Team
Meet our lab members.
Jelena Baranovic
Background
2018 - present: Lecturer in Biochemistry, University of Edinburgh, School of Biological Sciences
2012-2018: Postdoctoral researcher, FMP Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology, group of Prof. Andrew J. R. Plested
2007-2012: PhD, University of Oxford, Department of Physics, group of Prof. John F. Ryan
2001-2006: Undergradute degree in Molecular Biology, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science
Early Career Reseacher Spotlight
ORCID ID
Natalia Szlachetka
I first joined Jelena's lab to do my Honours project after which I was awarded a scholarship by the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Traning in Biomedical AI to do my Ph.D. My project is inspired by a predatory sea snail Conus striatus. It kills fish by producing a toxic peptide called Con-ikot-ikot, which binds specifically to AMPA receptors (of fish and men!).
UKRI Centre for Training in Biomedical AI
I am doing computational and wet-lab studies on Con-ikot-ikot toxin in order to understand how it interacts with AMPA receptors and how we could modify this interaction for different purposes.
I get all my computational wisdom from my second supervisor, Chris Wood.
Chigdem Arslan
I am a Daphne Jackson postdoctoral fellow. I work on AMPA receptor mutant that causes rare and complex neurodevelopmental disorders characterised by seizures, learning difficulties and delayed development.
Sean McKay
I am Sean McKay and my research focus has centred on how ion channels contribute to both a healthy and diseased brain. Two of the major excitatory ion channels in the brain are NMDA receptors and AMPA receptors; in my previous lab, I focussed on the former so it is exciting and a pleasure to focus on AMPA receptors and other ion channels in the Baranovic lab where I work as a postdoctoral research assistant.
Rachael Murray
I am a Ph.D. student in Edward Wallace lab working on candidate ion channels in fungi and protozoa. Jelena is my 2nd supervisor and helps with the ion-channel side of things, while Joanne Thompson is our protozoan expert.
My Ph.D. is funded by the East of Scotland Bioscience (eastBIO) Doctoral Training Partnership.
Alexander Edwards
I am a PhD student working on activation properties of AMPA receptors.
My second supervisor is Prof. David Wyllie.
My Ph.D. is funded by the East of Scotland Bioscience (eastBIO) Doctoral Training Partnership.
eastBIO Doctoral Training Partnership
Kevin Woo
Kevin is a summer student from the University of Aberdeen, working together with Sean on novel transmembrane proteins from protozoa and fungi. He is funded by eastBIO Research Experience Placement Scheme.
Niomi Shah
Niomi is a University of Edinburgh summer student working on the design and implementation of the new biology curriculum. She is co-supervised by Raquel Arribas and Norma Fulton.
Alexandra Tonby-Strandborg
Alexandra is a University of Edinburgh summer student working alongside Niomi on the design and implementation of the new biology curriculum. She is co-supervised by Raquel Arribas and Norma Fulton.
Past members
Manaal Shah - summer internship, molecular dynamics simulations of Con-ikot-ikot toxin and AMPA receptor (2021); Manaal was awarded Wellcome Trust scholarship in 2022 to do another neuroscience-based summer internship in the group of Dhanya Cheerambathur and then a PhD at Imperial College, London.
Jana Hennelova - summer internship funded by the Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, molecular dynamics simulations of Con-ikot-ikot toxin and AMPA receptor (2021); Jana was awarded Gurdon studentship in 2022 to do her next summer internship in the lab of Abdenour Soufi and to work on stem cell development.
Diana Coroiu - summer internship, single-channel analysis with ASCAM (2021); went on to do a PhD in Prof. Pilizota lab
Sergio Menendez, PhD - research assistant (Jan 2021 - Jan 2022)
Ying Kang - MSc in Biochemistry, protein purification and super-resolution imaging (2019); went on to do a PhD at the North Dakota State University
Liqiu Hou - MSc in Biochemistry, protein purification (2021)
Valentin Barahona Riomoros - MRes in Infectious Diseases (cloning of fungal and protozoan proteins), co-supervised with Joanne Thompson (2021/2022); next position: research assistant at the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa
Junxing Zhao - MSc in Biochemistry, protein purification and super-resolution imaging (2022)
Ruth Ou - medical student, Honours project in super-resolution imaging of synptosomes (2023)