Biological Sciences

Meet the team

Find out more about the BioPOD team.

Current Members

Members of the BioPOD team
Back row: Alastair Scott, Severina Pociunaite, Chris Donohoe, Rose Doyle, Louis Marlow. Front row: Angelo Victoria, Haomiao Cheng, Liz Gaberdiel, Neelakshi Varma, Hend Abu-Elmakarem.

Liz Gaberdiel

I’m the producer of BioPOD so I am in charge of releasing episodes, as well as doing some interviews, editing, and marketing for the podcast. In my PhD project I work on epigenetic stress responses in yeast in the labs of Prof Robin Allshire and Prof Meriem El Karoui. In my free time I like to go to the gym, bake, and read.

Rose Doyle

I am a PhD student in the Moule lab, working on bacterial host-pathogen interactions. Apart from being a bacteria enthusiast, I love going for long walks and taking day trips to explore Scotland. At BioPOD, I help to produce episodes and interview guests!

Alastair Scott

I am a PhD researcher in the Vohra lab. I am primarily interested in developing outer membrane vesicles as a vaccine platform for Salmonella. When I’m not in the lab, you can find me playing boardgames, bouldering or attempting a crazy DIY project.

Apple Chew

I'm a Malaysian PhD researcher working on microalgae gene editing and DNA repair in the Molnar lab. In BioPOD, I mainly help with audio editing and developing episodes.

Severina Pociunaite

Hi I’m Severina. For BioPOD, I do a bit of everything from social media to interviews to episode editing. As a PhD student I work on epigenetic resistance establishment in pathogenic fungi in the laboratory of Prof Robin Allshire. When I’m not in the lab I like to sing, undertake various DYI projects and go hiking.

Haomiao Cheng

I'm a newbie in BioPOD, learning about interviewing, editing and all that goes into our podcast. I'm a first year PhD in the van Ooijen lab at IMPS, working on the circadian rhythm or "Body clock" of tiny algae. In my free time I like to walk around and try all sorts of different things.

Angelo Victoria

I’m involved in marketing for BioPOD. I am a PhD student from the Philippines, working with Dr. Alistair McCormick to design synthetic biology tools for engineering photosynthetic cyanobacteria. When not at my laboratory bench, you can usually find me at the gym bench, or tending to my home jungle.

Chris Donohoe

Hello, I'm a presenter for BioPOD and artwork lead, meaning I chat to people for an hour and then have to try to summarise them in an image. My PhD work is about Plant Waste Upcycling, improving the value of the biomass we leave behind. Otherwise, I run bike hike and climb, normally at the same time.

Hend Abu-Elmakarem

I joined BioPOD in 2021 as I like to emphasize on the human and personal aspects of being a scientist, which are often overlooked. I enjoy coming up with episode ideas, preparing questions, and interviewing our guests. As for my PhD, I investigate questions regarding the evolution of malaria parasites (Plasmodium species) with Prof. Paul Sharp. Besides BioPOD, I like bouldering, yoga, and reading.

Louis Marlow

I'm a presenter on the podcast, focusing on making episodes about all things biotech! My PhD research in Dr Stephen Wallace's lab focuses on engineering/ evolving microbes to use industrial feedstocks as an alternative to fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. You can catch me outside the lab fermenting food or enjoying the many sights (pubs) of Edinburgh.

Neelakshi Varma

I am Neelakshi, a 3rd year PhD student working on malaria. I am mostly involved in editing episodes for BioPod. In my free time, I love reading, listening to podcasts, climbing and hiking.