My
name is Becky and I am about to complete the first year of my PhD here at
Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience. When I first started I was
unsure of what to expect from the next few years and it has definitely been a
learning curve! Hopefully by writing these blog posts as I progress through my
PhD, I can give you a better idea of what being a PhD student is really
like.
I
started learning about neuroscience during my undergraduate degree at the
University of Leeds and as a subject it immediately captured my interest. Keen
to expand my knowledge in the area, I completed an MRes project at University
College London focusing on neurodegeneration. I found this to be such an important
area of research that I was eager to continue working within the field for my
PhD.
I was lucky to be offered a PhD here at SITraN and I was also incredibly fortunate to secure a University Prize Scholarship. To be chosen to receive this scholarship out of so many outstanding applicants was a huge confidence boost. It reassured me that doing a PhD was the right thing and that I was well suited to the project I chose.
My
project is based on the gene C9ORF72,
which has been found to be the most common genetic cause of motor neuron
disease (MND). MND is a progressive movement disorder that damages motor
neurons, which are the nerves which control muscles. This damage prevents important
signals between your brain and muscles, causing them to weaken and eventually
stop working altogether. Usually this disease is fatal only 2-5 years after
diagnosis and there is currently no cure, highlighting the importance of
scientific research to better understand MND.
The
normal workings of C9ORF72 in the brain are only recently coming to light and my
PhD will continue to investigate this. By finding out more about its normal
function, we may be able to help unravel the ways in which faults in C9ORF72 can
lead to disease. The ultimate goal is that this knowledge could contribute
towards finding new life-changing treatments for patients and eventually, a
cure.
It
has been an intense and challenging experience so far, but I feel like I've
learned a lot in the past year. My MRes was a useful introduction to working in
a lab, but doing a PhD is such an enormous step up. Throughout a PhD you really
have to take ownership of your project and be responsible for the direction it
takes – an exciting but slightly daunting prospect! I still have a lot more to
learn but I'm really looking forward to seeing where my project takes me.
