Cameron Pollock Email & Phone Number

Cumbernauld, Gb

Plymouth, England, United Kingdom

Project title: The role of hippo signalling in regulating neuronal loss and growth of schwannomas derived from Neurofibromatosis Type II-Related Schwannomatosis

Ayr, Scotland, United Kingdom

Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom

As a student ambassador for the School of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee I have been helping out at open days and applicant days organised by the School of Life Sciences. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, my work would involve talking to parents and students about life as a life sciences student and answer any questions they had. I would also lead groups of students or parents to various locations that the event programme intended for them to visit such as the undergraduate laboratory labs, the Tower building lecture theatre and the CTIR building. During the pandemic, open days and applicant days have run on Microsoft Teams as live events and I have been in the background typing answers to any questions students had about studying a life sciences degree at the University of Dundee. I will be helping out at the upcoming applicant day on the 20th of May answering questions as usual but also delivering a short presentation on what my student experience has been like and also how I have found blended learning during the pandemic.

Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom

Aim Visualising chromosome dynamics by microscopy in live cells using CRISPRainbowKey Findings• Optimised the requirements for visualising multiple chromosome loci part of a TAD (topology associated domain) using fluorescent tags and CRISPR-dCas9.

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

AimTo reveal differences in gene expression within immune cell populations residing in a melanoma tumour site and lymph node site using sc-RNA seq data from a recently published paper. Current Findings:The project uses this data to investigate how immune cells change, likely from differential gene expression, from day 5 to day 11 in the lymph node and melanoma cell environment. Using R and the R package "Seurat" we have delineated 16 immune cell populations and 15 immune cell populations in the tumour and lymph node population, respectively, based on their differences in gene expression. We have also identified the cell type of each of the immune cell populations via the top 30 genes expressed by these immune cell populations using Gene Skyline from the Immunological Genome Project. Next, we are attempting to find differences in gene expression between day 5, 8 and 11 cells for each immune cell population to understand how the immune response to tumours changes with time.

Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom

AimTo investigate whether SARS-CoV-2 spike protein mediated cell death is dependent on it modulating levels of p53 isoforms. Key Findings• At least one of p53α, p53β, p53γ and one of the Δ133 p53 isoforms is important for proliferation of HCT116 cells. • At least one of the β p53 isoforms is important for the suppression of proliferation of HCT116 cells. • SARS-CoV-2 spike-transfected HCT116 cells show reduced cellular proliferation compared to GFP-transfected HCT116 cells. • SARS-CoV-2 spike-transfected HCT116 cells display a different p53 isoform expression profile compared to GFP-transfected HCT116 cells. • Bax and Bcl-xl were differentially expressed in SARS-CoV-2 spike-transfected HCT116 cells compared to GFP-transfected HCT116 cells.

Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom

Aim To determine the effect of prostaglandin stimulation on cytokine production in mast cells. Key Findings • Mast cells express greater copies of the EP3 receptor protein than the EP4 receptor protein where PGE2 is an agonist for both of the receptors. • PGE2 stimulation of mast cells did not activate the cAMP pathway. • PGE2-stimulated mast cells selectively inhibited IL-13 production. • Stimulation of mast cells by IL-33 instead of PGE2 activated the cAMP pathway and promoted production of IL-13, TNFα, GM-CSF and IL-6.

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

Aim Examining the effect of HPV16 infection on gene expression in differentiated normal spontaneously immortalised keratinocytes. • RNA-seq revealed 809 upregulated and 422 downregulated genes comparing differentiated keratinocytes with undifferentiated keratinocytes and 2041 upregulated and 2052 downregulated genes comparing differentiated HPV16 infected keratinocytes with undifferentiated uninfected keratinocytes. Together this provided evidence that HPV16 infection was the most likely cause of the significant change in gene expression between differentiated HPV16 infected keratinocytes and undifferentiated uninfected keratinocytes. • These changes in the transcriptome that was likely a result of HPV16 infection corresponded to upregulation of genes with roles in promoting proliferation and migration and downregulation of genes important in the differentiation of keratinocytes, epithelial barrier function and innate immune function and inflammation. • qRT-PCR confirmed the direction of change in a few chosen genes impacted by HPV16 infection and thus provided evidence that RNA-seq could help discover novel cervical cancer biomarkers.

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Neuro-Oncology

Integrated Msci Biomedical Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, General, Upper Second Class Honours

My MSci project was aimed at better understanding the nature of a Golgi apparatus residing kinase known as Family with Sequence Similarity.

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Biomedical Sciences, General

Activities and Societies: Dundee University Pre-Med Society, Dundee University Life Sciences Society and Dundee University Tennis Club

Education record

National 5 Biology: A National 5 Chemistry: A National 5 Physics: A National 5 Mathematics: A Physical Education: A National 5 English: B.