Dr Cathy Slack
Principal Investigator
I graduated from Imperial College in 2002 with a PhD in Genetics and completed my postdoctoral training with Prof. William Chia (MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Kings College London) and Dame Prof. Linda Partridge (Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London).
I started my own research group within the College of Health & Life Sciences at Aston University in August 2016. In May 2023, I moved to join the School of Life Sciences at University of Warwick as Associate Professor.
My scientific background covers ageing biology, cell signalling and Drosophila genetics.
Dr Rhianne Kelleher
Research Fellow
I graduated from Warwick University in 2024 with a PhD in Life Sciences, where I worked in the Pires da Silva lab investigating the influence of germline signalling and nutrient consumption on ageing in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. I joined the Slack lab as a Research Fellow in June 2024, where I now study how FOXO transcription factors can co-ordinate changes in gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster. My research interests lie in understanding more about the molecular and cellular basis of both metabolism and ageing.
Dr Jake Moorse
Research Fellow
I graduated in 2017 from the University of South Wales with a BSc in Biology where I investigated how Dugesia lugubris large tissue regeneration was affected by electrical fields.
I then joined the Slack lab between 2017-2018 as a research technician and investigated using Drosophila as a TB drug discovery model. I then spent a year working as a research technician in Carolina Rezavals lab at the University of Birmingham studying decision making in Drosophila.
I returned to the Slack lab to start my PhD in October 2020, where my research project focuses on using Drosophila as a model to identify novel geroprotectors and promote healthy ageing.
Mihails Laskovs
MIBTP PhD Student
I studied Bsc Molecular Biology at University College London which I finished in 2019. After which, I worked as a Research Assistant at the Institute of Healthy Ageing (University College London) in Dr John Labbadia's Lab where I used the nematode worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, and tissue culture to understand how signals that promote growth and development early in life, influence proteostasis across tissues.
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I started my PhD in 2020, and will focus on deciphering the metabolic effects of Ras inhibition during ageing in fruit flies.
Giulia Barini
Research Technician
I graduated in 2023 from the University of Sheffield with a MSc in Translational Neuroscience. My research project aimed at investigating the spreading of pathological-relevant length dipeptide repeat proteins in a novel Drosophila model of C9ORF72-related Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia in Dr Ryan West’s lab.
I joined the Slack Lab in January 2024 as a research technician studying how FOXO transcriptional complexes coordinate metabolic changes during ageing.
Lab Alumni
Cui Guan
Research Fellow (2020 - 2024)
Lauren Mcdonagh
PhD (2018 - 2022)
Abigail Otchere
PhD (2017 - 2021)
Adrian Purcariu
BSc Biology Placement Student (2018-2019)
Emma Morris
BSc Biomedical Sciences Placement Student (2016-2017)