Lesley Stark

Reader - Cell Signalling

Background

Lesley received a B.Sc in Cell Biology from the University of Aberdeen in 1990. Her interest in cancer research began during her PhD, which she did in the labs of C. Bird at the University of Edinburgh on the role of papillomavirus in skin cancer. She undertook post-doctoral training with Professor RT. Hay at the University of St Andrews where her work focused on the interaction between the HIV protein, vpr, and the NF-?B pathway. She then moved back to the University of Edinburgh to carry out a cancer gene therapy project with MG Dunlop. It was within months of this project starting that Lesley became interested in the role of NF-?B in the pro-apoptotic effects of aspirin. In 2002, she was awarded a Caledonian Research Foundation fellowship to pursue this line of research and was appointed as a lecturer/group leader at the University of Edinburgh in 2005. Lesley has an extremely busy life working full time and looking after her house and three children. However, she still finds time to keep fit and completed an 81mile bike race around the highlands of Scotland in under 5 hours this year. She is now looking forward to next years challenge.

Qualifications

1990 Bsc (1st Class honours). Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Aberdeen  1993 PhD. Dept. Pathology, University of Edinburgh.  1994-1997. Postdoc. Dept Biochemistry, University of St Andrews. 1997- 2002. Postdoc. Dept Oncology, University of Edinburgh. 2002-2005. Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh.2005-2008. Lecturer, Cancer Research Centre, University of Edinburgh 2008-present Senior Lecturer, Cancer Research Centre, University of Edinburgh