51cg

Biography

09/2021 - Present: Diabetes UK RD Lawrence Fellow, 51cg 

03/2019 - 06/2021: Diabetes UK Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 51cg

03/2018 - 03/2019: Wellcome Trust ISSF Research Fellow, 51cg

12/2014 - 03/2018: MRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 51cg

10/2010 - 12/2014: PhD, 51cg

09/2005 - 09/2009: BSc (Hons) Genetics, University of Glasgow

Prizes and Awards

Diabetes UK Innovators in Diabetes 2024 - Presentation Winner

Research Overview

I am interested in the development and function of adipose tissue (body fat). In conditions such as obesity, adipose tissue becomes dysfunctional and no longer safely stores dietary fats. This can lead to severe metabolic complications such as diabetes, fatty liver, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

Some people are unable to make adipose tissue. These rare disorders are known as lipodystrophies. Here, the lack of body fat and inability to safely store dietary fats causes similar metabolic complications to those observed in obesity. For more information on lipodystrophies, visit the , the UK’s only charity dedicated to supporting people affected by Lipodystrophy, which is a rare and life threatening disease affecting approximately 1 in 1 million people across the world. 

My current research utilises mouse models of lipodystrophy to investigate this disorder. My aim is to discover novel therapeutic treatment strategies for patients suffering from lipodystrophy. However, rare disorders such as lipodystrophy can also be used to identify new treatments for more common forms of type 2 diabetes often observed in conditions of obesity.

Knowledge Exchange

Lipodystrophy UK Patient Day (27/03/2026)

Invited speaker

Bucksburn Academy S3 Life Science Class Visit (10/12/2025)

An introduction to the polymerase chain reaction: PCR

 (09/09/25)

Co-organised and hosted at the Rowett Institute as part of the UKCO meeting held in Aberdeen

Rowett Institute “Doors Open Day” (06/09/2025)

Tours of the building to members of the public 

Kemnay Academy Advanced Higher Biology/Science Baccalaureate Visit (01/02/2023) 

PCR practical and Scientific Poster workshop

 Invited speaker (21/05/2019)

Aberdeen, Scotland

Cell Block Science Interactive stall (24/10/2018)

HMP Grampian

 Interactive stall (28/09/2018)

Aberdeen Science Centre

Funding and Grants

Daisy Duncan Legacy Award for Cardiac Research 2025 (£10,000, PI)

New Drivers of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

(£495,283, PI)

Exploiting gene therapy to discover treatments for type 2 diabetes

Wellcome Trust ISSF Seed Corn Fund 2020 (£17,469, Co-I)

Developing viral therapeutics for the treatment of severe diabetes and metabolic disease in lipodystrophy.

10X Genomics/illumina core facility grant @ CGEBM 2019 (~£10,000, PI)

Adipose tissue chromatin profiling in generalised lipodystrophy at single cell resolution

 (€50,000, PI)

Identifying Novel Therapies to Prevent Diabetes in Congenital Lipodystrophy.

Wellcome Trust ISSF Fellowship Support Award 2018 (£60,000, PI)

Does Bscl2 disruption in the liver contribute to metabolic dysfunction in lipodystrophy?

Teaching Responsibilities

MSc Human Nutrition - Molecular Nutrition (RN5502)

Molecular Biology of Lipodystrophy

MSc Diabetes and Metabolism (BM5502)

Sleeve gastrectomy data analysis tutorial

Research Skills For Medical Sciences (SM2501)

Tutor for disease tutorial