The Lab
Darerca and Helen have worked together since 1997, when we were both post-docs in Cambridge. Since 2004 we have held permanent positions in the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge. Darerca is a molecular biologist and protein chemist and Helen is a protein NMR specialist. We bring our combination of skills to all of the projects that we run.
Darerca Owen
Darerca's first degree was in Genetics and she followed this with a PhD in Genetics in Peter Strike's lab at the University of Liverpool. She was then a post-doc at the Institute for Cancer Studies, University of Birmingham, where she became interested in cell signalling and small G proteins. She then moved to the University of Cambridge and was a post-doc there before being appointed as an Assistant Director of Research.
Helen Mott
Helen's first degree was in Biochemistry and she followed this with a PhD in Biochemistry in Iain Campbell's lab at the University of Oxford. She was then a post-doc at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she began working on small G proteins. She moved to the University of Cambridge and held two MRC Fellowships before being appointed as an Assistant Director of Research.
Here we are at a FASEB meeting in 2000 with the best licence plate on a rental car we could find!
Lab Members
Dr Karthik Rajasekar (2008-current)
Karthik has a degree in Industrial Biotechnology from Anna University, Chennai and a PhD from Eva Hyde's lab in Birmingham. He is a structural biologist who also has an interest in biophysical techniques. Karthik is a post-doc working on the RLIP76 project and is currently funded by the Newton Trust.
Mrs Louise Campbell (2001-current)
Lou has a degree in Biochemistry from the University of Leicester. She is a research assistant whose main interests lie in protein chemistry and the analysis of protein interactions. Lou is currently working on the RLIP76 project and is funded by the MRC.
Ms Catherine Hutchinson (2005-current)
Cat came to us as an undergraduate project student and stayed to pursue a PhD funded by BBSRC. She is currently in her final year and is interested in protein interactions. During her time here she has worked on the Rho family and its coiled-coil effector proteins.
Michael Davies (2010-current)
Mike is an undergraduate project student who is working on Cdc42/effector interactions.
Camilla Godlee (2010-current)
Millie is an undergraduate project student who is working on interactions between ACK1 and other proteins.
Past Members
Kadalmani Krishnan (2006-2010)
Kadalmani was a PhD student who worked on interactions between the ACK1 tyrosine kinase and signalling proteins. His expertise lies in mammalian cell culture, western blotting and kinase assays. Kadalmani is currently a post-doc at Harvard Medical School with Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas.
Laura Bailey (2005-2010)
Laura was a BBSRC-funded PhD student who solved the structure of the Arl2 effector BART (published in 2009) and investigated its interactions with Arl2 and Arl3. Laura has just returned from maternity leave and is working part-time at Addenbrooke's hospital, Cambridge.
Courtney Schroeder (2009-2010)
Courtney was a Churchill Scholar and MPhil student who worked on interactions between the ACK1 tyrosine kinase and other molecules. Courtney is currently pursuing a PhD in San Francisco (UCSF).
Nicola Darling (2009-2010)
Nicola was an undergraduate project student who worked on interactions between ACK1 and other signalling proteins. Nicola is currently pursuing a PhD at the Babraham Institute with Simon Cook.
R. Brynmor Fenwick (2004-2009)
Bryn came from New Zealand to do a PhD with us, funded by the Cambridge Overseas Trusts. He solved the structures of the Ral binding domain of RLIP76 (RalBP1) and its complex with RalB, published in 2010. He was also involved in the structure of free RalB, published in 2009. Bryn is currently a post-doc at IRB Barcelona with Xavier Salvatella.
José Vicente Garcia (2004-2008)
Pépé was a PhD student who was funded by a BBSRC Case studentship with GlaxoSmithKline. Pépé started off most of the work on ACK1 interactions in the lab. Originally from Galacia in Northern Spain, he is now settled in Cambridge and works in clinical trials for GFA Clinical and Regulatory Services.
Jordan Clay (2007-2008)
Jordan was an undergraduate project student who worked on IQGAP while he was in the lab. He is currently doing a DPhil in Oxford with Radu Aricescu.
Sunil Prasannan (2004-2007)
Sunil was a post-doc funded by Cancer Research UK. He worked on exocyst and the RalB project and was involved in solving the structure of RalB, published in 2009. He is now a post-doc in Boulder, Colorado with Hang Yin.
Keily Littlefield (2005-2007)
Keily was a research assistant funded by Cancer Research UK. She worked on interactions involving the Rho family, including IQGAP (published in 2008). She is now living in Cornwall where she runs the teaching labs at Truro College.
Rakhee Modha (2001-2005)
Rakhee was an MRC-funded PhD student who worked on structure of Rac1 in complex with the HR1b domain from PRK1. This was published in 2008 and was selected as paper of the week in JBC. Rakhee is now a consultant at Heron Health.
Katrina Evetts (2000-2004)
Kat was a technician funded by the MRC who worked on the Rho family project. She doesn't really look like this but we don't have her photo. Kat is currently working for Blood Products Ltd.