Meet the scientists!

About 20 years ago, my colleagues discovered a large family (over 80 people), almost half of who had schizophrenia or another major mental illness.  10 years later, they discovered that all of the family members with the schizophrenia had the same “break” in one of their genes, called DISC1.  We have since discovered “faults” in this gene can cause mental illness in many other people round the world.  The DISC1 gene tells the body how to make a protein (also called DISC1).

My work, which I began as a PhD student and have now carried on since, involves seeing how this protein relates to other “schizophrenia-proteins” and what they have in common.  If we can figure that out, then we can start to guess what the underlying causes of schizophrenia are and how we might be able to treat them.

Spend most of the day doing work in the lab.  At the moment this is mainly growing cultures of bacteria and trying to extract proteins from them.  It can also involve doing biochemistry, growing cells and looking at them under the microscope or various other tests.

Normally also spend a couple of hours writing papers, presentation, funding requests etc.  Sometimes also have lectures to go, teaching to do or other meetings. 

Then home again in the evening to be ambushed by my daughter…

The plan was going to be travel to a conference, probably like Joe the “Society of Neuroscience” meeting which I have been to once before and had 30,000 scientists attend it.  Its a great opportunaty to meet scientists from around the world who have similar interests to you, and to build collaborations with them (i.e. working together to perform better experiments faster)

However, if you can think of a good way to spend the money to tell others about my work (maybe other scientists, possibly to schools – your call) then please do let me know (if I get lots of ideas perhaps we can put it to a vote – will see what happens!)