Profile: Emily Clark

Emily is Research Group Leader at the Roslin Institute. She received a Chancellor's Fellowship in 2017.

My research programme uses functional information to better understand the genomes of farmed animals. 

 The world’s population is increasing, putting further pressure on the need to provide more food sustainably using fewer resources, which is difficult without compromising animal health and welfare. A better understanding of farmed animal genomes, including which regions are driving specific traits, will allow us to harness functional genomic variation and turn it into sustainable genetic gain to tackle the future challenges of food production.  

The Chancellor’s Fellowship scheme provided me with many hugely useful opportunities including leadership and management training through the Institute for Academic Development. This training was particularly useful in developing my skills as a group leader as well as a scientist -  it helps you to think about your own future vision while incorporating the vision of your team and their goals.

The  fellowship was also hugely helpful to me in making the jump from post-doctoral scientist to research group leader, giving me the opportunity to apply for competitive research funding as a lead applicant, and develop my research vision as an independent researcher. The ESAT training scheme that involves regular fellowship reviews was very helpful in making sure I was meeting milestones and achieving the goals we set out at the beginning of the fellowship.

Edinburgh is a beautiful city with lots of opportunities. The University has several campuses: I am based at the Roslin Institute at Easter Bush which is at the foot of the Pentlands Hills and very pretty and there are other more central campuses too each with a different focus. This makes for a diverse and dynamic research experience.

The University of Edinburgh has an excellent international reputation, which can help considerably in fostering collaboration and in the success of funding applications. I have certainly benefited considerably from the opportunities provided by the University and found it to be a very rewarding and supportive place to work.