Dr John Beech
John joined the lab in January 2009, bring his extensive experience in preclinical models of human diseases. Having collaborated with the IRTL since 2000, examining the effect of BSCIs in stroke, John is now developing a preclinical data package to support the development of BSCIs for the treatment of surgical adhesions.
Dr Anna Kauppi
Anna Kauppi graduated as a registered nurse from College of Nursing in Boden, Sweden in 1994. After working as a nurse for a couple of years Anna moved to Umea for her chemistry studies in 1997. She graduated with a M Sc in Organic Chemistry in 2001 at Umea University and went on to study for a Ph.D. under the supervision of Dr. Mikael Elofsson and Professor Hans Wolf-Watz in the Department of Organic Chemistry, Umea University. After finishing her PhD in 2006 she worked as a research assistant at Umea University at the Departments of Organic Chemistry and Molecular Biology during 2007. Anna joined the IRTL in Feb 2008 as a postdoctoral researcher. She will be analysing clinical data from MaGiCAD with different multivariate analytical methods.
Dr Elaine McKilligin
Elaine McKilligin graduated from Aberdeen University in 1990 with a first class honours degree in biochemistry. She subsequently joined Glaxo working as a research scientist involved in studying the biochemistry of the opportunistic pathogen pneumocystis carinii with the aim of identifying new potential drug targets. In 1995, Elaine was sponsored by Glaxo to study for a Ph.D in the Biochemistry Department in Cambridge under the supervision of Dr. David Grainger looking at the role of smooth muscle cell proliferation in the development atherosclerosic plaques. Following the completion of her PhD in 1998 Elaine returned to Glaxo (now GlaxoWellcome) this time working in the Atherosclerosis department on various drug discovery programs including lipid and transcription factor projects. Following various restuctures, and the final merger into GlaxoSmithKline Elaine retired from industry in June 2003. Two children later Elaine has returned to her old chums and now works part time investigating the role of apoE in inflammation.
Dr Francisco Dos Ramos
After completing his M.D. at Universidad Central Venezuela, Spain, in 1999, Francisco went on first to obtain a Masters in Public Health at the University of Granada examining mortality risk factors in patients with cancer as an AIDS-defining illness, then to obtain an M.Sc. at Nottingham University studying a meningococcal outer membrane protein. Most recently, he has completed an MpHil in the Department of Virology, Cambridge University examining frameshifting among coronaviruses (including studies of the SARS virus). He has now joined the IRTL from October 2003 to study for a Ph.D. focussed on the role of TGF-beta receptors in atherosclerosis, under the supervision of Dr. David Grainger.