Briefly, tell us about your background and career up to this point?
I trained as a medical doctor and specialist in Internal Medicine and Haematology, and then I decided to do my PhD at King's in the field of Cancer Immunology. After finishing my PhD, I realised how interesting immunology is, and decided to do a master's degree in Medical Immunology too!
I am currently a Senior Lecturer in Applied Cancer Immunopathology at King's and an Honorary Clinical Haematologist at Guy's Hospital.
What is a typical day like for you, and how has this changed from when you would commute to the office?
Well, it depends on the day really... if it’s a clinic day then most of the day I am in touch with patients by phone. I try to review their symptoms and blood results, which is not always easy, and of course we see those patients who need face-to-face appointments.
Other days are a mixture of virtual meetings with my students and postdocs, as well as colleagues, reading and reviewing papers, writing grants and some admin work related to college and lab meetings. Of course, a significant time also goes to lectures, marking essays and preparing teaching materials.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, like anywhere else, we are trying to manage our work remotely, which is not always easy. Nevertheless, we have learnt a lot from it and personally I’ve realised that we really don’t need all those face-to-face meetings and commuting between campuses to see people.
What do you think people in the School would find most surprising about you?
Perhaps it’s a bit surprising for people that my childhood dream was to be a commercial airplane pilot!
How have you adjusted so far to working from home?
Although some days I have to commute to work for my clinical duties, working from home has been surprisingly rewarding. Not having to commute saves me an hour a day which I can spend on science.
What advice would you give to yourself to your 18-year-old self?
Aim high but choose your goals carefully and realistically.
Can you please tell us a bit about your current research projects?
The focus of my team is the role of immune system in cancer and how changes in overall immune response could affect disease outcome in specific haematological diseases, known as bone marrow failure syndromes (BMFs). I am particularly interested in a specific immune cells called regulatory T cells (Tregs) and their function in BMFs.
QUICK-FIRE
Your favourite season... That’s easy... Autumn.
Your favourite book...Watching the English by Kate Fox. I’ve learnt a lot about English culture, and highly recommend it to our international students and staff!
You'd happily spend an hour cooking... I love cooking and if I have time, I try to cook something exotic.