Biography
My research is focused on understanding more about the interferon induced host restriction factor tetherin (BST2). It is well known that tetherin restricts the release of HIV-1, the effect of which is counteracted by the HIV-1 accessory protein Vpu. More recently the increased expression of tetherin in certain breast cancers has been associated with multiple aspects of breast cancer progression, such as migration, cell adhesion, invasion and metastasis. Using our knowledge from studying the antiviral properties of tetherin I aim to further characterise the mechanism behind the role of tetherin in cancer cell migration. Prior to joining the Neil lab, I completed my PhD in the lab of Prof. Greg Towers (UCL), where my research was focused on HIV-1 capsid, reverse transcription and reverse transcriptase inhibitor drugs.