I am delighted to announce that Lorna Harries, Professor of Molecular Genetics at the University of Exeter Medical School and co-founder of SENISCA is now ideaXme mentor to Dr Marija Ksenija Zacharova, Research Associate at the University of St Andrews.
Professor Lorna Harries, ideaXme Mentor
Professor Harries comments: “I’m delighted to be a mentor for Marija. We share an interest in developing animal-free approaches to human-relevant research, and I have met many of the challenges that she currently faces as an early career researcher. I hope I will be able help her to navigate them!”.
Lorna Harries gained her PhD in Genetics from University College London in November 1994 and now leads the RNA-mediated disease mechanisms group at the University of Exeter College of Medicine and Health. Her group has interests in alternative messenger RNA processing, non-coding RNA and epigenetic gene regulation in the context of ageing and chronic disease.
Professor Harries holds a personal chair in molecular genetics at the University of Exeter Medical School, where she leads the RNA-mediated disease mechanisms group, and a position as Co-Founder, director and Chief Scientific Officer for SENISCA (www.senisca.com), a senotherapeutics spin out company built on research from the Harries team.
First To Report Dysregulation Of Alternative Splicing As A New, And Druggable, Hallmark Of Ageing
Lorna has interests in omics approaches to the study of human ageing and age-related disease processes in man, and her work ranges from ‘big data’ analyses to detailed individual molecular analysis of particular genes. Her team were the first to report dysregulation of alternative splicing as a new, and druggable, hallmark of ageing.
Dr Marija Zacharova, ideaXme Mentee
Dr Zacharova comments: “I am very lucky to have Lorna as my mentor – advice and insight of someone this experienced both in academia and industry will no doubt be invaluable in helping me navigate my career progression. Most importantly, I am excited to be working with a mentor who is involved in animal-free research – the field I am passionate about and would love to work in in the future.”
Marija is a PDRA (Post-Doctoral Research Assistant) with experience in a broad range of disciplines spanning chemical synthesis, drug discovery, natural product characterization and microbiology. Marija completed her PhD in design and synthesis of trypanosomatid inhibitors under the supervision of Dr Gordon Florence and Prof Terry Smith (St Andrews). She then went on to do postdoctoral research in discovery and biosynthetic production of antibiotics (Willis and Bailey groups, Bristol, and Florence and Goss groups, St Andrews). Her research interests lie at chemistry-biology interface, particularly in implementing 3Rs (reduction, refinement, replacement of animals) in drug discovery, especially in toxicology and drug safety and efficacy testing.
ideaXme would like to thank Anne Eadie Tice, OD, Coaching and Talent Management at University of St Andrews for playing an integral part in matching Professor Lorna Harries with Dr Zacharova.
ideaXme, is a global network. A Podcast available in 40 countries worldwide, a creator and mentor programme. Soon much more! Mission: To Move the human story forward. Passion: Rich Connectedness!
