters involved in multidrug resistance. In her free time, she enjoys reading, blogging about science and staying fit by swimming and boxing. 

Julia Hecker: is a PhD student at the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany in the department of Gastroenterology, Rheumatology and Infectiology where she is studying the role of T cells in inflammatory bowel disease. Apart from that, she is working close with the clinics to diagnose and characterize patients with rare auto-inflammatory diseases. Outside of the lab, she enjoys bouldering, inline skating and travelling. 

Marilena Letizia: is currently a PhD student at the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany in the department of Gastroenterology, Rheumatology and Infectiology, where she is investigating the contribution of adipose tissue and adipokines to the development of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. She is very proactive in collaborating on different scientific projects, with a particular interest in the latest trending technologies such as Mass cytometry and scRNA sequencing. She obtained her B.Sc. with the focus on Biotechnology at the University of Milan and continued with her M.Sc. focusing on Immunology and Glycobiology at the University of Milan and Tohoku Pharmaceutical University in Sendai, Japan. Outside of the lab, Marilena has a keen interest in Arts and Acrobatics. She is currently serving in structured mentorship programs aiming at empowering female networks and growth in science.

Bakhrom Muinjonov (Charite Medical University in Berlin):
I am a PhD student at Max-Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité, in the Department of Neuroimmunology. My research project is focused on developing human-murine brain slices as a model system to study neurodegenerative diseases. 
I finished MBBS degree and did clinical fellowship at the University of Siena, following which I finished medical neuroscience master program at Charite Medical University and fundamental neuroscience and neuropsychopharmacology master course at University of Bordeaux.

Nadra Alzain (Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany in the Department of Gastroenterology, Rheumatology, and Infectiology): is a Ph.D. student studying the intestinal mucus properties in inflammatory bowel disease. She has a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Damascus University, Syria, and a master’s degree in molecular biology from Debrecen University, Hungary. Outside of the lab, she enjoys biking, reading, and watching movies.

Sophie Zahalka: After receiving her bachelor’s degree in microbiology and genetics at the University of Vienna, Austria, Sophie completed her master’s in microbiology and immunology at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. Currently, she is working as a PhD student at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, where she investigates the immunomodulatory potential of lung-resident macrophages in the context of respiratory infections. Outside the lab, Sophie is very passionate about singing/song writing and graphic design.

Liska Crofts: has edited a number of projects including Edinburgh University’s Retrospect Journal and the Quarterly Journal Kwartalnik Historyczny for the Polish Academy of Sciences Historical Institute (IHPAN). She read Classical Archaeology & Ancient History at Oxford University and following a brief career in Marketing, now develops software. Running, DIY and playing the piano are her current preferred means to blow off steam.

Amanda Ng: is a PhD student in the lab of Georg Winter at the Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Science (CeMM), Austria. There, she studies E3 ligases using high-content imaging approaches. Prior to moving to CeMM, she completed her BSc. (with Honours) majoring in life sciences in addition to two interdisciplinary programmes (the University Scholars Programme and the Special Programme in Science) at the National University of Singapore, Singapore. In her free time, Amanda enjoys exploring teas and tea brewing techniques, writing, and reading comics. Occasionally, she gets too engrossed in baking/cooking and spends hours in the kitchen.

Kar Lai Pang: works as a post-doctoral researcher at Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics at the Radcliffe Department of Medicine (Oxford University). She is primarily interested in investigating how proteins in the endothelial cell layer sense or transduce force to identify the downstream mechanosensitive pathways that lead to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Before coming to Oxford, she earned her Master of Pharmacy and PhD in Biomedical Sciences degree at University of Nottingham. Outside the lab, she enjoys hiking, yoga and baking. 

Luisa Barleben: is a PhD student and a licensed physician at the Charitè Universitätsmedizin Berlin, department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology in the lab of Marina Kolesnichenko.  She is working on epithelial NF-κB signaling in colitis both in acute inflammation and in resolution. For several years Luisa was a coordinator at the European Students Conference, one of the leading international symposia in biomedicine for young scientists. She worked as Women’s and Equal opportunities officer at the Charité parallel to her medical studies where she was responsible for public relations and the statistical analysis of data relating to diversity and gender equality. Outside the lab Luisa enjoys hiking, graphic design, and singing in choirs. 

Asma Farhat (Medical University of Vienna, Austria and the Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Science (CeMM)) : is a PhD student currently exploring the role of an ageing immune system in the context of chronic lung diseases. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science and her master’s in Functional Genomics and Drug Discovery from The University of Sheffield, UK. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places, reading and horse-riding.