The Group
Janet Lovett (DPhil, MRSC) is a Senior Lecturer, and former Royal Society University Research Fellow, based in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of St Andrews (since 2014). She originates from Stafford in the West Midlands and completed both her MChem and DPhil at Oxford University under the guidance of Prof Christiane Timmel in the Chemistry Department. Since at this time Oxford did not have a pulsed EPR spectrometer she travelled to various laboratories and especially to Prof Gunnar Jeschke (then at the MPI in Mainz) and to Profs Edgar Groenen and Martina Huber in Leiden where she spent 6 months as a Marie Curie Training Site Fellow. She then moved to Prof Susan Lea for a post doc in the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology. This enabled her to learn more about protein preparation and the sorts of problems which are interesting to biochemists. She also held a stipendiary Junior Research Fellowship at University College, Oxford, before being awarded the URF and moving to the University of Edinburgh in 2010. Since 2021 Janet has been the Director for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the School of Physics and Astronomy and is a member of the Management Committee for the School. In 2023 Janet was promoted to Senior Lecturer. Janet became the Secretary of the International ESR Society (IES) starting January 2024. Away from the lab and office, Janet enjoys spending time with her 10 and 13 year olds and is the Akela for her local Cub Scout Pack.
Elena Mocanu (2021-, PhD) finished her Master's degree at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy ``Carol Davila'', Bucharest in medical biophysics and cellular biotechnology. Her research project focused on the effect of dimethyl sulfoxide over the resting membrane potential at the level of B16F10 cell line, as a possible method of membrane permeabilisation. After working in a Cord Blood Bank in Bucharest, Elena started her PhD studies at the University of St Andrews under Dr Janet Lovett’s supervision. Her PhD focuses on using pulsed EPR technique double electron-electron resonance (DEER) to study possible applications to biomacromolecules. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, spending time with friends and birdwatching.
Past Members (since moving to St Andrews).
2024 Undergraduate Project Students: Olivia King (BSc).
Hannah Russell (2019-2023, PhD) completed her MSci in Physics at the University of Dundee in 2019. Her research project, with Professor David Keeble, focused on the determination of positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy instrument timing resolutions functions and source correction terms of allowing for the detection and identification of defects and open-volume vacancies in materials. Following this, Hannah began her PhD studies at the University of St Andrews under Dr Janet Lovett’s supervision. Her PhD focuses on using the pulsed EPR technique double electron-electron resonance (DEER) to study changes in the structural state of proteins as a result of applying high pressures. In her spare time, she enjoys walking with her dogs, going to concerts and, when possible, snowboarding.
Michael Taylor (2018-2023, PhD) received his MSci in Physics from the University of Dundee in 2018. His undergraduate research project focused on investigating a variety of semiconducting materials using electrically detected EPR (EDMR), with the goal of identifying and analysing candidates for use as standard samples in EDMR. Impressed by the strengths of EPR as a spectroscopic technique, Michael applied to study for his PhD with Dr Janet Lovett and Professor Graham Smith. His PhD seeks to improve EPR sensitivity through the application of arbitrary waveform generators (AWGs), which could provide new insight in the analysis of biological samples. In his spare time Michael will often enjoy playing his guitar, or weather permitting, sailing and fishing around Scotland.
Ronan Fisher (2018-2022, PhD) received his MSc in Marine Biotechnology from the University of Stirling in 2016 after previously working in education for six years. His research project focussed on the individual and combined cytotoxic effects of the mycotoxins Fumonisin B1 and Deoxynivalenol using -omics based investigative techniques and cell culture. Following work as a research assistant, Ronan began his PhD studies in the EPR spectroscopy group under Janet’s supervision. His PhD focuses on the application of EPR to determine protein structure and subsequent conformational changes within the cell through interactions with other molecules as part of the larger proteome. In his spare time he enjoys hiking, is an avid table-top board gamer and can often be found in a bookshop.
Maria Papa (2018-2022, PhD) grew up in Rome where she graduated in Organic Chemistry at the University of Rome ``La Sapienz’’. Her research project focused on a chemical and electochemical comparative study of the Willgerodt-Kindler’s reaction, using a synthetic approach that follows the logic of “Green Chemistry”. After working for the ISS in Italy for three months, Maria started her PhD studies at St Andrews University, under Janet’s supervision. Her PhD focused on the investigation the structure-function relationships of RNA to understand its behaviour for the development of new drugs and nanotechnologies. In her spare time, she enjoys having fun with her friends, reading, cooking cakes and walking with her dog.
2023 Undergraduate Project Students: Ayman Qureshi (BSc), Harry Alderson (BSc) and Mengxuan Huang (BSc).
2022 Undergraduate Project Students: Ellie Crothers (BSc), Richard Mills (BSc) and Rachel Smyth (MPhys).
2021 Undergraduate Project Students: Jasper Bailey (BSc) and Robyn Cura (BSc).
2019-2020 Laidlaw Scholar: Aimee Bebbington.
2020 Undergraduate Project Students: Nathan Ansell (BSc) and Peter Fitzhugh (BSc).
2019 Erasmus+ Student: Elena-Mihaela Mocanu.
Anokhi Shah (2015-2019, PhD) grew up in London where she completed her MSci in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Queen Mary University. During her degree she had the opportunity to study at UCLA and carried out a short research project in Germany. Anokhi's final year project, with Dr Maxie Roessler and Dr John Viles, introduced her to how versatile and interesting EPR is and she has subsequently started her PhD using EPR techniques to analyse biomolecules. In her free time Anokhi enjoys exploring the outdoors and travelling. She says: "I am loving living in beautiful Scotland and looking forward to the next four years here". Following her PhD Anokhi undertook a short post doc with our Collaborator Dr Anna Peacock but based in St Andrews. After a brief time as a scientist at ADC Biotechnology in Wales she is now a PDRA with Prof Tony Day at the University of Manchester.
2019 Undergraduate Project Students: Yogini Vassaramo (BSc).
2018 DAAD-RISE Summer Student Kathrin Rieken (University of Augsburg).
2018 Undergraduate Project Students: Elise Jacobs (BSc), Rachel Stewart (MPhys) and James Adams (MPhys).
Claire Motion (2013-2017, PhD, Primarily supervised by Dr Graham Smith) received her MPhys degree from the University of St Andrews in 2012. After a year of study and travel at Emory University in Atlanta, GA as a Bobby Jones Scholar, she returned to St Andrews in September 2013 to commence study towards a PhD through the Integrated Magnetic Resonance Centre for Doctoral Training. Her PhD is focused on novel techniques to improve the sensitivity of pulsed ESR experiments through the use of composite pulses and optimal control, and the application of this to novel biological systems such as metalloporphyrin containing proteins. In 2016, she spent 6 weeks visiting the lab of Professor Jeschke at ETH Zurich. In her spare time, Claire enjoys hill walking and cooking. She now works for Leonardo in Edinburgh.
2017 Undergraduate Project Students: Lauren Macleod (BSc) and Edward Stirrup (BSc).
Stacey Bell (2011-2015, PhD) received her BSc (with Honours) in Microbiology at The University of Glasgow in 2011. Under the supervision of Prof. Timothy Mitchell, she was introduced to the field of molecular and structural biology whilst working on vaccine development for the pneumococcal toxin, Pneumolysin. Following her undergraduate degree, Stacey began her PhD studies under Janet's supervision. Stacey's PhD focused on the application of EPR spectroscopy in the study of protein-protein interactions in different biological systems, as well as the development of new techniques for spin-labelling cysteine rich proteins. She completed her PhD in December 2015 and is now working for Almac Discovery (Edinburgh), a research driven, oncology company, which aims to develop novel protein therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. In her spare time, Stacey enjoys going to different gigs and festivals, and discovering her new favourite band. Right now it's Frightened Rabbit!
Dr Bouchra Hajjaj (2014-2015, post doc) studied for a Master degree in Organic Chemistry at Ecole National Supérieure de Chimie de Lille (National Graduate Chemistry School) in France. She then continued her postgraduate research at the IBMM institute in Montpellier (France) under the supervision of Dr. Jean-Alain Fehrentz. Her research concerned the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of bombesin antagonists for cancer visualization using positron emission tomography (PET) or single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). She obtained a PhD in organic chemistry in December 2013. In September 2014, Bouchra joined the group of Dr. Janet Lovett at the University of St-Andrews as a Postdoctoral Researcher. Her research project, supported by EPSRC, concerned the development and synthesis of new spin labels (radicals) aimed to site specifically label cysteine rich proteins for their investigation by EPR spectroscopy. She is currently working as Research scientist in PharmaCytics, a pharmaceutical company focusing on the development of innovative solutions for drug delivery by facilitating transport of biomolecules through cellular membranes, in Nijmegen (The Netherlands).
Nino Wili (2014-2015, visiting undergraduate scholar) grew up in Bern, Switzerland. He moved to Zurich for his studies in Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich). After his Bachelor's Thesis about chirp pulses in DEER in the Group of Gunnar Jeschke he joined Janet Lovett in St Andrews for a project to learn about the whole process of spin labelling, from the plasmid to the purified and labelled protein in the EPR tube. He is currently finishing his Master degree with an emphasis on physical chemistry and structural biology. In his spare time, he makes and enjoys good food and music. He also plays bass at EPR conferences!