About Us
Our Gene Regulation lab is located in the University of Essex in a historic town Colchester. We are interested in quantitative aspects of gene regulation in chromatin using approaches of biophysics, bioinformatics and next generation sequencing. We work on biomedical systems ranging from mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation to human cell lines to actual cancer patients (chronic lymphocytic leukemia, glioblastoma, breast cancer).
Publications | Software | Lab members | Teaching materials | Contacts
Current lab members
Lab head, interested in fundamentals of gene regulation and cell-free DNA based medical tests; teaching enthusiast and open science addict.
MSD student working on nucleosome repositioning in brain tumours. Interested in bioinformatics and sports enthusiast
CTCF fan, working on CTCF’s role in gene expression changes in normal and cancer cells
MSD student looking at cfDNA and epigenetic biomarkers in breast cancer, working towards less invasive, more accessible diagnostics.
Genetics graduate passionate about computational biology, epigenetics and all things science
Undergraduate researcher, interested in biology of ageing and cancer. Co-lead of the Pint of Science Colchester.
Previous lab members
Dr Christopher Clarkson, PhD student (2017-2020). Next step: University College London
Dr Graeme Thorn, postdoctoral fellow (2017-2018). Next step: Queen Mary University of London
Dr Svetlana Gretton, postdoctoral fellow (2017). Currently in University of Suffolk
Dr Ioanna Pavlaki, postdoctoral fellow (2016). Next step: Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz; Currently Senior Editor in Nature Cancer.
Joshua Burton, MSc student (2016). Currently in Oslo Metropolitan University
Dr Tanvi Sharma, MSc student (2016). Next step: German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg
Navid Shafiei, MSc student (2017). Currently teaches in William De Ferrers School, Chelmsford
Ralph Samarista, Wellcome Trust Summer Student (2018). Currently in Queen’s University Belfast
MSD student passionate about molecular biology and genomics, working on nucleosomics of cell-free DNA in breast cancer
– Divya Rose Jacob
Epigenomics enthusiast, developing cell-free DNA-based assays for liquid biopsy diagnostics
– Mariya Shtumpf
Medical doctor and MSc student, working on diagnostics of lung cancer. Also interested in oral and maxillofacial cancer and athletics aficionado
MSc student working in nucleosome positioning in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
Graduated from U of Essex, currently MPhil in the University of Cambridge, working on chromatin changes in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
Enthusiastic postgraduate student, project on the computational analysis of nucleosome repositioning in breast cancer
PhD student passionate about chromatin topology and machine learning; Lacrosse player, Pint of Science co-organiser.
Genomics aficionado, working on a masters dissertation devoted to nucleosome positioning in glioblastoma
Passionate about machine learning and data science, especially applications to (epi)genomics of ageing”
– Ashkan Mohseni Hosseini
Curiosity-driven individual interested in bioinformatics, genetics and environmental science
– Emma Deeks
An aspiring stem cell researcher interested in bioinformatics and regenerative medicine. Also a music lover and film aficionado
– Ralph Samarista
Interested in cancer biology in general and nucleosome repositioning in cancer specifically.
Cancer researcher working on a masters dissertation on nucleosome positioning in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
– Chelsea Fox
UoE graduate and visiting scientist, working on cfDNA to develop liquid-biopsy biomarkers for diagnosis.