Katie Puddefoot

Katie Puddefoot has worked in a variety of roles since 2012. Katie began their career with a work experience placement at the Northwick Park Medical Research Institute, where they shadowed a doctor and gained skills in histology. Katie then completed a work experience placement in the chemistry department at the University of Greenwich, where they used basic laboratory techniques and looked specifically at HPLC. In 2014, they worked as a Sales Assistant at Clarks. From 2015-2016, they worked as an ODL TB Technician at Oxford Immunotec, where they learnt skills in isolating PBMCs from whole blood and using these in an ELISpot assay. Katie also undertook two individual projects to improve the assay for smaller blood volumes and to streamline the cell counting process. In 2017, they worked as a Lab Assistant at ProImmune, where they gained valuable skills in cell culture, protein assays and flow cytometry. Katie also was responsible for the analysis of laboratory services data and for writing customer reports. In 2018, they began their postgraduate research at the University of Leicester, where they are researching the role of the ubiquitin proteasome system in neuronal function. Katie is currently investigating how inhibiting the proteasome affects the normal function of motor neurons in the zebrafish spinal cord, by using whole-cell patch clamp technique. Katie also plans to use a variety of behavioural techniques to study how inhibition of the proteasome affects locomotion in the embryonic zebrafish. In 2019, they worked as an Intern at Oxford University Innovation, where they learnt valuable skills in technology transfer and helped to commercialise university IP. Katie also helped to organise the OIS Digital Health event and prepared marketing materials for both Bio and BioTrinity 2019. Katie also worked as a Project Student at the University of Warwick, where they studied thalamocorticol neurons in rat brain slices using patch-clamp technique. In 2023, they began working as a Scientist at Metrion Biosciences.

Katie Puddefoot has a diverse educational background. Katie began their studies at Chatham Grammar School for Girls from 2006 to 2013. Katie then attended the University of Bath, where they earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Biochemistry in 2017. Currently, they are completing their Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Neuroscience at the University of Leicester, which they are expected to finish in 2022.