Monday 25th May 2020

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Meet the Team

Clinical Team | Co-ordination Team | Laboratory Team

Clinical Team

Rollover images to see each biography.

Dr IS Farooqi
Professor of Metabolism and Medicine

I qualified with Honours and the Queen’s Scholarship in Medicine from the University of Birmingham. After hospital posts in Birmingham and Oxford, I moved to Cambridge to undertake a PhD with Professor Stephen O’Rahilly. During this time, we identified the first genes to cause obesity and established the GOOS cohort, with the help of many colleagues worldwide. We have received a number of awards in recognition of our work which has been published in high impact journals. As a Wellcome Trust Senior Clinical Fellow, I co-ordinate a multi-disciplinary team of people working on a programme of research in obesity.
I am also an Honorary Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge.
Dr IS Farooqi

Professor of Metabolism
and Medicine

Julia Keogh
Senior Clinical Research Manager

After my BSc, I worked as a Research Technician for the MRC before training as a Paediatric Nurse. In 1998, I was given a 1 year secondment from the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital to join a group developing research interests in childhood obesity. During this time, I established and developed my role as Co-ordinator of GOOS and was involved in the first clinical trial of leptin therapy. I have since been involved in many clinical studies and have responsibility for linking our co-ordination work, with the lab and clinical teams. I have established systems for collating our clinical research findings so that we can use the information to learn new things about genetic forms of obesity. I plan to follow-up our patients over time, so important for future research, and will work closely with them to communicate our research findings and provide support, the first step being the development of this website! Outside of work, I support Portsmouth FC, but my greatest pleasure is playing with my grandchildren.
Julia Keogh

Senior Clinical Research Manager

Elana Henning
Senior Research Nurse

I have worked at Addenbrooke’s Hospital as a Registered General Nurse since 1999 after completing my nursing training in South Africa. Before joining the team in 2005, I worked in Renal Medicine and Endocrinology. My current role involves co-ordination of our clinical studies with patients and families. I am involved in performing many of the tests we do, work closely with colleagues in other departments to apply new techniques to our research and also look after and co-ordinate the treatment of patients with leptin deficiency from around the world. In addition, I co-ordinate the recruitment of volunteers for a range of clinical studies in both children and adults who are both normal weight and overweight.
Elana Henning

Senior Research Nurse

Dr Isabel Huang-Doran
NIHR Clinical Lecturer

I completed by medical and research training at the University of Cambridge, graduating from the MB/PhD programme in 2013. After foundation jobs in London, I returned to Cambridge as an Academic Clinical Fellow. I joined the Farooqi team in 2018, subsequently securing an NIHR Clinical Lecturer position in Endocrinology. My research interests lie at the interface of metabolism and reproduction, and my current work aims to understand the association between obesity and endometrial cancer. I am a Specialist Registrar in Endocrinology, Diabetes and General Internal Medicine at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, and a fellow of Christ’s College, University of Cambridge.
Dr Isabel Huang-Doran

NIHR Clinical Lecturer

Dr Agatha van der Klaauw
Wellcome Trust Postdoctoral Clinical Fellow

I undertook my clinical and research training in neuroendocrinology at the Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. I joined the team as a clinical research fellow in 2007 for a year and, after returning to clinical training, rejoined the team in 2011 working with Professors Fletcher and Farooqi. Currently, I focus on a number of studies relating to the neuroendocrine consequences of obesity linking genetic findings to physiology.
Dr Agatha
van der Klaauw

Wellcome Trust Postdoctoral Clinical Fellow

Dr Tessa Cacciottolo
NIHR Clinical Lecturer

I joined the team in January 2016 as a Clinical Research Fellow. I completed my medical training in Malta, and moved to Cambridge shortly after to further my training in internal medicine, gastroenterology and hepatology. I am interested in the link between liver and metabolic diseases, and for this reason chose to undertake my PhD in Professor Farooqi's lab. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, getting outdoors and travelling.
Dr Tessa Cacciottolo

NIHR Clinical Lecturer

Co-ordination Team

Rebecca Bounds
Senior Co-ordinator

I joined the team in 2011 following several years in biomedical related research initially as an undergraduate at the University of Leeds, followed by a PhD and postdoctoral position at the University of Dundee. My main role is to co-ordinate our drive to contact all GOOS patients for new DNA samples and permission for new genetic tests including whole exome sequencing. I also work on a number of our databases where we collate information from various studies. Outside of work I like to travel and bake.
Rebecca Bounds

Senior Co-ordinator

Angela Reynolds
Data Manager

I left teaching to become a data manager, initially within the Vasculitis and IBD departments before joining the GOOS team in May 2018. My role is to provide data management and support the team. I am responsible for the development and maintenance of the systems used in the studies. Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family and run a Guide unit.
Angela Reynolds

Data Manager

Miriam Smith
Research Co-ordinator

I joined the team in March 2018 as a Research Co-ordinator and my duties include monitoring the GOOS database and checking DNA sequencing results. Prior to this I was a laboratory based scientist for 10 years, including working on DNA sequencing at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. As an undergraduate I studied Biomedicine at the University of East Anglia and also obtained a PhD. in Oncology from the University of Cambridge. Away from the office I like to spend time with my children, swim and go walking.
Miriam Smith

Research Co-ordinator

Jacqui Brocker
Study Administrator

I joined the team in September 2015 as an Administrative Assistant before changing roles and have been Study Administrator since June 2018. Before then I'd worked in university administration at the University of Sydney in Australia (my alma mater and where I'm from originally) and at the University of Cambridge. I am also an English language teacher, and currently have private students in the afternoons. In my spare time I write, read, and teach/do Scottish Country Dancing.
Jacqui Brocker

Study Administrator

Lynne Stanley
Project Co-ordinator

I joined the team as Project Co-ordinator in July 2018. Previously I worked for the Clinical Research Network (Eastern) supporting commercial clinical studies throughout the Eastern region across a wide range of specialities in both adults and children. Prior to the development of the CRN I was the Project Manager for a local Site Management organisation, again primarily supporting local investigators and industry partners. My original introduction to clinical research was when I joined a major pharmaceutical company at their Belgian subsidiary for a number of years, before relocating back to the UK to join their training and QC Department. In my spare time I enjoy free expressive dance, walking and listening to audiobooks and radio comedies.
Lynne Stanley

Project Co-ordinator

Laboratory Team

Jacek Mokrosinski
Postdoctoral Research Associate

I joined the team in February 2014 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. I am a biology/biochemistry graduate from the University of Lodz, Poland. Since 2008 I have been working in the Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, where I obtained my PhD degree in 2012. I have studied structural and functional properties of 7-transmembrane G-protein coupled receptors (7TM / GPCR) and their role in regulation of metabolism. My current work is focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms behind severe obesity. I am investigating the potential role of naturally occurring mutations of 7TM receptors in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases. Outside work, my interests include modern design and architecture, sightseeing, and family history research.
Jacek Mokrosinski

Postdoctoral
Research Associate

Bas Brouwers
EMBO Longterm Fellow

I joined the lab in April 2016 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. Previously I was working in the Department of Human Genetics at the KU Leuven, Belgium, investigating the role of the Proprotein Convertase Furin in pancreatic beta cells. As a GOOS team member, I am characterising obesity-associated mutations in order to better understand the mechanisms that regulate energy homeostasis. In my spare time I enjoy summer festivals, running, swimming, watching football and playing the guitar.
Bas Brouwers

EMBO Longterm Fellow

Katherine Lawler
Postdoctoral Research Associate

I joined the team in Oct 2016 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Computational Genomics. After a Mathematics degree and Masters, I completed my PhD in the Functional Genomics group at EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute. I took a postdoctoral position in cancer research at King's College London with a particular interest in disease progression. As a GOOS team member, I work on the genomics of obesity/thinness and rare diseases. An over-arching aim of this work is to uncover new hypotheses which can be followed up and characterized by the GOOS lab team. Outside of work I enjoy playing the piano or taking a walk.
Katherine Lawler

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Edson Mendes de Oliveira
Postdoctoral Research Associate

I joined the lab team in July 2015 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. After a Pharmacy degree obtained in 2008 I chose to pursue an academic career, heading for a Master and a PhD in Clinical Biochemistry at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, revealing new insights into the role of the inflammatory protein serum amyloid A (SAA) in obesity and insulin resistance. As a GOOS team member I am currently working on a number of projects related to the functional characterization of novel variants in obesity-associated genes. In my spare time my interests are playing volleyball, watching movies and spending time with friends and family.
Edson Mendes
de Oliveira

Postdoctoral
Research Associate

Aliki Perdikari
Postdoctoral Research Associate

I joined the group in September 2017 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. After completing my Master's degree in Cell Biology at ETH Zurich and in 2012, I joined the Laboratory of Translational Nutrition Biology at ETH Zurich where I obtained my PhD in 2016, studying the molecular signature and function of brown adipose tissue in mammals and humans. As a GOOS team member, I am involved in the functional characterization of mutations in obesity-associated genes and in the characterization of thinness-associated loci. Outside work I like reading, shopping, watching movies and baking.
Aliki Perdikari

Postdoctoral
Research Associate

Natalia Wasiluk
Senior Research Assistant

I joined the team in January 2017 as a Senior Research Assistant. Here, I work on the identification of mutations related to obesity and the characterisation of novel variants associated with weight gain. Previously I worked at TwistDX on the development of molecular diagnostic tests for infectious diseases. Before that, I obtained an MSc in Biotechnology at the West Pomeranian University of Technology. Outside of work I like to stay active by practicing fencing, go mountain climbing and, when the weather is bad, caving. I also enjoy painting and photography.
Natalia Wasiluk

Senior Research
Assistant

Hannah Thomas
Senior Research Lab Technician

I joined the team in May 2014 as a Senior Research Laboratory Technician. Previously I worked in the private sector as a Lab Technician at Fisher BioServices, mainly doing high-throughput DNA and RNA extractions and sub-aliquoting. My current role involves technical support for the smooth running of the lab in co-operation with other members of the team. My hobbies are collecting fluffy microbes, Scouting, walking, horse-riding, reading, and knitting.
Hannah Thomas

Senior Research
Lab Technician

ABOUT US

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As part of Mental Health Awareness Week (Monday 18^th May – Friday 22^nd May), the Cambridge University Sports Centre is running a Virtual Climbing Challenge. They are challenging individuals and teams to choose a target of climbing a building, set of buildings, or even a mountain – all virtually. Participants can climb the stairs in their house or the hill in their local park.

Cambridge China COVID-19 Collaboration (4C) Appeal

Raising funds for high-grade Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health and social care professionals caring for patients with COVID-19 in Cambridge and the East of England.

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