Former postdoctoral research fellow, in the Turnbull lab at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, at the NYU Langone Medical Center.The Turnbull lab is dedicated to the application of non-invasive imaging technologies to study developmental and disease processes in the normal and genetically engineered mice. My research focused on the application of manganese-enhanced MRI, or 'MEMRI', to study neonatal mice. In this work, I explored the role of the divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), a transporter protein which may be involved in the uptake of divalent metals, including manganese. By manipulating DMT1 expression in the mouse brain, this transporter has potential applications in tracing axonal tracts in vivo.

Over the course of my PhD, I worked on the development MRI biomarkers which are sensitive to Alzheimer's disease, and their application to murine models exhibiting tau and amyloid neuropathology.My PhD strengthened a number of key research skills, including:- Ability to design, execute and interpret experiments independently- Strong knowledge of MRI and its application to murine models of diseases (with specific focus on Alzheimer's disease)- Excellent presentation skills, acquired through presenting my data at national and international conferences such as ISMRM, ESMRMB and the British Chapter meeting- Competent at preparing work for scientific publication, including strong written skills- Able to critically evaluate scientific literature

I was the Public Engagement Coordinator at the UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging (CABI). In this role, I organised CABI's outreach and engagement activities across the UK.

Alongside my studies, I tutored a number of students in the chemistry and biology. As a tutor, I tried to break the common misconceptions that science is 'hard' and 'boring', and simplify the more tricky aspects in a fun and friendly way. In addition, I endeavored to develop good relationships with my students, as I believe this is key in achieving their full potential.I received great feedback from all my clients, averaging 5* reviews on First Tutor. Here are samples of the feedback I have received:"Holly is an excellent tutor who immediately formed a great tutor-pupil relationship with our 16 year old daughter. She is totally trustworthy. Our daughter was not on target to get A's in her science GCSEs but after a few weeks with Holly she did indeed achieve A's across the board. Holly filled in all the gaps missing from our daughter's school science education. She could paint a mental picture of concepts and ideas that made them easier to grasp. So is good at explanations. Holly was a delight to have in our family home. I thoroughly recommend her.""Engaging, enthusiastic, professional. I couldn't recommend Holly highly enough.""Absolutely fantastic tutor, has helped my daughter immensely, and has helped her achieve an A* in her iGCSE chemistry mock exam. Extremely friendly and easy going, yet great in her teaching techniques. Highly recommended!""Holly is a very inspirational teacher and she knows her subjects very well and able to transfer her knowledge to transfer her knowledge to her student in a simple and easy way. She is very responsible and reliable so I can count on her."

This MRes degree covered all aspects of medical imaging: from x-rays to nuclear imaging, and the sophisticated techniques which are used to process the data.In addition to taught courses, I also carried out a 6 month research project titled 'Lanthanide Functionalised Gold Nanoparticles for Bioimaging'. The goal of this project was to develop the next generation of contrast agents, incorporating chelated Gadolinium (Gd) ions onto the surface of a gold nanoparticle. This novel agent would have dual functionality as a contrast agent; Gd is paramagnetic, and would offer signal enhancement in MRI images, while the gold nanoparticles have applications in optical imaging.Over the course of the MRes I acquired a number of skills:- Ligand synthesis and lanthanide complexation- Characterisation of compounds using proton NMR, IR spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy- T1 and T2 relaxation measurementsThe MRes also introduced me to MRI, which I subsequently pursued a PhD in.