Meet the Team behind NoCaSS 2024
Norwich
Angel Vergara Cruces
Angel is a PhD student at John Innes Centre, in the lab of Michael Webster. He studies gene expression in the plant chloroplast using cryo-EM. Outside the lab, he is passionate about education and scientific outreach and has volunteered with different projects, including the Plantae network of the American Society of Plant Biologists and the Juvenile Science Olympiad back in his home country, Spain.
As the chair of the NoCaSS2024 committee, he coordinates the team to bring forward their vision for an inclusive and ambitious scientific programme.
Kara Boyd
Kara is a second year PhD student at the John Innes Centre with Sanu Arora, whose lab focuses on identifying novel sources of genetic resistance to biotic stresses in pea. Kara is working to characterise resistance genes to pea downy mildew (Peronospora viciae, f. sp. pisi), a disease that causes devastating pea yield losses.
Kara hopes that NoCass 2024 will be a memorable event, and that it will provide invaluable experience to early career researchers in plant and microbial sciences. She hopes that the networking opportunities that NoCass will provide will establish professional connections and future collaborations across Norwich and Cambridge.
Jacob Pullin
Jacob is a postdoctoral researcher at the John Innes Centre, studying plant iron metabolism in the Balk lab.
An active member of the Postdoctoral Voice at the JIC, Jacob is keen to promote network and training opportunities for early career researchers.
AmirAli Toghani
AmirAli is a second-year PhD student with Prof. Sophien Kamoun at The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL), Norwich. His work is focused on understanding the molecular evolution and function of plant NLR immune receptors. He uses a mix of bioinformatics, biochemistry, and structural biology techniques to try and link the evolutionary and functional knowledge in NLR biology.
He is passionate about science, art, and everything in between, and made the graphics for NoCaSS 2024. He is looking forward to a fruitful and thrilling NoCaSS with exciting science and engaging socials.
Georgia Yiasoumi
Georgia Yiasoumi is a second year PhD student at the John Innes Centre. Georgia works between the labs of David Seung and Richard Morris with the aim of utilising computational and mathematical modelling techniques to elucidate mechanisms underlying the initiation, morphogenesis, and regulation of starch granule synthesis in wheat.
Georgia is the treasurer of the NoCaSS 2024 committee.
Josh Bennett
Josh is a second year PhD student from the John Innes centre in the lab of Mark Banfield. He is investigating plant pathogen interactions at a biochemical and structural level. This work mostly focuses on plant immune receptors and how they provide resistance to pathogen effectors.
He is keen for NoCaSS to continue to be an inclusive conference for early career researchers, and get a chance to present and discuss their science with others.
Cambridge
Federico Marangelli
Federico is a first year PhD student working with Prof. Uta Paszkowski at the Crop Science Centre, University of Cambridge. His work focuses on the negative regulation of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis by SMAX1. In his PhD he uses protein-protein interaction assays to identify the potential interacting partners of this negative regulator.
He is very passionate about contributing to and vouching for a positive research culture, within and between institutions. He organised travel and helped with securing funding for NoCaSS 2024.
Edward Harris
Ed is a first year PhD student at the Department of Plant Sciences working with Dr Jake Harris on epigenetic mechanisms of priming to biotic stimuli. His work focuses on DNA methylation in Arabidopsis and epigenome engineering to artificially change DNA methylation at defence loci.
He hopes NoCaSS will be a good way to meet new people and establish links with other research institutions, and in charge of the website and registration.
Andrew Berley
Andrew is an MPhil student in the Crop Science program working with Dr. Edwidge Moyroud in the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University. He is researching the development and genetic expression of floral patterning in the model organism Hibiscus.
Andrew has helping with securing funding for NoCaSS 2024.
Junior Lusu Kika
Junior Lusu Kika is a first year PhD student in Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge. His research interest revolves around understanding the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms underlying the interactions between plants and their pathogens, focusing on plant-parasitic nematodes, in trying to develop efficient and sustainable agriculture solutions. He is currently sandwiched between the labs of Lida Derevnina and Sebastian Eves-van den Akker, working on defining and characterising the effectorome of root-knot nematodes.
He believes in the unique potential of NoCaSS to enable interactions, connections, and collaborations even beyond the symposia.
Paola Asprilla
Paola is a research assistant in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge. She is researching the development of Marchantia polymorpha as an experimental platform for engineering the production of terpenes by installing novel terpene biosynthetic pathways and triggering the ectopic formation of oil cells. She is a microbiologist at heart who enjoys exploring other fields of science.
She believes NoCass will be a great opportunity for technicians to have a space (usually they do not have any) to participate in the science communication of the research they are involved in.