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Equity, Respect, Commitment, Curiosity and Integrity.

These are the lab values. Claire is committed to providing a welcoming and supportive environment to everyone who joins the lab. The lab values are used to during recruitment and everyday lab life. 

The research programme

Claire’s research group predominantly uses the zebrafish model organism to understand various aspects of nervous system development and disease. Collaborations provide access to other model organisms such as mice, chick and Xenopus.

The zebrafish is low-cost and genetically-tractable. Embryos and larvae are very fast developing, transparent and small enough for drug discovery. They are also amenable to experimental techniques such as cell transplantation and electroporation as they develop external to the mother. Hence, the early zebrafish is an excellent vertebrate for investigating the function of genes. The use of zebrafish embryos and larvae is not covered by the Home Office so they are 'replacement' models with respect to the 3Rs.

Claire is a Home Office Project Licence and Personal Licence holder. 

Claire's research focusses on zebrafish models of neurodegeneration, ataxia and epilepsy, especially, but not confined to the Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses (NCLs). Such models are being used to understand disease onset, progression and mechanisms and to perform drug discovery. In particular, we focus on the role of microglia, the involvement of autophagy, and the nature of mitochondrial dysfunction in disease. 

She has collaborated on projects that cross-over into these themes: the role of mitochondrial ATPIF1 in vivo, and modelling a syndrome caused by loss of a potassium channel that causes epilepsy, ataxia, sensorineural deafness and tubulopathy. 

Expertise:

Claire, her group and ongoing close collaborators have expertise in:
zebrafish husbandry, development and neurobiology; zebrafish genetics, mutants and transgenics; zebrafish EEG and ERG; zebrafish drug discovery; molecular biology, mapping and cloning; brightfield, fluorescence and confocal imaging; in situ hybridisation, immunohistochemistry; zebrafish laser ablation and electroporation.

Claire is currently looking for INDUSTRY PARTNERS interested in mutually-beneficial partnerships, either in relation to basic or medical research or providing placements for undergraduate students. Claire is particularly interested in other lysosomal storage disorders, investigating causes and mechanisms of neurological disease, using chemical libraries for drug discovery, and using the zebrafish to test novel methods of delivering therapeutics across the blood-brain barrier.

Claire is currently looking for students:

Postgraduates in the final year of their PhD and postdocs wishing to apply for a FELLOWSHIP within any of the topics mentioned are encouraged to contact Claire as there are funding opportunities from charities.

I also welcome applications from RVC MSci Bioveterinary Sciences year 4 project students

Undergraduate students from any university wishing to do a society-sponsored summer studentship (Genetics Society, BiochemicalSociety, BSDB/Gurdon/Company of Biologists)

Year 11, 12 or 13 students for work experience

 

Lab members

Current staff:

Valentina Marchica (postdoc), Nastassja Ramdeen (Visiting scientist)

 

Previous staff:

Elisa Clemente (EDI fellow), Lisa Kiani (EDI fellow), Clinton Monfries (postdoc), Rebecca Martin-Jimenez (postdoc),  Dionysios Nalkos (research assistant), Virginia Brickell (research assistant), Sulafa Ahmed (CARA fellow)

 

Current PhD students:

Petra Viera (Co-Supervisor, Primary Supervsior Caroline Pellet-Many (RVC), co-Supervisor Matthew Gage (RVC)). 'The role of Neuropilins in the modulation of macrophage phenotype during zebrafish heart regeneration'.

 

Emily Young (Co-Supervisor, Primary Supervisor Dr Imelda McGonnell (RVC)).'Getting wires crossed: The role of the microbiome in neural development'

 

Past PhD students:

Lisa Kiani, BBSRC LiDO iCASE DTP in collaboration with Nestle Institute of Health Science. Co-supervised by Dr Philip Gut (NIHS) and Prof Michelangelo Campanella (RVC). ''

Chris Minnis, BBSRC LiDO DTP, Co -supervised by Prof. Sara Mole (UCL). 'Genomic and chemogenomic approach to the protein quality control problem'

Kim Wager - Zebrafish models of neurodegeneration. This project is to clone a mutation that causes neurodegeneration in zebrafish and to validate a zebrafish model of juvenile NCL. Co-supervised by Prof. Robert Harvey (UCL SoP)

Fahad Mahmood - Zebrafish models of Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis. This project focusses on the validation of a zebrafish CLN2 mutant as a model of late-infantile NCL, followed by drug discovery using the same model. Co-supervised by Dr Imelda McGonnell (RVC)

Claire has previously, at UCL and KCL, co-supervised three PhD students:
Jenny Regan (UCL, zebrafish mechanisms of asymmetry), Isaac Bianco (UCL, zebrafish asymmetry and connectivity), Bryony Butland (IC and KCL, Drosophila developmental neurobiology)

 

Current MRes: 

Past MRes: Nastassja Ramdeen (Primary Supervisor, Co-supervisor Prof. Michelangelo Campanella (RVC)), Catherine Gaskin (Co-supervisor, Primary Supervisor Dr Clive Bate (RVC))

 

Current MSci: 

 

Past MSci: Shanice Georgenson (co-supervised by Dr Stephanie Efthymiou (UCL IoN)), Katarina Koziell (co-supervised by Dr Stephanie Efthymiou (UCL IoN)), Sylvia Masala (co-supervised by Dr Imelda McGonnell (RVC)), Mahnoor Khan (Co-supervised by Dr  Anselm Zdebik (UCL)), Hazel McPherson (Co-supervised by Dr Rob Wykes (UCL) and Dr Richard Rosch (KCL), Sueda Ozbudun

Past MSc in Neuroscience (KCL): Chloe Johnston, James Gouldson, Anamul Hoque, Basma Bafadal, Saarah Mohammed-Ali, Zarrin Hossain, Sahar Ahmed, Philip Eldridge, Quay Tran, Lucas Michaelides, Dionysos Nalkos, Virginia Brickell, Abimbola Olabode, Ludovica Di Canio, Katerina Marinou, Emma Isabella El Makdeesi, Alamin Mohammed, Monica Mozere, Rubinder Athwal, Nargis Hemat, Sabrina Skeete, Sonia Fu.

 

Present and past undergraduate BSc3 and Intercalating students: Paula Richter, Summer Wright, Mackenzie Muir, Francesca Gallina, Rosie McEntegart, Freya Scarlett, Harry Hastie, Shanice Georgenson, Tina (Muhan) Khan, Pablo De Toro Arias, Wai-Heen Chan, Ben Yea, Carl Felix, Kathryn Saunderson, Nastassja Ramdeen, Roseanna Gloster, Violet Williams, Aleksandra Czeszyk, Daisy Ubsdell, Hazel McPherson, Marlie Carter Edwards, Mariam Khan, Michelle Tang, Tabitha Bonallie, Robert Pflaumer, Zara Manwaring, Jennifer Kwok, Chloe Hardiman, Emily Young, Luke Thompson, Astraea Hong, Catherine Gaskin, Holly Reichel, Carol Cheng, Lilia Kazemi-Egbunike, Emma Allen, Charlotte Johnson, Isabella Marshall, Jennifer Cooke, Catherine Hincks, Amberley Cooke, Els Hodges, Amir Helmy, Anil Joseph.

 

Past undergraduate BSc2 students: Astraea Hong, Mariam Khan, Carol Cheng, Shakeela McCrae, Hayley Meekums, Lilia Kazemi-Egbunike, Clare Thomas, Grace Denny, Emily Welby, Clare Parker, Sara Molloy, Lucy Abel, Madeleine Pope, Els Hodges, Lizzie Ellis, Gemma Hawdon, Vicki Duggan.

 

Past undergraduate BVetMed RP2 students: Gillian Gates, Bhavni Shah, Jessica Wilby, Michiel Plugge, Alexandra Au, Jennifer Cooke, Katherine Barnes

 

Past summer students:  Shaima Kebabza (Biochemical Society funding), Kristina Smirnova (ACT funding), Venice Yip (ACT funding), Emilia Pasek (Arcadia STEM), Alicia Zitouni (Arcadia STEM), Paula Richter (BSDB Gurdon), Natanial Jayaram (Arcadia STEM), Savvy King (Arcadia STEM), Olivia Priedman (Arcadia STEM), Laura Arcos, Madeleine Stein (BBSRC funding), Kamina Brown (Arcadia STEM), Samantha Hambleton (Wellcome Trust funding), Madeleine Pope (Society for Endocrinology funding),  Emily Welby (x2; Genetics Society Funding), Jessica Dincer (Wellcome Trust), Liam Henshaw (Wellcome Trust)

 

Past visiting researchers: Priya Outtandy, Marc da Costa, Sulafa Ahmed (Royal Society funding), Barbara Solchenberger (EZS funding), Caroline Benoit, Nicole Terbach, Eeva Kuosmanen, Javier Arenzana

 

Past work experience: Michael Ronga, Daniel Wilton-Ely, Aaron Ramen, Aiden Folkes, Elsie Knights, Orin Blair, Iruweyda Hassan, Yasmin Ibrahim, Luke Squirrel, Millie Cross, Joanna Sykes, Olivia Kersey, Charley Davis, Hakeem Fagbemi, Jacob Mutton

 

Active collaborations with:
Nestle Institute of Health Sciences: Philip Gut

UCL: Jason Rihel, Sara Mole, Chris Minnis, Mina Ryten, Philippa Mills, Anselm Zdebik, Rob Wykes

KCL: Richard Rosch

Sudan University: Sami Khalid and Sulafa Ahmed (PhD student)

Cardiff University: Emyr Lloyd Evans, Helen Waller-Evans

RVC: Imelda McGonnell, Michelangelo Campanella

 

Current research funding:

MRC. Developing personalized medicine for CLN3 disease, £1m total award; £516,000 to RVC, Co-Investigator. PI: Prof Sara Mole (UCL)

Past research funding:

EKUT. SLITRK3, £20,000. Collaboration with Dr Stephanie Efthymiou (UCL IoN)

BDFA. To generate preliminary data to support a grant proposal to test the efficicay of novel compounds for treating seizures in CLN2 disease. £15,000. June 2018-June 2019.

EU H2020. BATCure: Developing new therapies for Batten Disease. Approx 6m Euro. £75,000 to RVC. Jan 2016- Dec 2018.

BDFA.  To provide funds for a Temporary Technician for the project to perform high-throughput in vitro drug discovery for LINCL Batten disease (CLN2 disease). £14128.50. Principal Applicant.

SPARKS. Applicants: C Russell, M Campanella. Towards understanding the metabolic defect in CLN2 disease. June 2014-June 2016. £214,000. Principal Applicant.

Batten Disease Family Association/ Animal care Trust. Applicant: C Russell. Studies into CLN2 disease using a zebrafish model. Aug 2013-Aug 2014. £1338.44. Principal Applicant.

Royal Society International Exchange. Applicants: C Russell and S Khalid. In vivo screening for anticonvulsant activity of Sudanese medicinal plants. July 2014-July 2016. £5600. Principal Applicant.

Batten Disease Family Association Equipment Grant. Applicant: C Russell, RJ Harvey (SoP). Providing capability for high-throughput in vivo drug discovery for Late Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (CLN2 disease. Aug 2013-Aug 2013. £13000. Principal applicant.

Batten Disease Family Association Research Grant. Applicant: C Russell, RJ Harvey (SoP), K Wager (RVC). Enabling high-throughput in vivo drug discovery for Juvenile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis. May 2011-May 2014. £13761. Principal applicant.

Bloomsbury Consortium (Ph.D. studentship). Applicants: C Russell, RJ Harvey (SoP). Generation of zebrafish models of neurodegeneration. Oct 2010 - Sept 2013. £65,000. Principal applicant.

Genetics Society. Applicant: C Russell, E Welby. A zebrafish model of INCL. 16 May 2011 (summer studentship). £2531. Principal Applicant.

Newlife Small Project Grant. Applicant: C Russell. Nonsense-suppressing drugs as a treatment for a subset of the neuronal ceroid lupofuscinoses. April 2010 - April 2011 (extension requested). £14,920. Principal applicant.

RVC DTG (Ph.D studentship). Applicants: C Russell, I McGonnell (RVC). Development of zebrafish models of neurodegeneration for in vivo drug screening. Sept 2008 - Sept 2011. £65,000. Principal applicant.

Higher Education Academy UK Centre for Bioscience. Applicants: J Gazzard (RVCE), C Russell. Sandwich-filling: A practical guide to learning support during bioscience industrial years. June 2010-June 2011 (1 year, extension requested). £3,840. Project Partner.

 

Responsibilities:

Chair of EDI Committee

Claire is part of the Comparative Physiology & Clinical Sciences research programme.

Claire is leader of the Brain Health and Behaviour research special interest group.

 

 

Publications

N. Issler, S. Afonso, C. Ziegler, I. Weissman, S. Dumitriu, M. Lowe, K. Jordan, D. Iancu, B. Davies, A. Cebrian-Serrano, M. Tekman, D. Böckenhauer, R. Warth, R. Kleta, T. Zaccai, K. Meindl, H.C. Stanescu, E. Dahlke, E. Klootwijk, K. Tziridis, G. Yan, A. Kesselheim, V. Patel, J. Robles-López, L. Tabernero, H. Schulze, M. Mozere, Y. Anikster, D. Magen, G. Jaureguiberry, O. Ben Izhak, E. Arnon-Sheleg, P. Outtandy, C. Russell, A. Fedida, A. Forst, L. Kalfon, C. Sterner, E. Biton, E. Heinl, H. Othmen, I. Tegtmeier, M. Reichold, I. Schiessl, K. Limm, P. Oefner, R. Witzgall, L. Fu, F. Theilig, and A. Schilling, A founder mutation in EHD1 presents with tubular proteinuria and deafness. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology 2022, 33: 732-745. 

C.J. Minnis, S. Townsend, J. Petschnigg, E. Tinelli, J. Bahler, C. Russell, and S.E. Mole, Global network analysis in Schizosaccharomyces pombe reveals three distinct consequences of the common 1-kb deletion causing juvenile CLN3 disease. Sci Rep, 2021. 11(1): p. 6332. 

A. Czezyk, C. Burn, and C. Russell, Does providing hiding spaces for zebrafish in large groups reduce aggressive behaviour? Journal of Young Investigators, 2020. 38(5): p. 43-56.

A.A. Rahim, C. Russell, and S.E. Mole, Special edition: The NCLs/Batten disease. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis, 2020. 1866(9): p. 165824. 

R.J. Huber, S.M. Hughes, W. Liu, A. Morgan, R.I. Tuxworth, and C. Russell. The contribution of multicellular model organisms to neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis research. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis, 2020. 1866, 165614 DOI: .

Martin-Jimenez R, Faccenda D, Allen E, Reichel HB, Arcos L, Ferraina C, Strobbe D, Russell C, Campanella M. Reduction of the ATPase inhibitory factor 1 (IF1) leads to visual impairment in vertebrates. Cell Death Dis. 2018;9(6):669. 

Outtandy P, Russell C, Kleta R, Bockenhauer D. Zebrafish as a model for kidney function and disease. Pediatr Nephrol. 2018. DOI: 

Wager K, Zdebik AA, Fu S, Cooper JD, Harvey RJ, Russell C. Neurodegeneration and Epilepsy in a Zebrafish Model of CLN3 Disease (Batten Disease). PLoS One. 2016;11(6):e0157365. 

Matic I, Cocco S, Ferraina C, Martin-Jimenez R, Florenzano F, Crosby J, Lupi R, Amadoro G, Russell C, Pignataro G, Annunziato L, Abramov AY, Campanella M. Neuroprotective coordination of cell mitophagy by the ATPase Inhibitory Factor 1. Pharmacol Res. 2016;103:56-68.  DOI: 

Solchenberger B, Russell C, Kremmer E, Haass C, Schmid B. Granulin knock out zebrafish lack frontotemporal lobar degeneration and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis pathology. PLoS One. 2015;10(3):e0118956. 

Martin-Jimenez, R, Campanella M, Russell C. (2015) New Zebrafish Models of Neurodegeneration.  Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports 15: 33 . Review

Wager K, Mahmood F, Russell C. (2014) Modelling inborn errors of metabolism in zebrafish. The Journal of Inherited metabolic Disease, Online First, . Review

Ivanes F, Faccenda D,Gatliff J, Ahmed AA, Cocco S, Cheng CHK, Allan E, Russell C, Duchen MR, and Campanella M (2014). The compound BTB06584 is an IF1-dependent selective inhibitor of the mitochondrial F1Fo-ATPase. British Journal of Pharmacology. Advance Online Publication. 

Zdebik AA, Mahmood F, Stanescu HC, Kleta R, Bockenhauer D, Russell C. (2013) Epilepsy in kcnj10 Morphant Zebrafish Assessed with a Novel Method for Long-Term EEG Recordings. PLoS ONE 8(11):e79765.

Wager K, Russell C (2013) Mitophagy and neurodegeneration: the zebrafish model system. Autophagy 9(11):1693-709.  Review

BOND, M., KLEINE HOLTHAUS, SM., TAMMEN, I., TEAR, G., RUSSELL, C. 2013. 'Use of model organisms for the study of Neuronal Ceroid Lipofusconosis' Biochin Biophys Acta, Epub ahead of print 

Mahmood F, Fu S, Cooke J, Wilson SW, Cooper JD, Russell C (2013) A zebrafish model of CLN2 disease is deficient in tripeptidyl peptidase 1 and displays progressive neurodegeneration accompanied by a reduction in proliferation. Brain, 136; 1488-1507 

Fahad Mahmood, Monika Mozere, Anselm A. Zdebik, Horia C. Stanescu, Jonathan Tobin, Philip L. Beales, Robert Kleta, Detlef Bockenhauer and Claire Russell 'Generation and validation of a zebrafish model of EAST (epilepsy, ataxia, sensorineural deafness and
tubulopathy) syndrome' Disease Models & Mechanisms 6, 000-000 (2013) doi:10.1242/dmm.009480 

COOPER, JD*, MOLE, SE, RUSSELL, C,* TYYNELA, J.** (2011) ‘Small animal models of NCL’ in ‘The Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses (Batten Disease)’, 2nd Edition, Ed. SE Mole, RE Williams and HH Goebel. IOS Press. Review. *joint corresponding authors; **authors are listed in alphabetical order for each chapter

BRENNAN, C., DOSCH, R., HARAMIS, A.P., LUCKENBACH, T., MARTINEZ-MORALES, J.R., MORO, E., POLOK, B., RAMESH, T.M., RUSSELL, C., ARGENTON, F., STRÄHLE, U. (2010) Report of the European Zebrafish Principal Investigator Meeting in Padua, Italy, March 2010. Zebrafish 7, 305-310. 

REGAN, J.C., CONCHA, M.L., ROUSSIGNE, M., RUSSELL, C.*, WILSON, S.W*. (2009) An Fgf8- dependent bistable cell migratory event establishes CNS asymmetry. Neuron 15: 27-34 *joint corresponding authors (Recommended in Faculty of 1000)

BIANCO, I. H., CARL, M., RUSSELL, C., CLARKE, J. D. & WILSON, S. W. (2008) Brain asymmetry is encoded at the level of axon terminal morphology. Neural Develop 3, 9.

COOPER, J. D., RUSSELL, C. & MITCHISON, H. M. (2006) Progress towards understanding disease mechanisms in small vertebrate models of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. Biochim Biophys Acta 1762, 873-889.

NORTON, W. H., MANGOLI, M., LELE, Z., POGODA, H. M., DIAMOND, B., MERCURIO, S., RUSSELL, C., TERAOKA, H., STICKNEY, H. L., RAUCH, G. J., HEISENBERG, C. P., HOUART, C., SCHILLING, T. F., FROHNHOEFER, H. G., RASTEGAR, S., NEUMANN, C. J., GARDINER, R. M., STRAHLE, U., GEISLER, R., REES, M., TALBOT, W. S. & WILSON, S. W. (2005) Monorail/Foxa2 regulates floorplate differentiation and specification of oligodendrocytes, serotonergic raphe neurones and cranial motoneurones. Development 132, 645-658.

AIZAWA, H., BIANCO, I. H., HAMAOKA, T., MIYASHITA, T., UEMURA, O., CONCHA, M. L., RUSSELL, C., WILSON, S. W. & OKAMOTO, H. (2005) Laterotopic representation of left-right information onto the dorso-ventral axis of a zebrafish midbrain target nucleus. Curr Biol 15, 238-243.

TERAOKA, H., RUSSELL, C., REGAN, J., CHANDRASEKHAR, A., CONCHA, M. L., YOKOYAMA, R., HIGASHI, K., TAKE-UCHI, M., DONG, W., HIRAGA, T., HOLDER, N. & WILSON, S. W. (2004) Hedgehog and Fgf signaling pathways regulate the development of tphR-expressing serotonergic raphe neurons in zebrafish embryos. J Neurobiol 60, 275-288.

PAUKERT, M., SIDI, S., RUSSELL, C., SIBA, M., WILSON, S. W., NICOLSON, T. & GRUNDER, S. (2004) A family of acid-sensing ion channels from the zebrafish: widespread expression in the central nervous system suggests a conserved role in neuronal communication. J Biol Chem 279, 18783-18791.

RUSSELL, C. (2003) The roles of Hedgehogs and Fibroblast Growth Factors in eye development and retinal cell rescue. Vision Res 43, 899-912.

CONCHA, M. L., RUSSELL, C., REGAN, J. C., TAWK, M., SIDI, S., GILMOUR, D. T., KAPSIMALI, M., SUMOY, L., GOLDSTONE, K., AMAYA, E., KIMELMAN, D., NICOLSON, T., GRUNDER, S., GOMPERTS, M., CLARKE, J. D. & WILSON, S. W. (2003) Local tissue interactions across the dorsal midline of the forebrain establish CNS laterality. Neuron 39, 423-438.

CONCHA, M. L., BURDINE, R. D., RUSSELL, C., SCHIER, A. F. & WILSON, S. W. (2000) A nodal signaling pathway regulates the laterality of neuroanatomical asymmetries in the zebrafish forebrain. Neuron 28, 399-409.

KIDD, T., RUSSELL, C., GOODMAN, C. S. & TEAR, G. (1998) Dosage-sensitive and complementary functions of roundabout and commissureless control axon crossing of the CNS midline. Neuron 20, 25-33.

DOYLE, W. A., BURKE, J. F., CHOVNICK, A., DUTTON, F. L., RUSSELL, C., WHITTLE, J. R. & BRAY, R. C. (1996) Engineering and expression in Drosophila melanogaster of a xanthine dehydrogenase (rosy) variant. Biochem Soc Trans 24, 31S.

 

Conference Papers

 

WIAND 2018 (FLY-SMALS workshop), Lisbon, 2018. 'In vivo drug discovery identifies a compound that reduces seizure-like activity in the zebrafish model of CLN2 disease'.

FishMed2018, Warsaw, 2018. 'Generation and validation of zebrafish models of neurodegeneration and epilepsy: uses in drug discovery'. 

EZM2017, European Zebrafish Meeting, Budapest, 2017. 'In vivo drug discovery identifies a compound that reduces seizure-like activity in the zebrafish model of CLN2 disease ?'.

EZM2015,  European Zebrafish Meeting, Oslo, 2015. 'Valproic Acid Attenuates Seizures And Extends Lifespan Of The Zebrafish Model Of CLN2 Disease (Late Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis)'.

Claire is committed to providing excellence in teaching plus valuable learning opportunities for students, not only leading to deeper knowledge and understanding, but also preparing students for the workplace. She has a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (from KCL) and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Claire teaches Developmental Biology on the Gateway/BSc BioSciences 1 core module and in the Development and Disease Module for 3rd Year BSc BioSciences. Claire also provides topics for BVetMed 1 and 2 Integrated Cocepts. Claire supervises library and laboratory projects for all years of BSc BioSciences, Gateway and BVetMed. Claire is also the BSc Bioveterinary Sciences 1 skills workshop coordinator and tutors 1st and 2nd Year BSc BioSciences and BVetMed students.

Claire is the Placement Year Co-ordinator, and as such is in charge of  the Certificate in Work-based Learning and Research (CWBLR) course that is available to all BSc BioSciences and BVetMed students, as well as the placement associated with the MSci Applied Biological/Bioveterinary Research. The CWBLR course will allow students to take a sandwich year and do a placement working in any aspect of industry or research relevant to the Biosciences. 

Claire is developing links with the pharmaceutical and biotech industry to faciliate placement opportunities and welcomes approaches from industry. Please contact Claire if you are interested in providing a placement.

 

Responsibilities:

Member of UG Biosciences Course Management Committee

Module leader BSc1/Gateway Development

Year leader Placement Year

Year Leader MSci Applied Biol/BiovetSci Research year 4

Claire is developing a school outreach program and is keen for schools to get in touch to discuss opportunities. Claire is CRB checked in Camden and is a trained Researcher in Residence.

Claire can bring basic science into your classroom in several ways:

discuss the use of animals in research; providing biological samples to examine; experimental design; performing experiments; data analysis; problem solving; as a role model; to describe university life

Claire has hosted the following work experience students: Michael Ronga (2024, Hampton School), Daniel Wilton-Ely (2024, Acland Burghley School), Aaron Ramen (2024, David Game),  Elsie Knights (2024, Harris Westminster), Orin Blair (2022, Trinity School, via In2Science), Iruweyda Hassan (2022, Haverstock School, via In2Science), Yasmin Ibrahim (2022, Drayton Manor High School), Luke Squirrel (2019, Ravens Wood School), Joanna Sykes (Buller's Wood School), Olivia Kersey (2013, Sydenham School) , Charley Davis (2012, Buller's Wood School), Hakeen Fagbemi (2015, Forest Hill School) and Jacob Mutton (2015, Forest Hill School). 

Claire has spoken at 3 RVC SU Biosci careers events (2021 x 2, 2023)

Claire has recorded a for RVC SU

Claire has been involved in the summer schools and outreach events organised by the RVC eg. 2021 Biology Champions: Session 5

Having participated in the organisation of two conferences (NCL2012 and NCL2018) with a significant outreach component with many novel features, Claire can provide advice on similar activities.

Claire spoke about working with animals at Syndenham School and SFH6 in 2017.

Claire was an invited speaker at a fundraiser for SPARKS in 2016.

You can listen to a podcast about Claire Russell's research here