Your research focusses on developing a non-animal tool to test for subcutaneous drug delivery. How did you become interested in this field and why does it matter to you?

I became interested in this field while working in the pharmaceutical industry. Animals are heavily used for testing drug absorption from the subcutaneous tissue, in fact, it is a regulatory requirement for the approval of drugs.

However, I have seen first-hand that choosing an appropriate animal model for drug absorption is complicated and requires testing a number of species before one is selected. Even then, the selected animal models are more often than not poor predictors of human bioavailability.

As such, I identified a significant gap in the drug development process and decided to go back to academia and pursue a research program in in-vitro modelling of tissues to tackle this gap. I believe that in-vitro models are the way forward because they replace inefficient animal testing and offer the potential for better prediction of human outcomes. This is even more possible with the recent advances in genetic engineering and induced pluripotent stem cells, 3D bioprinting, and organ-on-a-chip technologies.

Your research is trying to reduce the number of animals used for drug testing. Your model should also be better than animal testing to predict responses to drug delivery. Why and how does it work?

The model I am working on will recapitulate in-vitro the main structures and mechanisms in the subcutaneous (SC) tissue responsible for drug absorption, mainly the extracellular matrix (ECM), adipocytes, and macrophages. This will enable us to predict how different drugs interact with the ECM and cells in the SC space and how changes in drug formulations might impact drug absorption. We will also investigate the role of adipocytes and macrophages in drug absorption and we will look into modelling fluid flow and exchange in the subcutaneous space.

Such a tool offers many advantages over animal models. The model is composed of human cells/proteins and will be more representative of interactions in the human SC tissue. Additionally, the model lends itself to high throughput screening and to personalisation, for instance through the use of patient-specific cells such as iPSCs-derived macrophages.

Once this prototype model is developed, it could be further personalised to replicate the differences in subcutaneous tissue structure in the same individual in different locations of the body or between different people by modifying the adipocytes or using adipocytes from different patients or body regions.

You have been awarded the Daphne Jackson Trust fellowship supported by funding from Animal Free Research UK. How has this helped you in your career?

This fellowship has so far been a major achievement in my career enabling me to return to research following a parental break and giving me the opportunity to work on a project I am really passionate about.

The Daphne Jackson Trust fellowship, in addition to providing funding for researchers to return to academia also offers a lot of support and mentoring for the researchers and follows their progress to ensure their return is successful.

For me, the ability to return to research on a part-time basis through this fellowship was a godsend. As a mother of twins who were born prematurely, I really needed that phased return to research.

I am really passionate about replacing animal studies in research and drug development and I am very pleased that Animal Free Research UK sponsored my fellowship. They also provide me with a lot of opportunities to network and develop myself as a researcher through various events and activities.

What do you think are the challenges for people and especially women with caring responsibilities in academia?

Working in academia is very rewarding but also extremely demanding and can be very difficult to juggle with caring responsibilities. For instance, a lot of important events and meetings take place during school holidays or late in the day when it is school pick-up time. I for one have to miss a lot of school social events because I have to prioritise my work, deadlines and experiments, given the limited time I have. Traveling to attend meetings and conferences to present findings and developing networks can also be very challenging when you have caring responsibilities.

Teaching commitments can also be very difficult, as sometimes a child gets sick and has to be out of school for 48 hours at a very late notice, which tends to happen a lot. Also, laboratory work often requires a lot of time commitment, for instance for long-hour experiments.

This means that researchers with caring responsibilities have to be very well organised and to prioritise workload. For instance, I am really keen on contributing to outreach activities in the School but currently, my workload and commitments make it very difficult.

What do you think academia and society more widely could implement to better support the careers of people with caring responsibilities?

I think two important aspects that society in general needs to work on are childcare and support for returning to work.

With regards to childcare, better support could mean more reasonable costs, childcare vouchers and nurseries in the university for staff. Also, an area for children within the university would be a great idea. For instance, sometimes I have to look after a child because their nursery is closed. If there was an area where children can play on campus, I could look after them while also having a meeting with a colleague or a student.

Support for parents returning to work could include flexible working, mentorship, the possibility to bring children to work in a safe and reasonable way if needed, better support for transport such as parking permits and dedicated parking spots, mental health support, workload assessment, support groups as well as events for researchers with caring responsibilities and their families.

Quick Q&A

· What is your favourite hobby? Running and reading

· What does it take to be a successful scientist? Stamina, the ability to fail, to accept rejections and stand back up again

· Do you think that one day drug testing will be animal-free? I believe so

· What advice would you give to somebody looking to go back to their career after taking parental leave? You can do it, just make sure you have a long breath and as much support as possible

· What is your favourite thing about being a scientist? Always learning new things!

· What are your personal and career achievements you’re the most proud of? My children and my fellowship/grant