51cg

Biography

Elaina Collie-Duguid was awarded a first class BSc (Hons) degree in molecular biology from the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia in 1990. Her time as a research assistant at the Centre for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (currently The Institute of Molecular Bioscience), University of Queensland, was followed by a period of international travel, culminating in a move to Aberdeen in 1993 to begin a PhD in molecular and cellular biology at the Rowett Research Institute. In 1996, Dr Collie-Duguid took up post as a post-doctoral scientist in the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics at the 51cg and she now heads a Cancer Medicine research group with a particular focus on breast cancer within the Cancer Biomedicine programme.

Dr Collie-Duguid manages the Centre for Genome Enabled Biology and Medicine (CGEBM) at the 51cg. CGEBM provides strategic direction and coordinated management of the 51cg’s genomics facilities and facilitates genomics enabled interdisciplinary research by provision of specialised expertise, infrastructure, training, a focal point for collaboration and information exchange and genomics services to the research community. CGEBM provides specialist services in next generation sequencing (NGS), microarrays, bioinformatics and biostatistics. CGEBM helps to drive genome focused research forward by developing and exploiting modern genomic technologies to accelerate discovery of novel approaches to improve human health, the environment and agriculture within the diverse programmes of applied translational, clinical, biomedical and biological research at the 51cg.

External Memberships

Scientific Member of the Experimental and Translational Medicine Research Committee of the Chief Scientist Office, 2009-2014

Scientific Member of the Biomedical and Therapeutics Research Committee of the Chief Scientist Office, 2005-2009.

Research Overview

Dr Collie-Duguid's research interest is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling tumorigenesis, survival of cancer patients and chemoresistance in solid tumours, with a particular focus on breast cancers.  Biomarker discovery for prediction of clinical outcomes, including response to therapy; and novel drug target identification for drug development are key elements of her translational research programme. Dr Collie-Duguid has an interest in using genomic tools to understand human disease and important biological processes.

Teaching Responsibilities

Dr Collie-Duguid teaches on level 5 courses MB5021 Bioinformatics, MT5003 Drug Metabolism and Toxicology, and MT5515 Research Methods, level 4 PA4302 Molecular Toxicology, level 3 PA3802 Mechanisms of Disease and Principles of Chemotherapy and Intercalated BSc MB ChB teaching in Genetic variation and Bioinformatics, and provides research project supervision to level 5 MSc students in the field of genomics.