CURRENT Lab Members
Ian Gibbs-Seymour, Principal Investigator
Research background:
2011-2014 - Postdoctoral researcher (University of Copenhagen)
2014-2018 - Postdoctoral researcher (University of Oxford)
After completing my doctoral research in Durham, I joined the group of Niels Mailand in the Center for Protein Research, University Copenhagen. After three years, I returned to the UK to work with Ivan Ahel in the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, with the support of a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship and a Nicholas Kurti Junior Research Fellowship, Brasenose College, University of Oxford.
During my postdoctoral research I focussed on investigating how post-translational modifications (PTMs) regulate and impact DNA repair in mammalian cells.
Now, with the support of a CRUK Career Development Fellowship, I am investigating how ubiquitin signaling controls replication-coupled DNA repair.
Leslye Roca Burgos, Postdoctoral Researcher
Research background:
2014-2018 - PhD in Natural Sciences (University of Kiel)
2019-2023 - Postdoctoral researcher (Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford)
2023-present - Postdoctoral researcher (Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford)
Leslye obtained her PhD in Natural Sciences at the Structural Biology Group at the Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel in Germany in 2018. Her PhD research focused on protein expression in bacterial and insect cells, purification, crystallisation, and biophysical characterization of ATP-independent Luciferase from Gaussia princeps. During this period, she gained experience working with enzymatic activity assays to characterize the function and regulation of target proteins. Prior to her PhD she gained research experience at EMBL-Hamburg in Germany working with recombinant protein production for structural studies from Mycobacterium tuberculosis targets, and at the Liver Research Centre in Italy working with multidrug resistance associated protein expressed in eukaryotic cells. She joined the SGC-Biotech team at Oxford University in 2019 as a Postdoctoral Scientist to support protein production for internal projects and external collaborations.
Leslye is investigating the biochemical activity and structural mechanisms of the ZUP1 DUB to understand how it functions in DNA repair.
Alexandra McStea, DPhil candidate
Research background:
2014-2018 - BSc (Hons) Natural Sciences (University of Bath)
2018-2020 - MRes Research Methods for Life Sciences (University of Bristol/Bath)
2021-2022 - Research Scientist (Oxford Biomedica)
2022-2023 - Research Assistant (Gene Medicine Research Group, University of Oxford)
2023-present - DPhil in Biochemistry (Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford)
Alex carried out a BSc (Hons) degree in Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics) at the University of Bath. During this time, she carried out an industrial placement year at the Research Complex at Harwell focusing on super-resolution microscopy (SIM, STORM/PALM). She then completed an MRes degree at the University of Bristol/Bath which was focused on structure-function studies of a HECT E3 ligase called HECTD1.
Following her MRes degree she worked as a Scientist at Oxford Biomedica helping to develop novel lentiviral vectors for gene therapy. She then transitioned back to academia as a Research Assistant in the Gill and Hyde Gene Medicine Group at the University of Oxford.
Alex is now pursuing her interests in ubiquitin signalling in DNA repair, focusing on structure-function studies of key enzymes.
Xianzhen Zhou, DPhil candidate
Research background:
2018-2021 - BS Biology (Pennsylvania State University)
2021-2023 - ScM Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Johns Hopkins University)
2023-present - DPhil Biochemistry (St Anne’s College, University of Oxford)
Xianzhen earned a BS degree in Biology from Pennsylvania State University before pursuing an ScM degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Johns Hopkins University. During his time there, Xianzhen's research focused on exploring the crosstalk between the chromatin component macroH2A1 and DNA repair outcomes, as well as understanding the modulation of DNA repair through chromatin-associated RNAs and their modifications.
Xianzhen will use these and other cell biology approaches to deepen our understanding of how ubiquitin signaling controls DNA repair in cells.
Yutong Liu, DPhil candidate
Research background:
2018-2022 - BSc in Chemistry (Sichuan University)
2022-2023 - MRes in Biomedical Research (Imperial College London)
2024-present - DPhil in Biochemistry (The Queen’s College, University of Oxford)
Yutong completed a BSc degree in Chemistry at Sichuan University, China. During this time, she focused on developing methods to detect and trace rare precancerous cells in noncancerous tissues using mutant p53 reporters. She then completed an MRes degree at Imperial College London, where her research focused on MTAP-related protein methylation in cancer.
Yutong will use molecular and cell biology approaches to deepen our understanding of how ubiquitin signaling controls p53 pathways in cells.