Catherine Jopling is an Associate Professor of RNA Biology at the University Nottingham.

Catherine graduated with a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Bristol and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Leicester, supervised by Professor Anne Willis. She was then awarded a Wellcome Trust International Prize Fellowship to undertake postdoctoral research at Stanford University, USA, with Professor Peter Sarnow, where she identified an essential role for liver specific microRNA-122 in hepatitis C virus replication. She completed her postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge and started her own group, initially funded by a BBSRC David Phillips Fellowship, at the University of Nottingham. Her group’s research focuses on microRNA biogenesis and function.

Keywords: RNA, microRNA, hepatitis C virus, translation, long noncoding RNA

Julie has 20 years of experience in RNA biology. She read Biochemistry at the University of Oxford before undertaking a PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge on the initiation of mRNA translation. During her first postdoc at the University of California, Berkeley, her work focused on alternative mRNA splicing in the fruit fly, using genomic approaches. Her second postdoc was at the University of Sussex, where she became interested in long non-coding RNAs and their potential translation. She discovered the translations of 100s novel ORFs, many of which in lncRNAs in Drosophila tissues culture cells. In 2015 Julie established her independent research group at Leeds.

Her group addresses questions on the regulation of mRNA translation, non-coding RNA function and the role of specific RNA-protein complexes. They combine biochemistry, genomics, molecular biology and genetics to study RNAs in fruit flies and mammalian tissue culture, including human neuronal cells. She has become a UK leader is the use of ribosome profiling, the Next Generation Sequencing technique to study protein synthesis. She has co-organised Biochemical Society workshops on Ribosome profiling. Since starting her own group her research has been funded by both the Medical Research Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Council.

Keywords: mRNA translation, ribosomes, RNA-binding proteins, cytoplasmic lncRNAs, novel ORFs

Robert completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Sussex in 2012 and later joined the laboratory of Dr Felicity Watts to study post-translational modifications that enable cells to respond to cellular stress. In 2016, he joined the University of Pittsburgh as a postdoctoral associate to determine the impact of mutations in DNA repair genes on sensitivity of cancer cells to precision medicines.

In 2018, Robert returned to the UK to start his own research laboratory. During this time, he helped establish a new BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science programme as a Lecturer at Solent University Southampton before later progressing to Senior Lecturer. In 2021, he joined the University of Gloucestershire to develop a 2^nd set of new Biomedical Science programmes. In 2022, Robert joined the University of Portsmouth to continue his research investigating the mechanisms of DNA repair that protect both the mitochondrial and nuclear genome.

Robert is currently Associate Head (Employability & Placements) at the University of Portsmouth. He is a Local Ambassador for the Biochemical Society and serves on both the Genes Research Area Panel as well as on the society’s Early Career Advisory Panel. He has participated in external validation panels for new degree programmes and is an External Examiner for the University of Plymouth. Robert is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AdvanceHE) and has a keen interest in how technology can widen-participation and enrich bioscience education.

Keywords: DNA repair, Genomic Stability, Cell Biology

Matt’s research focuses on the molecular control of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. He is interested in the proteins that regulate mRNA utilisation and fate, their mechanisms of action, and the upstream signalling pathways that coordinate their functions. Over the years, these interests have been applied to diverse areas of human health including innate immunity, virology, and reproductive health, and are now being applied to understanding the contributions of post-transcriptional control to cardiometabolic health and disease. Matt graduated from University of Essex (BSc Biochemistry) and worked as a research assistant at University of Manchester and Imperial College, gaining an MRes Molecular Biochemistry and PhD, respectively. He became a Biomedical Sciences lecturer at University of Edinburgh in 2019, having worked there as a postdoc for several years. He is the academic lead for Standards in Research Practice in the UoE Centre for Cardiovascular Science and has been a Local Ambassador for the Biochemical Society since 2010.

Keywords: RNA-binding proteins, post-transcriptional control, mRNA translation, mRNA turnover, intracellular signalling

John completed his PhD at the University of York with Prof Jo Milner, investigating post-translational regulation of p53, cancer metabolism and ribosome biogenesis. He then worked with Prof Anne Willis at the MRC Toxicology Unit in Leicester on projects investigating the dysfunction of the protein synthesis in sub-physiological conditions and disease. Next, he moved to Glasgow to work with Prof Owen Sansom to define the role of mutant KRAS in generating drug resistance in colorectal cancer. In 2022, John took up an independent group leader position in the Division of Cancer Sciences at the University of Manchester. John’s research focuses on the mechanisms of current cancer therapies from the point of view of protein synthesis and RNA biology. He is a discovery scientist with a highly collaborative approach, working with clinical and industrial partners.

Keywords: Protein synthesis, drug responses, cancer, RNA damage

Dr. Swagat Ray is a cell biologist and Senior Lecturer at University of Lincoln. He earned his BSc in Microbiology from Bangalore University, an MSc in Medical Biochemistry from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal and a PhD in Cell Biology as a Felix Scholar at the University of Reading, UK. Prior to joining Lincoln, Dr. Ray was a senior Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield and held postdoctoral positions at the University of Warwick and Queen's University Belfast. With a primary research interest in DNA Damage Response (DDR) and its regulation by transcription, Dr. Ray has made significant contributions to the field with his research. His work has been published in prestigious international journals such as Nature, Nature Communications, Nature Neuroscience, Cell Reports, and Scientific Reports.

Connor is a Senior Research Associate at the University of Cambridge.

Connor’s research is focused on determining the role pioneer factors play in cell fate and disease, particularly in cancer. He graduated from Newcastle University with an honours degree in Biochemistry and then went on to obtain a PhD from the University of Manchester under the supervision of Prof Andy Sharrocks. From his PhD Connor developed a keen interest in transcription factors and sought out a postdoctoral position with Prof Christian Frezza to investigate the chromatin landscape in FH-deficient tumours. Connor is currently a Senior Research Associate in Prof Jussi Taipale’s lab at the University of Cambridge.

Keywords: chromatin, transcription factors, enhancers, genome-wide chromatin profiling, GI cancers

Michael’s research focuses on the functions of protein phosphorylation in the regulation of transcription and co-transcriptional processes, including pre-mRNA splicing and mRNA cleavage and polyadenylation. He received a BSc in Biology from the University Val d’Essonne, France, and a MSc in Microbiology from the University Paris VII, France. He then moved to the University of Nottingham, UK, to perform his PhD in the group of Prof. Ronald Chalmers investigating the role of transposable elements on chromatin and gene expression. He then trained as a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Shona Murphy at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, UK, where he investigated the roles of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) in transcription and mRNA cleavage and polyadenylation. In early 2023, Michael established his independent research group at the University of Leicester, UK.

Keywords: Transcription, pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA cleavage and polyadenylation, protein phosphorylation, kinases, phosphatases

Krzysztof is the VP/Head of Drug Discovery at Macomics, UK.

He leads drug discovery at Macomics, a start-up targeting macrophages in cancer. He was a Director of Research at Ossianix, a biotech company developing blood-brain barrier penetrant biologics, using a single domain shark antibody platform. He then served as a Director of Pharmacology and Translational Sciences at Kymab, supporting the preclinical development of immuno-oncology biologics. At MedImmune/AstraZeneca he was involved in creating novel biologics formats for the treatment of autoimmune and other diseases. Krzysztof holds an MSc in Biotechnology from the Jagiellonski University in Kraków and a PhD from the University of Uppsala. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the London Research Institute, CRUK (now part of the Crick Institute), and at the Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge.

Keywords: DNA Replication, DNA repair, Single-molecule imaging, Xenopus extracts, Biochemical reconstitution