Melanie Seaton

I am a third year PhD Cancer Sciences student at the Manchester Cancer Research Centre developing cellular micromotors to improve management of ovarian cancer. I graduated from The University of Manchester in 2019 with a first class MSci Pharmacology degree.

I am pursuing my dream career of working in cancer research to develop improved methods of detection and treatment for one of the world's deadliest diseases. I joined Dr. Christine Schmidt’s lab at the Manchester Cancer Research Centre in 2019 to begin my PhD project, developing cellular micromotors for improved management of ovarian cancer. Prior to this I obtained a first class integrated Master’s degree in Pharmacology from The University of Manchester in 2019. For my final year project I worked in Prof. Stuart Allan’s lab investigating the mechanisms of inflammation in vascular dementia.

As someone passionate about social responsibility, I am a member of the Oglesby Cancer Research Building's Green Impact Team. I have also previously volunteered on the university campus at a student-run charity shop.

I graduated from The University of Manchester in summer 2019 with a first-class integrated Master's degree in Pharmacology. During this time I also gained a personal Home Office licence for mice and rats.

My PhD project focuses on the development of cellular micromotors for improved management of ovarian cancer. I am also interested in improved management of cancer in general, concerning earlier and improved diagnosis, targeted drug delivery methods and personalised medicine. I am also interested in research concerning the racial and socioeconic disparities in the treatment and outcome of patients and what can be done to close these gaps.

During my Master's degree I gained substantial experience of in vitro methodologies including tissue culture, Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). I also gained my Home Office personal licence for rats and mice. During my PhD project I will gain many more multidisciplinary techniques, including tissue culture using primary cells, multiple state-of-the-art imaging techniques, immunohistopathology and ex vivo/in situ work with mouse tissue.

During my undergraduate Master's degree I won a competitive bursary of £200 awarded by the University to attend and present my work at the 2019 British Conference of Undergraduate Research.