I specialise in evolutionary developmental biology (Evo-Devo), focusing on early life stages of marine invertebrates. I combine techniques from the fields of molecular biology and bioinformatics to create new theories and approve/disprove existing assumptions regarding the evolutionary history and relationships of various animals.

I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and pursued a MSc at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). Prior to starting the MSc, I underwent a 3-month internship at the Nikolai-Pertsov White Sea Biological Station in Russia. There, I dipped my toes into Evo-Devo by analysing the development of the marine annelid Galathowenia oculata using immunohistochemical and advanced microscopy techniques. At QMUL, I joined the Martin-Duran Lab where I took a deeper dive into the field by studying the gene regulatory networks of body axis regulation of another marine annelid, Owenia fusiformis.

With a clear aspiration towards Evo-Devo, I’m honoured to be sponsored by the BBSRC-UKRI and Marine Biological Association (MBA) to undertake a PhD with Drs Vengamanaidu Modepalli (MBA) and Elizabeth Williams (University of Exeter).

Fun fact about me: I love open water swimming; what better place to spend the next few years in than at a marine research institute!