Current Group
Duncan Group, October 2022
Current Research Associates & Current PhD Students
- Darren Scobie Research Associate 2022-2023 (UK Government, Department of Energy, Food and Rural Affairs) + 2019-2022 PhD Student (University of Strathclyde, Research Excellence Award) Darren joined the Duncan group as a PhD student in October 2019. Darren finished his BSc in Microbiology at the University of Strathclyde in 2019. He previously completed his undergraduate dissertation (2019) and a Microbiology Society Harry Smith Vacation Studentship (2018) in the Duncan group in rare actinomycete natural products. Twitter: @darrenscobie
- Marla Itzel Macias Contreras 2022-2025 PhD Student (CONACYT, Mexico International PhD Scholarship / Strathclyde Science Global Research Scholarship) An oceanographer by profession, Marla is interested in marine bacteria and new compounds with bioactive potential. Marla has a BSc, MSc and 6 years research experience in oceanography/marine biotechnology. Twitter: @MarlaItzelMaci1
- Lily Riordan 2019-2022 PhD Student (Strathclyde Doctoral School Centre of Doctoral Training on Developing Technology to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance) Lily joined the Duncan group as a PhD student in October 2019. Lily graduated in 2016 with a BSc Biochemistry (Hons) from Aberystwyth University, before moving on to study a MSc in Microbiology and Infection at the University of Birmingham. She then stayed at UoB as a research assistant, looking at novel technologies to combat the antimicrobial resistance problem. Twitter: @lily_riordan
Current Masters Students
- Mohammad Fouad, 2023-2024. Mohammad joined the Duncan group as a MSc student in May 2023.
- Dhruv Wahi, 2023-2024. Dhruv joined University if Strathclyde in 2022 to pursue postgraduation in Molecular Microbiology. Did undergraduate B-tech in Biotechnology with specialization in Genetic Engineering. Interested in bacteria and fungi and their antibiotic potential to produce potent drugs. Have laboratory experiences from certified institutions in microbiology, immunology, and molecular biology.
- Anjitha Mangalanandan, 2023-2024. Anjitha is doing MSc Industrial Biotechnology (2022-23).
Current internship
- Rebekah Mitchell, 2023. Rebekah has just finished her third year at the University of Strathclyde in a BSc in Biochemistry and Microbiology and will join us for a summer internship from Medical Research Scotland
Former Postdoctoral Research Associates & Visiting Fellows
- Dr Sam Williams, Visiting Fellow 2022 ( Elizabeth Blackwell Institute Discovery Research Support funded). Sam joined the Duncan lab for a 2-week secondment in July 2022 to get to grips with metabologenomics and the NPlinker software. Following completion of his PhD in the Curnow lab (University of Bristol), Sam is currently finishing a post-doc investigating deep-sea sponge actinomycetes for novel antimicrobial natural products. Twitter: @Sam_Will_92
- Dr Alejandro Huerta-Uribe, Post Doctoral Research Associate 2018 (BBSRC Tools and Resources Development Fund (TRDF) funded. Alejandro joined the Duncan lab in November 2018 as a postdoctoral research associate on a BBSRC tools and research development grant. Alejandro obtained his B.Sc in Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry at the Michoacan University of Saint Nicholas of Hidalgo, Mexico. He then joined the Wellcome Trust 4-year PhD programme at the University of Glasgow, where he worked under the supervision of Prof. Andrew Roe exploring antivirulence based strategies to prevent Shiga toxin expression in enterohaemorrhagic E. coli. Alejandro now works as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Glasgow Cancer Institute. Twitter: @alex_hu_
- Dr Sylvia Soldatou, Postdoctoral Research Associate 2017 - 2018 (The Carnegie Trust funded). Sylvia joined the Duncan lab in October as a postdoctoral research associate (PDRA) on a Carnegie Trust Collaborative Research Grant funded project with the University of Glasgow. Sylvia has a B.Sc in Chemistry (University of Patras, Greece), a M.Sc. in Pharmacognosy (UCL, London) and a Ph.D. in Chemistry (National University of Ireland, Galway) under the supervision of Prof. Bill Baker. A year of her Ph.D was spent as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of South Florida, USA. Sylvia joined the University of Aberdeen Marine Biodiscovery Centre (Department of Chemistry) in June 2018 as a Postdoctoral Researcher. Twitter: @SylviaSoldatou
- Dr Natalie Millan, Visiting Fellow 2016-2017 (Marine Alliance of Science and Technology Funded). Natalie joined the Duncan lab for two visits:
December 2016- January 2017 & June 2017 - August 2017. Following the completion of her PhD in Paul Jensen's lab (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD) in 2016 Natalie started at the Autonomous University of Baja California as an Assistant Professor. Her research is on marine microbiology, phylogenomics and marine natural products. Twitter: @natmillan1 - Adedotun Adefolalu 2022. Adedotun is a lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry, Federal University Lafia, Nigeria. He worked there for seven years before joining the Marine Biodiscovery Centre, University of Aberdeen as a postgraduate researcher in 2022 on a TETFUND grant. He is visiting the Duncan lab in Strathclyde for a couple of weeks to hone skills in genome mining and investigate the genomics and bioactivity of microbial strains obtained from Nigerian lead mines.
Former PhD Students
- Dr Jonathan Parra Villalobos, PhD Student 2018-2022 (Government of Costa Rica International PhD fellowship & University of Costa Rica scholarship) Parra studied a Pharmacy Degree and a Masters Degree in Chemistry at the University of Costa Rica in the area of rainforest plant natural products chemistry. Jonathan joined the lab in July 2018 and will expand his knowledge of microbiology and microbial natural products using 'omics approaches. Twitter: @JonathanParraV
- Dr Alison Hughes, PhD Student 2017 - 2021 (Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre PhD Studentship & University of Strathclyde, Research Excellence Award) Ally joined the Duncan lab in October 2017 as an IbioIC / University of Strathclyde PhD student looking at the biotechnological potential of microalgal natural products (spending one year at Xanthella in Oban). Ally graduated in 2015 with a B.Sc (hons) from the National University of Ireland, Galway specialising in Chemistry. Following this, she worked as a research and teaching assistant at the University of South Florida with Prof. Bill J. Baker in the field of marine natural products chemistry. Twitter: @fabhlach3592
- Dr Laia Castaño, PhD Student 2017 - 2021 (University of Strathclyde, Research Excellence Award) Laia joined the Duncan lab in October 2017 looking at the "chemical warfare of actinomycetes as keystone bacterial species for accelerated antibiotic discovery”. Laia is a native of Spain and graduated in 2017 with a B.Sc (hons) in Human Biology, specialising in Microbiology, at Edge Hill University, UK. On completing her PhD, Laia joined Centogene in Germany (Covid-19 testing). Twitter: @Laia_Castano
