Research Themes

Unlocking Life’s Mysteries

Unlocking the complexity and immense interconnectedness of the scientific mechanisms which dictate the properties and processes of the natural world is a major goal of my research. To this end, I seek to acquire a detailed understanding of many systems and how these various systems function together to generate the observations and measurements from my experimentation. Have a look at some of my projects below.

3D Genome

The three-dimensional (3D) genome architecture is crucial for a cell’s function and life-long fate, as it regulates which genes are expressed in the cell. We study study how this 3D cross-talk between genes is disrupted in pancreatic islets. In the long term, we plan to use this knowledge to develop new therapeutics to ‘rewire’ the 3D gene contacts and prevent the development of diabetes.

Climate Change and Bushfires

The summer of 2019/20 saw record breaking bushfires that some have dubbed the “black summer”. More than 10 million hectares of the local environment was devastated and around 3,000 homes were lost. Canberra had the worst air quality in the world this January.  Amongst all of this, a new generation of Australians are being brought into the world. A healthy start to life is important for long term health and wellbeing. Through this study, we are exploring how has the health of mothers and babies in the ACT and South-Eastern NSW been impacted by these 2020 events.