SLEIGHT LAB - Key Persons
Danielle is a PhD student in the EASTBIO DTP studying calcium transport mechanisms in shellfish biomineralization using CRISPR-cas9 genome editing. She earned her BSc in Marine Biology from the University of Rhode Island in the United States, and then worked as a research assistant at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. There, she used CRISPR-cas9 to study the evolution of sex chromosomes in the Xenopus genus and making CRISPR mutants as models for human disease. Her research with the Sleight lab blends her love of invertebrate developmental biology and genetics.
Outside of research, Danielle enjoys diving, hiking, yoga, and reading an obscene amount of books.
Job Titles:
- Research Assistant, ACME & ScRNAseq ), Now Post - Doc in the Collinson Lab
Job Titles:
- Technician
- School of Biological Sciences Technician
The Sleight Lab is supported by Dr Sue Phillips, an extremely talented School of Biological Sciences technician. Sue joined the school with extensive experience in academic and industry molecular biology research. Since completing her PhD at the University of Aberdeen in 2004, Sue has worked at Pfizer, Scotia Biologics, the NHS and University of Miami and we are extremely grateful she has returned to Aberdeen.
Sue also now holds research fellow positions in the Scottish Fish Immunology Research Centre and Scottish Biologics Facility.
Job Titles:
- Principal Investigator / Lecturer in Marine Biology ( Assistant Professor USA Equiv. )
Vicky is in love with evolution and development - aka "evo-devo". Through a range of undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral experiences she has found her way to marine invertebrates and seashells as an inspiring and powerful system to understand fundamental questions in animal evolution and development. Vicky earned a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Marine Biology from the University of Plymouth and a Ph.D. in Marine Biology from Heriot-Watt University and the British Antarctic Survey. She held a Junior Research Fellowship from Wolfson College in the Department of Zoology at University of Cambridge (2017-2020) and two Whitman Center Fellowships at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, USA (summers 2018 & 2019).
Kiera is a Zoology undergraduate student with an interest in developmental genomics. Kiera's research is investigating the development of GABAergic neurons in Crepidula fornicata and she wants to pursue a career in genomics research after graduation.
Lucy is a Zoology undergraduate student. Prior to university, she developed an interest in endocrinology, neonatal development and conservation through her initial study and work in animal care. At university, she found her academic niche in research and malacology. Now in the Sleight Lab, Lucy is conducting her honours project investigating gene expression of 5αR-like enzymes in Crepidula fornicata and their putative role in early shell morphogenesis. Lucy hopes to continue her love for research by pursuing a PhD.
Beyond academics, she enjoys listening to science podcasts, bird watching and cooking.
Molly is a PhD student in the Sleight Lab researching the developmental pathways behind superior resilience to ocean acidification of an invasive slipper snail (Crepidula fornicata). She studied her undergraduate degree in Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology at the University of Plymouth. After graduating with a keen interest in research she worked as a research assistant for Nekton, a deep-sea research charity based in Oxford. During this time she gained research experience at sea and in the lab. After several years working in research and wanting to pursue this career she moved to Newfoundland, Canada, to study for her master's in marine biology at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. Her MSc research focussed on the behavioural ecology and temperature tolerance of the invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas). After realising ecology was not her research passion, she followed her love for lab work and evolutionary biology to find her home with the Sleight Lab.
Sarah is a Marine Biology undergraduate student. She has an interest in developmental genomics and her honours project investigates early neural development in Credipula fornicata. After graduation, Sarah wants to keep researching genomics but is still unsure of the exact career path she wants to take.
Sofia Varvaresou (2021 - Hons project student), now MSc student at the University of Sheffield, studying Reproductive and Developmental Medicine