Research Seminar Series January 2024

We kicked off the research seminar series with two fabulous talks with a focus on the impact of adipose/ lipids in disease. Dr Claire Fletcher delivered the main seminar talk focusing on the work of her research group at Imperial College, London: Exploiting the Adipose Microenvironment and Non-Coding RNAs for Prostate Cancer Treatment.

Dr Claire Fletcher is an Advanced Research Fellow and Principal Investigator within the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, where she completed her PhD, post-doctoral studies and several Fellowships. Prior to this, she studied for a BSc in Cell Biology at Durham University and an MRes in Biomedical Research at Imperial College. Her research concerns the role of the adipose microenvironment and obesity in promoting aggressive prostate cancer phenotypes. Her other research interests include drug resistance mechanisms, development of RNA-based cancer therapeutics, and understanding the role of non-coding RNAs (the so-called ‘dark matter’ of the genome) in cancer pathogenesis.

Early Career Researcher Dr Leanne Cussen presented on her PhD project: The RolE oF Androgen excess in MUscle Energy MetaboLism in Women with PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome – The REFUEL PCOS study
Dr Leanne Cussen graduated from University College Cork in 2014, where she subsequently completed a postgraduate diploma in gynaecology. She was appointed to the Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus Higher Specialist Training scheme in 2020. Leanne’s clinical and research interests are primarily in the area of metabolic health challenges faced by women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). As an ICAT fellow, Leanne will explore the complex role of androgens in mediating metabolic risk in PCOS.