• Question: what have you done so far this year

    Asked by jordan to Frank, Ian, Isabel, Jared, Zena on 16 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Isabel Pires

      Isabel Pires answered on 16 Mar 2015:

      Many things!

      I have taught many lectures regarding cancer biology and other aspects of how cells and our bodies work. I have trained students to become scientists by helping them doing projects in my lab. I have (and still am) writing and planning grants to fund my work and papers to publish it.

      In terms of the science in my lab, we have looked at how breast cancer cells move and spread, specifically on how some key molecules that are activated by low oxygen in tumours can regulate this. We have also looked at how other molecules are important for how colorectal cancers grow in low oxygen conditions. Finally, in collaboration with come colleagues in Portugal,we have looked at whether some specific plant extracts can potentially be used to kill cancer cells.

    • Photo: Zena Hadjivasiliou

      Zena Hadjivasiliou answered on 16 Mar 2015:

      Lets see! I wrote a computer code and made lots of graphs to help me understand how cells move and how they talk to each other, and then I wrote a report about it so that other people can read about my work.

      I also came up with some equations that help me and other scientists in my group understand how fly embryos grow and how they get cool patterns of hairs on their skins.

      I also went to a few science meetings in France and in London and met new and cool scientists that are doing similar work to me. I am working with some of these new people now on an exciting project to do with the evolution of chameleons in Israel!

      I also recently got a new computer at work which is fast and helps me do my work more easily ;].

      In January i took some time off work and went to the canary islands where I tried to do some surfing! It was really fun but also really hard to stand on the surf board. I managed to do it a few times though which felt really nice ;).

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