Norwich, United Kingdom
March 3, 2014
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Diane Saunders as the first TGAC Computational Biology Fellow, from 3 March 2014.
The fellowship programme is a new venture for TGAC, working with our Norwich Research Park (NRP) partners. The programme offers outstanding early-career computational biologists and bioinformaticians the opportunity to establish themselves as scientific leaders within a dynamic research environment.
Diane received her BSc degree from Exeter University; where she also went on to do her PhD in the pioneering laboratory of Prof Nick Talbot, studying the genetic mechanisms that regulate plant pathogen development. After receiving her PhD in 2009, Diane joined Prof Sophien Kamoun’s group at The Sainsbury Laboratory to pursue her interest in the molecular mechanisms that underpin plant-pathogen interactions.
Diane’s impact on the field of molecular plant pathology is noted by her number of excellent publications, and continues to develop a multi-disciplinary approach to her research; integrating molecular genetics, microbiology, cell biology, biochemistry, genomics and data mining. Diane also worked on three of the most paramount global plant diseases: rice blast, potato late blight, and cereal rusts.
Diane went on to receive a prestigious Leverhulme Fellowship in 2011 that supported her career transition to rust pathosystems, an emerging field that has only recently moved into the genomics era, bringing to impact the concepts of pathogenicity effectors and related ideas. Diane was one of the first responders to the outbreak of Chalara dieback of Ash in the UK, contributing to a better understanding of the causal agent, Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus.
During her appointment as a Computational Biology Fellow at TGAC, partnered with the John Innes Centre (JIC), Diane will continue to study emerging and re-emerging pathogens at the genomic and molecular level. Her long-term aim is to dissect the molecular mechanisms that drive pathogen evolution and adaptation to prevailing selective pressures.
Director at TGAC Mario Caccamo, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Diane as the first appointment of our fellowship programme in computational biology. Diane will work on areas of research that are directly relevant to both TGAC and JIC’s research priorities, making use of the latest technologies and developing novel computational methods. These are exciting times to work in computational biology and specifically in fields that can contribute to the world’s food security. We wish Diane all the success in her project”.
For further details on other fellowship opportunities, please visit: http://www.tgac.ac.uk/fellowship/ or contact us on fellowships@tgac.ac.uk.