Biography

Growing up, I spent every possible moment in or near the ocean—snorkelling, rock-pooling, and watching wildlife for hours on end. I was captivated by the complexity of marine life and originally dreamed of becoming a marine biologist. This early passion for the sea eventually led me to pursue an integrated master’s degree at the University of Glasgow, where I first encountered transmissible cancers. I was immediately drawn to the mystery of these remarkable diseases in bivalves—cancers that defy conventional understanding by spreading not only between individuals but also across species and entire oceans. This phenomenon presents a rare biological system that challenges the boundaries of what we consider an individual organism. To truly understand it requires an interdisciplinary approach spanning anatomy, ecology, and immunology. My own fascination lies in the genomics: how these cancers have evolved from host tissue into parasitic lineages, capable of independent, parallel evolution. It is here—at the intersection of my childhood wonder and scientific inquiry—that I aim to contribute to understanding the nature and evolution of life itself.

Previous Education

University of Glasgow Genetics with Data Science