My first degree was in Applied Biology at Cardiff University, with an industrial placement at Merck Chemicals and, following graduation in 2004, short-term work with the Centre for Research into the Environment and Health (CREH) based in Leeds. I then embarked upon a Ph.D. at Reading University (hosted jointly with Cardiff University) in the field of environmental molecular genetics investigating the inorganic speciation, biochemical fingerprinting and molecular genetic responses of Lumbricus rubellus exposed to vastly elevated concentrations of Pb and Zn in their natural environment. This work was jointly supervised by Professors John Morgan (Cardiff), Mark Hodson (Reading) and Stephen Sturzenbaum (Kings College London). Further industrial experience followed with contract work at Modern Water and Amersham Biosciences and then a short-term post-doctoral position at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH).

In 2009 I joined the laboratories of Dr Paul McKean and Professor Michael Ginger (now at the University of Huddersfield) at Lancaster University for a post-doctoral position looking at the molecular and cellular biology of trypanosome parasites. More specifically we were interested in how the TBCC-domain containing protein RP2 is specifically targeted to the T. brucei basal body (centriole), work that broadened further to looking at the localisation and function of other basal body targeted and TBCC-domain containing proteins. In 2012 I side-stepped into the more technical role of Bioimaging Facilities Manager for the Department of Biomedical and Life Sciences at Lancaster University. I had responsibility for the light microscopy needs of the department including a Zeiss LSM880 laser-scanning confocal microscope and an Applied Precision DeltaVision deconvolution microscope.

I joined the Department of Biological and Geographical Sciences at the University of Huddersfield as a Senior Research Fellow in August 2017