Senior Research Officer at University of Essex. A highly motivated, dedicated and enthusiastic Senior Research Officer at the University of Essex, a member of the Protein Structure and Mechanisms of Disease group and Dr Philip Reeves' laboratory (University of Essex). Working in a well-established and long-term collaboration with Prof. Steven Smith (Stony Brook University, New York) on a National institutes of Health (USA) funded project called Mechanisms of GPCR Signalling, which focuses on “Understanding the molecular mechanisms of rhodopsin signalling in response to light”. The first aim of this research project is to study in detail the role of specific residues and motifs in rhodopsin during receptor activation by light. For this purpose, my team and I have established a state-of-the art mammalian gene expression technology for construction of stable cell lines producing milligram amounts of rhodopsin mutant proteins. These cell lines are being used in Prof. Steve Smith’s group to prepare stable-isotope labelled rhodopsin for use in magic-angle spinning NMR spectroscopy experiments. Whereas at Essex, we focus on characterising the spectral and signal-transduction properties of these rhodopsin mutants by using UV-vis absorbance as well as fluorescence spectroscopy. A second aim of this project is to characterise naturally occurring mutations in the rhodopsin gene in humans that are responsible for autosomal dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa (adRP) and Congenital Stationary Night Blindness (CSNB), inherited conditions that result in irreversible vision loss and blindness. Over the years of study and work, I have become an accomplished specialist in the field of cell molecular biology and biochemistry, with a well-developed set of professional and interpersonal skills as well as an excellent understanding of the academic and scientific environment. My current research interests include understanding of the basic molecular mechanisms of human diseases such as cancer and genetic disorders of the retina. I am also interested in cellular roles and the structure-function relationships in proteins in the context of the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.