About
Paula has been a member of the Biochemistry team since 2007. Her current research focus is on the antibacterial activity of essential oils and herbal medicines and their potential for treating irritable bowel syndrome, now known to involve changes in gut bacteria. She is a member of the supervisory team for an MD student researching the use of faecal transplantation for treating ulcerative colitis. Paula’s first degree was BSc Biochemistry with Extramural Year from King’s College London (1st Class Hons) and her PhD and postdoctoral research was all in Membrane Trafficking (how proteins are delivered to the correct place in cells). Her PhD was in chloroplast protein import from the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge. Paula studied protein delivery to lysosomes at the Cambridge Institute of Medical Research for her first postdoc, and for her second she investigated the role of ubiquitin in the signalling and down-regulation of growth factor receptors at the Physiological Laboratory, University of Liverpool. Paula delivers, or teaches on, a number of core biochemistry modules about hormonal regulation of biochemical pathways, clinical biochemistry, bioenergetics, membrane trafficking and biomolecular techniques, and was awarded a Teaching Contribution Award in 2008. She is the Local Ambassador for the Biochemical Society and has been a reviewer for BBSRC and Biomed Central. She is Academic Disability Coordinator for Genetics and Biochemistry.