Profile
Anne Canning
My CV
-
Education:
2007-2011 University of Sheffield studied Chemistry with a year in Europe
-
Qualifications:
ALevels (Chemistry, Geography, Biology and Maths). Obtained an MChem (Masters of Chemistry), spent 1 year studying at a University in Toulouse, France.
-
Work History:
Many non-science summer jobs: Sales assistant, waiter, receptionist, teaching English as a foreign language
-
Current Job:
I am currently a PhD student carrying out research in Regenerative medcine
-
Read more
I am on a PhD program, researching regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine is a relatively new area which involves helping the body to fix itself through using clever materials such as polymers to replace damaged tissues/organs, and using stem cells (a type of cell that can turn into different cell types) as a drug to help overcome diseases such as cancer and Parkinson’s.
My project involves making synthetic proteins and attaching them onto surfaces. The proteins I use react with enzymes that cells make and can change the material properties (known as a responsive material). We hope that the relationship between the cells and the surface will lead to interesting cell and material behaviour that could make them a good choice to help deliver drugs (cells) to parts of the body/coatings for tissue implants/ a way to detect a disease.
-
My Typical Day:
Difficult to have a typical day…they’re normally organised by the success or failure of my experiments!
-
Read more
I normally try to spend most of my day doing experiments. This can be in the lab, in the fume hood doing ‘wet’ chemistry or working on analysis instruments to characterise the surfaces I make, to ensure I have what I think I do (which isn’t always the case)! Each experiment can take up to 3 days so I tend to set them up in the morning and monitor them throughout the day until they’re completed. Setting up experiments involves weighing out the right amount of chemicals, getting the right volumes, making sure I have all the equipment, that it’s clean and to the right settings. Most of my work needs to be done under Nitrogen and at 0 degrees C. Once I have everything it’s a case of mixing it together and letting the chemistry do its thing. I spend some of my day reading literature on my subject, sometimes I have meetings with my supervisors and colleagues and often I have deadlines to meet for reports, conferences or presentations.
-
What I'd do with the prize money:
I’ve just been appointed a Chairperson of an outreach group for regenerative medicine. I’d put the money towards equipment to organise an after school science club for young people in the local area.
-
My Interview
-
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Enthusiastic, determined and happy
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Only for being too talkative, never anything too serious
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Difficult question, I love anything rock/bluesy my current favourite The Black Keys, plus they’re awesome live.
What's your favourite food?
Definitely pizza
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
1) Be David Attenborough’s great niece so he could put in a good word for me at the BBC. 2) Be fluent in every language (perhaps slightly ambitious). 3) To be able to control the weather
Tell us a joke.
I’m reading a book on anti-gravity. I can’t put it down!
-