I trained as a cell/molecular biologist and biochemist in Edinburgh, where I worked on identifying novel regulators of the tumour suppresor protein IRF-1. Through this research, I identified CHIP as an E3 ligase that regulates IRF-1 protein levels under certain cellular stress conditions. Thus began a lifelong lover for ubiquitination, protein degradation and E3 ligase biology.Following my time in Edinburgh, I applied for a grant from the Wellcome Trust to apply quantitative proteomics to study healthy ageing in model organisms including C elegans. This work was conducted jointly between the University of Dundee and the University of California, San Francisco.My time researching ageing in academia paved the way for me to transition to the biotech industry, at an Alphabet-funded venture (Calico Life Sciences). Calico's mission is to combat ageing and age-related disease, and in the ~6 years I worked there, I used my training in biochemistry, cell biology, proteomics and molecular biology to tackle this challenge using a long-lived, cancer-resistant mammalian model: the naked mole-rat.A key factor in my decision to move from academia to industry was (and still is) wanting to explore the interface between basic research, drug development and patients...essentially, to see basic research translate into effective therapeutics that help patients. This passion to bring better drugs, faster, to the patients that need it most, made Frontier Medicines a natural next step in my career.As an Associate Director, Disease Biology, at Frontier Medicines, I get to build on my graduate training and expertise in E3 ligase biology to lead our novel E3 ligase degrader programs (AbbVie partnership). I'm also fortunate enough to spend some time at the bench with my very talented team to develop tailored cellular assays for these novel degraders. Find out more about Frontier Medicines here: https://www.frontiermeds.com/about