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The University of Southampton
Biological Sciences Postgraduate study

Miss Hannah Lucas

MRes Advanced Biological Science

Miss Hannah Lucas's photo

Hannah Lucas is an MRes Advanced Biological Science student within Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton.

I graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2017 with a BSc(Hons) in Neuroscience. For my dissertation, I focused on downstream signalling cascades that become altered in depression and other psychiatric disorders. With the use of a JNK inhibitor, DJNK-1, I investigated the effect JNK pathways have on neurogenesis and other depressive-like phenotypes.

Research interests

For my research project this year I am focusing on cytoskeletal integrity in Alzheimer’s disease. In the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease tau becomes disengaged from microtubules leading to destabilisation of MTs and in turn axonal transport defects. Acetylation of tubulin (subunit of microtubules) has been proposed to increase the stabilisation of microtubules. Using Drosophila as a model of tauopathy I am observing the effects of tau on axonal transport using in vivo imaging of larvae and adult flies. Following from here, I am observing whether knocking out HDAC6, an enzyme that removes the acetyl group from microtubules, can stabilise the MTs and therefore reduce axonal transport defects.

Why I chose MRes Advanced Biological Science:

I chose to do an MRes in Advanced Biological Science as it was almost a stepping stone to then further consolidate future plans. The year of intense lab focus allowed me to develop new skills and gain more experience working in a lab, ideal for PhD or job applications.

Aims for the future:

After graduating with an MRes I am hoping to either gain a PhD position or work continuing in the field of Alzheimer’s Research, a key and interesting area of research for me.

Supervisors: Dr. A Mudher and Dr. H Wijnen

Research group

Biomedical Sciences

Affiliate research group

MRes Advanced Biological Science

Miss Hannah Lucas
School of Biological Sciences
Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences
Life Sciences Building 85
University of Southampton
Highfield Campus
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
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