Molecular Biology

Dr Jim Cummins

1970 - PhD Reproductive Biology, University of Liverpool, UK
1967 - MSc Reproduction & Embryology, University of North Wales, UK
1969 - BSc (Hons) Zoology, University of London, UK
Dr Cummins teaches Anatomy, Human Biology and Reproductive Biotechnology at Murdoch University in Western Australia. He has extensive experience in reproductive biology and assisted conception techniques such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). He sits on the editorial board of several top journals, including Human Reproduction and Reproductive Biotechnology Online, and chairs the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Reproductive Technology Council of Western Australia (the government body overseeing IVF clinics). He has been involved in professional editing for 10 years and has worked on about 2500 papers. He has many colleagues and friends in Asia and was a Visiting Professor at Osaka University's Genome Information Research Center in Japan in 2005. Assoc Prof Cummins began editing for the Edanz Group in 2009.

Dr Alison Creasey

1996 - PhD Genetics, University of Edinburgh, UK
1975 - BA (Hons) Epidemiology (Medical Geography), University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
1973 - BA Social Anthropology/Geography, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Dr Creasey is a senior post-doctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr Paul Hunt, University of Edinburgh (genetics of artemisinin drug resistance in a rodent malaria model). Her special interests have been in the field of tropical medicine and tropical parasitic diseases, with training in the epidemiological aspects of disease. Her field experience in serology and microbiology involved a number of anti-parasitic drug trials in Africa. Later in Edinburgh, genetics and molecular biology were focused on. Dr Creasey has the ability to communicate science in clear, unambiguous language. During her career she has edited journal articles and PhD theses for scientists from China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, and most African countries. Dr Creasey joined Edanz Editing as an editor in 2007.

Dr Maurice Curtis

2004 - PhD Anatomy & Pharmacology, University of Auckland, NZ
2000 - MSc (1st Hons) Medical Science, University of Auckland, NZ
1998 - BHScMI Health Science, Medical Imaging Unitech Institute of Technology, NZ
Dr Curtis’s PhD thesis was entitled “Neural Progenitor Cells in Huntington’s Disease Human Brain.” He is currently a Post-doctoral Research Fellow studying neurodegenerative disorders. Dr Curtis has authored many published reports in several leading international journals including the cover article for an issue of Science in 2007. He has given invited lectures in several countries, presenting topics associated with the field of neurology. Dr Curtis began editing for Edanz Editing in early 2006 and works in a very broad area of the biomedical sciences, applying his extensive knowledge of laboratory and imaging procedures.

Dr Rachel Helliwell

1992 - PhD Reproductive Physiology & Endocrinology, University of Aberdeen, UK
1987 - BSc (Hons) Biology, University of Hull, UK
From 1993 to 2006, Dr Helliwell held positions in several research organizations as a Research Fellow in the areas of Anatomy with Radiology, Pharmacology, Neuroscience and Molecular Endocrinology. Dr Helliwell is a highly regarded and well published (12 first authored reports and numerous abstracts) scientist in her field; as well she is an invited peer reviewer for many international journals. She has strong analytical skills that she brings to the editing of manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals. She joined Edanz Editing in late 2006. Her fields of editing can best be described by the following areas of competence: basic molecular and cell biology techniques, in situ hybridization, cell and tissue culture, immunocytochemistry, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, Western blotting and zymography, receptor autoradiography and receptor binding assays, mammalian neuroanatomy and neuroendocrinology.

Dr Rebecca Devon

1996 - PhD Molecular Genetics, MRC Human Genetics Unit and University of Edinburgh, UK
1992 - MA (Cantab) Natural Sciences, Christ's College, University of Cambridge, UK
Dr Devon is a biologist with a special interest in neuroscience and genetics. She is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, and obtained her PhD in 1996 from the University of Edinburgh, UK, in the genetics of psychiatric illness. She undertook post-doctoral research on a rare, inherited form of Motor Neurone Disease (Lou Gehrig's Disease) in Vancouver, Canada, and then started her own research group back in Edinburgh, UK, investigating the genetics, cell biology and biochemistry of motor neurone disease. She is a co-founder of the Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research at the University of Edinburgh. Dr Devon has written over 50 research papers, book chapters, reviews and successful grant applications, and has peer-reviewed manuscripts for molecular biology journals. Dr Devon began working with Edanz Editing in 2008.

Dr Gabrielle David

2008 - PhD Chemistry, University of Otago, NZ
2002 - BSc (Hons) Chemistry, University of Otago, NZ
Dr David has conducted research in many areas, including inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, and analytic chemistry. Her most recent research investigated the forensic use of isotope ratio mass spectrometry for the analysis of illicit drugs. Dr David is an experienced science communicator and editor, and received an award in the MacDiarmid Young Scientist of the Year competition (2007, New Zealand). She has also completed an internship with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (Bangkok, Thailand). Dr David has presented at conferences and has peer-reviewed publications in the areas of physical, analytical, and forensic chemistry. Dr David began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2008.

Dr Nicholas Smith

2006 - PhD Biochemistry/Endocrinology, Queen Mary, University of London, UK
2002 - Post-graduate Certificate “Principles of Protein Structure”, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
2000 - BSc (Hons) Physiology, University of Bristol, UK
Dr Smith’s PhD thesis was entitled “The Role of PPARalpha in Modulating Glucose Tolerance and Insulin Action using In Vivo Models of Insulin Resistance”. Dr Smith has been a Research Assistant at the Queen Mary, University of London’s Institute of Cellular and Molecular Sciences, where he focused on the biochemistry of diabetes and related metabolic disorders. He has also been a Research Fellow at the London Sport Institute, part of Middlesex University. Dr Smith has studied editing and design skills in relation to publication at the London School of Journalism, and is now a full-time medical writer. Dr Smith gained extensive experience in medical and scientific communications while employed at the internationally recognized agency Medicus International, where he worked on a range of medical communications projects for several well-known pharmaceutical companies. He joined the Edanz Group in 2006, where he is able to apply his wide research background and expertise in the medical communications sector in assisting clients to achieve their publication goals.

Dr Daniel McGowan

2002 - PhD Molecular Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Auckland, NZ
1998 - MSc (1st Hons) Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Auckland, NZ
1996 - BSc Double Major in Biochemistry and Zoology, University of Auckland, NZ
Dr McGowan has won many awards during his career, including in 2003 the EU Marie Curie Post-doctoral Fellowship. He has worked in laboratories investigating the molecular mechanisms in Parkinson’s disease as well as those involved in Huntington’s disease, combining laser micro-dissection, microarray analysis and proteomics. Further study involved micro-array gene expression analysis of molecular processes occurring during normal aging and how these are affected by mental exercise. Dr McGowan has an in-depth knowledge of neurodegenerative diseases, neural function, marine zoology, molecular and cellular biology and protein biochemistry, along with extensive multi-disciplinary laboratory experience of contemporary and traditional techniques including proteomics, functional genomics and cell imaging. His excellent written and oral communication skills are demonstrated by several first author publications. From 2005 to October 2006, Dr McGowan was an Associate Editor at Nature Reviews Neuroscience before becoming a full-time editor for Edanz Editing. Dr McGowan is the Edanz Group Science Director.

Dr Stacey Tobin

2003 - PhD Neurobiology and Physiology, Northwestern University, USA
1998 - MS Molecular Physiology, Vanderbilt University, USA
1996 - BS Biology, Oglethorpe University, USA
Dr Tobin has 13-years' experience in writing, editing, formatting, and submitting peer-reviewed journal articles, invited reviews, editorials, and textbooks. Dr Tobin has authored 13 peer-reviewed journal articles and invited reviews, as well as two textbook chapters. A freelance writer and editor, Dr Tobin combines her background in molecular biology, cell biology, and physiology with a clear, concise writing style. Dr Tobin is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the Council of Science Editors. She began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2010.

Dr Kate Fox

2003 - PhD Microbiology, University of Oxford, UK
1999 - BSc Biological Sciences, University of Leicester, UK
Dr Fox completed a PhD in microbiology at the University of Oxford, investigating novel phase variable LPS biosynthetic genes in Haemophilus influenzae. She then spent five years as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Queensland, Australia, focusing on the role of DNA methyltransferases in gene regulation in bacterial pathogens. Other projects included the design and development of live, attenuated vaccines for veterinary pathogens. She has many first-author publications in high-ranking journals in the area of microbial pathogenesis. Dr Fox is now a full-time editor, with extensive editing experience in a broad range of biological disciplines including molecular biology, microbiology, biotechnology, genomics, epidemiology, biochemistry and medicine. Dr Fox began editing with the Edanz Group in 2009.

Dr Gregor Stewart

1989 - PhD Biotechnology, Durham University, UK
1985 - BSc (Hons) Biotechnology, Leeds University, UK
For 10 years, Dr Stewart was a Post-Doctoral Research Scientist at Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities, involved in molecular biology research that included sequencing and analysis of various genes for genome projects. Dr Stewart is an experienced bioinformatics analyst with specific experience in DNA/protein sequence data. From 2001 to 2007, Dr Stewart was a Senior Analyst in Thomson Scientific’s GENESEQ team based in Glasgow. Dr Stewart began as an editor for Edanz Editing in 2007, working in molecular biology fields with an emphasis on genomics.

Dr Susan Furness

1983 - PhD Embryonic Development, Glasgow University, UK
1980 - BA (1st Hons) Zoology, Oxford University, UK
For three years, Dr Furness was a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow, where she used extensive molecular genetic techniques to examine the factors influencing the growth of hematopoietic stem cells, with relevance to the development of cancers such as leukemia. Later Dr Furness was a researcher at Glasgow University where she analyzed the energetic requirements of seabirds, using field observations, analysis of radioisotopes from blood samples and metabolic monitoring of birds in respirometers. Dr Furness is a scientific editor with extensive experience of abstracting, indexing and editing scientific papers on a wide range of topics including general medicine, pharmacology and genetics, with personal experience of active scientific research and the publishing of research papers. From 1993 to 2007, Dr Furness was a Specialist Medical Indexer at Thomson Scientific. She began working with Edanz Editing in 2007.

Dr Robert Eager

2007 - MD Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Brach Galveston, USA
1997 - BFA Fine Arts, University of North Texas, Denton, USA
Dr Eager currently practices internal medicine as a hospitalist in Dallas, Texas, USA. Over the past decade he has amassed considerable experience in clinical and pre-clinical research, principally in the field of oncology. He was a member of the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Center Institutional Review Board for six years, during which time he reviewed numerous Phase I through Phase III clinical protocols. In addition to his clinical expertise, Dr Eager has experience with in-vitro pre-clinical protocols and techniques as well as cell culture, histological methods, and animal model studies, and is skilled in a wide range of microbiology techniques. Dr Eager has authored and co-authored eight publications, and has authored four clinical or pre-clinical protocols. On a part-time basis, Dr Eager has edited scientific manuscripts professionally for the past year and began editing for the Edanz Group in 2011.

Dr Jane Kondejewski

1999 - PhD Physiology, University of Alberta, Canada
1984 - BSc Zoology (1st Hons), University of Bristol, UK
Dr Kondejewski’s scientific background is in physiology, endocrinology, molecular biology, obstetrics, gynecology, and perinatology. She has a special interest in the genotypes and phenotypes associated with preterm labor and pregnancy pathologies. Dr Kondejewski has research skills including DNA/RNA isolation and manipulation, DNA sequencing and analysis, PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), cell culture, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy. Dr Kondejewski has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and abstracts. She presently works as a grant writer and manuscript coordinator for publishing in high-impact journals. Dr Kondejewski began working as an editor for the Edanz Group in 2010.

Dr Andrew Dingley

1996 - PhD Biochemistry, University of Sydney, Australia
1991 - BSc (1st Hons) Biochemistry, University of Sydney, Australia
Dr Dingley’s research is broadly in the area of biochemistry, with particular interest in characterizing protein structure and function. Dr Dingley has over 15 years' experience in publishing articles in international high-impact journals. He has written scientific book chapters, and is an editor on the editorial advisory board for the Biochemical Journal. Dr Dingley began as an editor for Edanz Editing and Liwen Bianji (Edanz Editing China) in 2008.

Dr James Donkin

2006 - PhD Pathology, University of Adelaide, Australia
2001 - BHSc (Hons) Pathology, University of Adelaide, Australia
Dr Donkin's PhD thesis was entitled "The Effects of the Neuropeptide Substance P on Outcome Following Traumatic Brain Injury in Rats". His research interests include developing novel pharmacotherapeutic agents for the treatment of neurotrauma and neurodegeneration using rodent animal models. He has completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia, Canada, investigating potential prophylactic and therapeutic compounds in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Dr Donkin has published several peer-reviewed journal articles and currently works as a scientific writer. Dr Donkin joined the Edanz Group as a science editor, writer and reviewer in 2011.

Dr Anthony Lodge

1997 - PhD Cell Biology, University of Liverpool, UK
1991 - BSc (Hons) Biochemistry, University of Manchester, UK
Dr Lodge is a cell biologist with wide-ranging experience in academic research, early stage drug discovery, and stem cell therapy regulatory affairs. For his PhD and postdoctoral work, Dr Lodge studied the roles of the actin cytoskeleton and cell adhesion molecules in axon guidance during nervous system development. Dr Lodge joined GlaxoSmithKline in 2001, where he held research and programme leadership roles within target validation initiatives for neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. He was also involved in developing drug discovery strategies involving stem cells. From 2009 to 2011, Dr Lodge was Programme Manager for a stem cell therapy unit at University College London, where he was responsible for the unit obtaining the necessary licenses required by the recently introduced Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) directive. His technical expertise covers a broad spectrum of cell biology, molecular biology and protein biochemistry techniques, including their application to drug discovery assay development. Dr Lodge has published several first author publications in international peer-reviewed journals, and he is experienced in writing a variety of pre-clinical and clinical regulatory documents. Dr Lodge currently offers consulting services in cell-based drug discovery, ATMP regulatory affairs, and scientific writing (including web development). He began editing for the Edanz Group in 2008.

Dr Ryan Jefferies

2006 - Ph.D. Molecular Parasitology, Murdoch University, Australia
2002 - B.Sc. (1st Hons) Biomedical Science, Murdoch University, Australia
2001 - B.Sc. Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Australia
Dr Jefferies has extensive research experience in molecular parasitology with a particular interest in emerging infectious diseases. He is currently working as a research scientist at the University of Bristol, UK, in the Schools of Biological Sciences and Veterinary Science. Dr Jefferies has published more than 20 research papers and is a reviewer for multiple journals in the fields of parasitology and veterinary science. With experience in both academic and commercial research environments, Dr Jefferies has expertise in the development of novel diagnostic methods, molecular epidemiology, population genetics, phylogenetics, molecular taxonomy and protein characterization. He has also worked on peptide-based drug discovery using yeast two-hybrid systems. Dr Jefferies began working with the Edanz Group as an editor in 2010.

Dr Warren Raye

2005 - PhD Molecular Virology, Murdoch University, Australia
1999 - BSc (Hons) Veterinary Biology, Murdoch University, Australia
1997 - BSc Biotechnology, Murdoch University, Australia
Warren Raye graduated from Murdoch University in 2005 with a PhD in Veterinary Virology. His doctoral thesis was entitled "An investigation into the status of porcine circovirus in Australia". Dr Raye is an experienced researcher and lecturer, at undergraduate and post-graduate levels. He was formerly employed by Monash University as a Research Fellow and Lecturer in the fast-changing field of stem cell biology. Dr Raye has also conducted independent research in the areas of molecular virology, inflammation biology and molecular biology. His former work at Monash University involved creating embryonic stem cell lines with various reporter systems for use in small molecule drug screening assays. Other skills and techniques he possesses include mammalian and insect cell culture; growth and differentiation of embryonic stem cell cultures; purification of viruses; PCR; cloning; DNA sequencing and analysis; DNA/RNA manipulation and isolation; expression and purification of recombinant proteins in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems; electrophoresis; development and optimization of ELISAs; design and construction of recombinant viruses for eukaryotic protein expression; in situ hybridization; monoclonal antibody production; and live cell calcium imaging. Dr Raye began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in early 2009, before moving to Fukuoka and taking up the position of Senior Life Sciences Editor in November 2010. As well as editing, Dr Raye also gives training and education seminars for non-native speaking authors to improve their manuscript writing.

Dr Neil Davies

2005 - PhD Biochemistry, University of New South Wales, Australia
1998 - BSc (Hons) Molecular Genetics, University of New South Wales, Australia
Dr Davies is a biologist with particular expertise in the areas of neuroscience, oncology, and chromatin structure and gene expression. Dr Davies has held Postdoctoral Fellow positions at a number of institutes including the François Magendie Institute for Neuroscience, Bordeaux, France, and the Children’s Cancer Institute Australia. During his PhD, he examined chromatin structure and cisplatin damage at the human beta-globin gene cluster. Dr Davies has been a regular reviewer for several international journals and has edited numerous manuscripts written by both native and non-native English speakers. He has a number of first-author publications in journals such as Nucleic Acids Research and The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. Dr Davies has experience in a wide variety of laboratory techniques, including acute and organotypic culture, adenovirus manipulation, lentivirus manipulation and transduction of brain slices and cultured neuronal cells, fluorescent and confocal microscopy, cell microinjection, in vivo mouse models, western blot, electrophoretic gel mobility shift assay, PCR (most varieties), cloning and bacterial plasmid production. Dr Davies began working as an editor for Edanz Editing in 2006.

Dr Christi Kuhn

2003 - PhD Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Germany
1995 - MSc Microbiology, Colorado State University, Colorado, US
1992 - BSc Microbiology, Colorado State University, Colorado, US
Dr Kuhn has extensive experience as a research scientist and is well published as a first author. She began as an editor for Edanz Editing in 2007 and edits in fields associated with neuroscience, physiology, brain rehabilitation/repair, postnatal and adult neurogenesis, memory, learning, neurodegenerative disease, stem cells, molecular biology, including PCR, cloning, subcloning, subtractive hybridization, plasmid preparation/purification, cDNA, RNA, and genomic DNA purification. She also has working experience with all associated laboratory tests and skills necessary for that environment.

Dr Barry Patel

2001 - PhD Neuroscience, McGill University, Canada
1993 - BSc Neurobiology, McGill University, Canada
1990 - Diploma of College Studies, Health Sciences, Vanier College, Montreal, Canada
Dr Patel is a neuroscientist interested in central nervous system degeneration and mental illness. For his doctoral thesis he developed a mouse gene-knockout model for the human neurological disorder aceruloplasminemia. Subsequently, as a research fellow at the Department of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School he studied the molecular signaling cascades involved in nerve cell migration. Dr Patel has recently focused his research on the molecular genetics of psychiatric illness as an associate at the Douglas Mental Health Institute in Montreal. His studies center on microRNA signaling networks involved in major depression and suicide. Dr Patel has published a number of first-author articles in high-impact journals, including The Journal of Biological Chemistry and The Journal of Neuroscience. He began editing for the Edanz Group in 2011.

Dr Shanti Diwakarla

2006 - PhD Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Australia
2002 - BApplSc (Hons) Biochemistry, Swinburne University, Australia
2001 - BApplSc Biochemistry/Chemistry, Swinburne University, Australia
Dr Diwakarla’s PhD thesis involved the use of primary cerebellar granule cell cultures to monitor changes in mitochondrial function and cellular homeostasis after apoptotic injury (excitotoxicity, oxidative stress and trophic factor withdrawal). Her project examined the cellular responses of neurons to a range of insults focusing largely on the activation/recruitment of apoptotic proteins involved both upstream and downstream of the apoptotic pathway. Currently, Dr Diwakarla, who was born in Australia, is a post-doctoral scientist in the Neuropeptides Laboratory at the Florey Neuroscience Institutes were she is monitoring neurogenesis during fetal development and determining the signaling pathways involved in memory formation. She is also contributing to the investigation of neuroprotection in in vitro and in vivo models of ischemic damage. She began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2009.

Dr Moira Desport

2000 - PhD Molecular Virology, University of London, UK
1985 - HNC Applied Biology, Reading College, UK
Dr Desport is a molecular virologist with interests in animal health. Her thesis for her PhD in Veterinary Virology from the Royal Veterinary College was entitled “Genomic Variation and Cell Tropism of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus”. Dr Desport post-doctoral position at Murdoch University focused on the development and testing of a recombinant protein vaccine to control Jembrana disease in Bali cattle. Skills and techniques include cell culture and purification of viruses; Real-Time RT/PCR; cloning; DNA sequencing and analysis; DNA/RNA manipulation and isolation; expression and purification of recombinant proteins in prokaryotic systems; development and optimization of ELISAs; in situ hybridization; immunostaining; histopathology and peptide mapping. Dr Desport has published eight first-author journal articles and has presented at several national and international conferences. She is an invited reviewer for a number of international journals and has recently edited a book entitled “Lentiviruses and Macrophages: Molecular and Cellular Interactions”. Dr Desport joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Dr Ludovic Croxford

2000 - PhD Medical Immunology, University College London, UK
1994 - BSc Biochemistry and Toxicology, University of Surrey, UK
Dr J. Ludovic Croxford is a multi-disciplinary immunologist with research experience in a wide range of fields, especially neuroimmunology, autoimmunity and oncology. His PhD research demonstrated the potential use of cytokine gene therapy for the treatment of animal models of autoimmune disease, and his post-doctoral research focused on the mechanisms of viral molecular mimicry to induce autoimmunity. Dr Croxford next studied the role of a novel NKT cell in a multiple sclerosis model at the National Institute of Neurology, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan. Following this he studied the mechanisms of immune-mediated tumor suppression for leukemia. Dr Croxford has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers, reviews and book chapters in journals including Nature, Nature Immunology and Nature Medicine. Dr Croxford joined the Edanz Group as an editor in December 2011.

Dr Kim Rice

2004 - PhD Molecular Biology, Murdoch University, Australia
1998 - BSc, Murdoch University, Australia
Dr Rice worked within the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Northwestern University. Dr Rice’s Post-Doctoral studies focused on transcriptional mechanisms by which PLZF and the PLZF-RARa fusion oncoprotein found in t(11;17) APL regulate gene expression, and ultimately how their dysregulation contributes to leukemogenesis. Dr Rice has experience in performing whole genome screens and identifying relevant pathways and candidate genes to formulate testable hypothesis with the aim of selective, therapeutic targeting. She was also involved in several collaborative projects with independent researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston) and McGill University (Montreal) testing the sensitivity of oncoprotein-transformed cells to specific drug compounds. Dr Rice has published in internationally recognized journals including Blood, Genes and Development and Blood Cancer Journal and has reviewed for PNAS, Blood, Oncogene and Leukemia. She has also written two book chapters and presented her work on several occasions at American Society of Hematology meetings. Dr Rice began editing for the Edanz Group in 2011.

Dr William Yajima

2009 - PhD Plant Science, University of Alberta, Canada
2004 - MSc Plant Science, University of Alberta, Canada
2000 - BSc Biology, University of Waterloo, Canada
Dr Yajima's background is in proteomics, molecular biology, and plant pathology. He is the first author of numerous manuscripts published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Additionally, he is a co-author of a book chapter, an online encyclopedia chapter, an online technical guide/magazine, and an extensive review article. Prior to joining Edanz, he gained experience in editing/proofreading through freelance work. He has also served as a reviewer for international scientific journals. Dr Yajima joined the Edanz Group as a Senior Editor in the Fukuoka office in November 2011.

Dr Anna Sharman

1997 - PhD, Zoology, The University of Reading, UK
1992 - BA (Hons) Natural Sciences, Cambridge University, UK
Dr Sharman's PhD, in the lab of Peter Holland, focused on homeobox gene duplication in early vertebrate evolution. Her post-doctoral work was with Michael Brand on zebrafish neural development; during which she published three first-author papers and three reviews. Dr Sharman then moved into journal editing. She was Editor of Trends in Biochemical Sciences, Assistant Editor of Current Biology and then Senior Editor of Genome Biology. With seven years experience as an in-house journal editor Dr Sharman understands journal publishing and what peer reviewers require in a manuscript. Dr Sharman attained Advanced Member status of the Society for Editors and Proofreaders in 2010 and edits in all areas of biology and medicine; particularly manuscripts on evolution, developmental biology and genomics. Dr Sharman began editing for the Edanz Group in 2011.

Dr Alissa Nana

2009 - PhD Neuroanatomy, University of Auckland, NZ
2004 - BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science, University of Auckland, NZ
Dr Nana's PhD research focused on the pattern of cell loss in the human cerebral cortex in Huntington's disease. Dr Nana has experience in human tissue studies with skills in human brain banking, cellular studies of human tissue (histology and immunohistochemistry), molecular biology (western blotting and in-situ hybridization), microscopy (brightfield, fluorescence and confocal) and quantitative analysis (stereology and morphometric analyses). Her research focus is neurodegeneration and she is currently a post-doctoral research fellow. Dr Nana has published in peer-reviewed journals and has presented at many international conferences. She joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Dr Nikki March

2006 - PhD Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Cambridge, UK
2001 - Bsc (1st Hons) Medical Biology, Brunel University, London, UK
Dr March is a cancer biologist with special interests in cell signaling and intestinal oncology. Her PhD research examined the regulation of AP-1 proteins by MAP kinase pathways. Dr March is currently a Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute, where her work focuses on the application of innovative models to identify and characterize novel driver genes in colorectal cancer. Previously, Dr March was a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the Babraham Institute, UK, where, in collaboration with UCB Pharma, she studied the mode of action of an anti-epilepsy drug. She also has experience working in the biotechnology industry. Dr March has given invited lectures both nationally and internationally, and has published in several international peer-reviewed journals. Dr March joined Edanz as an editor in early 2011.

Dr Sandra Cheesman

1998 - PhD Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
1993 - BSc (1st Hons) Biology and Organic Chemistry, Open University, UK
Dr Cheesman has a special interest in tropical disease research and has worked primarily in the fields of molecular biology and genetics. For her PhD she investigated DNA topoisomerase II of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum as an anti-malarial drug target. The research involved studying the expression profile and activity of the enzyme throughout the life cycle of the parasite to determine whether anti-topoisomerase drugs could inhibit it. More recently, Dr Cheesman has been applying genetics and genomics approaches to identify parasite genes of biomedical importance, including genes that induce protective immunity in the host. Her research identified a major parasite gene involved in strain-specific immunity against malaria, an important breakthrough in vaccine research. Dr Cheesman is very interested in the evolution of host-pathogen interactions. She has published 25 original research papers, many as first author and has been an invited speaker at many congresses. Dr Cheesman has also taken research sabbaticals at the University of Osaka (2007) and University of Nagasaki, Japan (2009). She joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2010.

Dr William Rogers

1989 - PhD Plant Membrane Transport, University of Sussex, UK
1985 - BSc (1st Hons) Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK
Dr Rogers presently is a lecturer in scientific communication and writing at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. He has previously held research positions as a laboratory head within the biotechnology industry, specializing in proteomics research, and within the food industry, conducting research in primary materials. He completed post-doctoral research within the University of Paris, as a Royal Society Fellow, and at the University of Sussex. He has published widely and is joint author to seven biotechnology patents. Dr Rogers began working as an editor for the Edanz Group in 2010.

Dr Margaret Lutze

1988 - PhD Biopsychology, University of Chicago, US
Dr Lutze's graduate work was in vision science. Her studies involved the assessment of changes in color vision with disease and the genetic basis of color vision. She worked alongside ophthalmologists during post-doctoral training and has experience with ophthalmological clinical activities and research. She later worked with an ophthalmologist studying diabetic retinopathy and other retinal diseases. Dr Lutze works as a language editor for a gastroenterology journal based in Beijing, China, and began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2009.

Dr Evan Burkala

2001 - PhD Veterinary Studies, Murdoch University, Australia
1996 - BSc (Hons) Veterinary Biology, Murdoch University, Australia
1995 - BSc Biotechnology, Murdoch University, Australia
Dr Burkala is currently employed at the University of Oklahoma in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Dr Burkala has many years of experience in molecular virology and biology, and has recently specialized in HIV immunology and evolution. He has peer-reviewed publications in a broad range of scientific areas including cancer biology and immunology in addition to reviewing many publications and grant applications. Dr Burkala’s technical skills include: cutting-edge molecular biological techniques such as heteroduplex tracking assays and mass spectrometry; common techniques like cloning, PCR, real-time PCR and recombinant protein purification; immunological techniques such as flow cytometry, ELISA, Western immunoblot and ELISPOT; cell culture techniques including primary and cell line culture, virus culture and purification, transwell migration assays and confocal microscopy; and live animal experiments including the use of mice, sheep, cattle, and rabbits for immunizations and immunological analyses.

Dr Fiona McAlpine

2008 - PhD Integrative Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA
2002 - BSc Biology, Southern Methodist University, USA
Dr McAlpine's PhD research focused on the effects of inflammation, specifically Tumor Necrosis Factor, on the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. This research focused mainly on Alzheimer's disease, with some work on Parkinson's disease. She made extensive use of rodent models of these diseases, and administered both drugs and gene therapy vectors to the brains of affected animals. She has published both primary research articles and reviews on this topic. After her PhD, Dr McAlpine completed a postdoctoral fellowship studying autophagy in the UK. Dr McAlpine joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Dr Margaret Biswas

1982 - PhD Molecular Biophysics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
1975 – Biochemistry, Birmingham University, UK
Dr Biswas is a bioinformatics scientist with experience in DNA/protein database annotation, sequence analysis and molecular modeling. For seven years Dr Biswas was a Post-Doctoral Research Associate using molecular modeling techniques to study protein-ligand binding. She then joined the newly formed Bioinformatics Centre at the Indian Institute of Science as a Senior Scientific Officer responsible for the development of training courses and research projects. Dr Biswas returned to the UK in 1998 as a Database Curator at the European Bioinformatics Institute, Cambridge, where she was involved in database production, annotation and research. From 2002 to 2009, Dr Biswas worked as a Bioinformatics Scientist for a private company in New Zealand. She worked in a range of projects aimed at understanding how genes and other factors interact to influence complex biological traits in animals and plants. Dr Biswas, a Scottish-born native speaker of English, has extensive writing and publication experience. She has published 24 papers in international peer-reviewed journals and has co-authored scientific book chapters. Dr Biswas began editing for the Edanz Group in 2010.

Dr Elizabeth Finnie

2005 - PhD Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, University of York, UK
2001- Bsc (Hons) Medical Biology, Brunel University, UK
Dr Finnie is a stem cell biologist whose PhD research led to the identification and isolation of rare stem cell populations within umbilical cord blood, with the potential for bone and cartilage tissue engineering applications. Dr Finnie was then a senior Postdoctoral Research Scientist at Smith & Nephew's research center in the UK, where she worked at the forefront of both research and development stages to commercialize adult stem cell therapies for regenerative medicine, namely bone replacement and Osteoarthritis. Dr Finnie has published her research in international peer-reviewed journals. She is currently a science writer and editor across diverse biological areas and is a member of the European Medical Writers Association (EMWA). Dr Finnie joined Edanz as an editor in November 2011.

Dr Marina Komolova

2010 - PhD Pharmacology & Toxicology, Queen’s University, Canada
2005 - BSc (Hons) Life Sciences, Queen’s University, Canada
Dr Komolova’s doctoral dissertation focused on characterizing the role of the kidneys in blood pressure regulation in various disease states (hypertension, salt-sensitivity, and obesity). She also investigated the effects of antihypertensive drugs and lifestyle changes on cardiovascular and metabolic function. She is proficient in numerous research techniques, ranging from molecular to whole-animal methodologies. Her work has been published in scientific journals including Hypertension, the Journal of Hypertension, and the International Journal of Obesity. Currently, she is an Adjunct Professor and Research Facilitator in the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology at Queen’s University, and a freelance medical writer. Dr Komolova began working with the Edanz Group in 2010.

Dr Matthew Roth

1991 - PhD Molecular Immunology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, US
1986 - BS Chemistry, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, US
Dr Roth has published articles on T cell biology, the molecular mechanisms of gene rearrangement, hematopoeisis, developmental biology, neurobiology, and nuclear receptor biology. He has extensive experience with transgeneic animal models, developing genomic and proteomic based technologies, and applying gene and protein expression profiling methods to diseases and therapeutic areas, including diabetes, obesity, blood disorders, and oncology. He is a co-author on 13 publications in high impact journals, and the co-inventor on five issued patents. He has consulted with leading biopharmaceutical, medical device, and life science companies on new platform technologies and product development. As an adjunct professor at Quinnipiac University, he taught an undergraduate online biology course for several years. He received an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship while at Northwestern University, and studied developmental neurobiology at Cold Spring Harbor, New York. Dr Roth began working with Edanz Editing as an editor in 2010.

Dr Gautam Bijur

1997 - PhD Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Ohio State University, USA
1987 - BS Biology, Rutgers University, USA
Dr Bijur's work is on neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and investigations into brain metabolic functions. Dr Bijur has extensive experience in the areas of psychiatry, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, metabolic disorders such as diabetes, and in oncogenesis and carcinogenesis. He has thorough understandings of cell culture techniques, molecular biology techniques, and rodent animal models. His personal research has been funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression. Dr Bijur has authored over 32 peer-reviewed publications, and has presented at numerous scientific conferences including the Society for Neuroscience and the American Association for Cancer Research, among others. He also serves as a reviewer for several biomedical journals and granting agencies. Dr Bijur joined the Edanz Group as an editor and medical writer in 2010.

Dr Justin Dean

2006 - PhD Physiology, University of Auckland Medical School, NZ
1996 - MSc and Technology (1st Hons) Chemistry, University of Waikato, NZ
1994 - BSc and Technology Chemistry, University of Waikato, NZ
Dr Dean’s PhD thesis was titled “Endogenous Neural Excitation and Inhibition and the Evolution of Preterm Brain Injury.” Dr Dean is presently a post-doctoral research fellow in fields related to neuroscience. He has experience in large animal and fetal surgery techniques, including catheter and electrode placement and animal post-mortem and dissections, as well as in stereotaxic placement of microdialysis and laser Doppler probes. In electrophysiology, Dr Dean is skilled in the instrumentation, recording, and analysis of electrophysiological data in vivo, including cortical EEG spike wave and seizure activity, cerebral impedance, cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), cerebral laser Doppler, temperature, ECG, EMG, blood pressure, ultrasonic blood flow measurement, and fetal breathing movements. He possesses training in systems physiology, as well as an understanding of the complex and unique cardiovascular and central nervous system responses. In molecular fields, Dr Dean covers the various blot analysis techniques, primer design and sequence analysis, mRNA and protein extractions, RT-PCR and gel electrophoresis. Histology including staining and analysis of brain tissue and imaging and the associated laboratory skills are all areas in which Dr Dean has experience. Dr Dean began as an editor for Edanz Editing in 2007, and works in fields related to chemistry and neuroscience.

Dr Robert Barrett

2011- PhD Physiology, University of Auckland, NZ
2007 - BSc (Hons 1st class) Biomedical Science, University of Auckland, NZ
Dr Barrett’s PhD thesis was entitled “Therapeutic hypothermia and its effects on the preterm fetal sheep”. His post-doctoral research focuses on fetal physiology and neuroscience. Dr Barrett has experience in large animal and fetal surgery techniques, including catheter and electrode placement and animal post-mortem dissections. Dr Barrett is also skilled in analysis of electrophysiological data in vivo, including EEG seizure activity; temperature, ECG, EMG, blood pressure and blood flow. He has training in systems physiology, as well as an understanding of the complex and unique cardiovascular and central nervous system responses. Dr Barrett’s histology skills include, stereological staining and analysis of brain tissue, and associated microscope skills. Dr Barrett has published papers in peer reviewed journals, co-authored a book chapter and presented at national and international congresses. Dr Barrett began work as an editor for the Edanz Group in 2011.

Dr Sarah Williams

2001 - PhD Human Genetics, University of Oxford, UK
1997 - BA Hons Biological Sciences, University of Oxford, UK
Dr Williams’ PhD investigated the role of non-viral delivery in gene therapy. She then spent three years working as a postdoctoral researcher on the gene regulation of cystic fibrosis. Dr Williams’ main areas of expertise are genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, plant sciences, medicine, surgery, microbiology and biotechnology. Dr Williams has published several first-author articles in peer-ranking journals and presented her work at international conferences. She has also been a finalist in the (UK) Young Science Writer of the Year award with a report on the role of a speech and language gene in the evolution of humans. Dr Williams joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2012.

Dr Joanne Davy

2007 - PhD Marine Biology, University of Queensland, Australia
2000 - MSc Applied Marine Science, University of Plymouth, UK
1996 - BSc (Hons) Marine Biology, University of Wales, Swansea, UK
Dr Davy’s PhD thesis was entitled “Characterisation of White Patch Syndrome, a putative disease affecting corals in the genus Porites on the Great Barrier Reef”. She has extensive experience of the ecology of coral reefs, including bleaching and coral disease. Her expertise also extends to the areas of marine virology, marine conservation, rocky shore ecology, and areas of applied marine science, including fish stock assessment and coastal defenses. In molecular fields, Dr Davy has undertaken primer design and sequence analysis, DNA extraction, fluorescent in situ hybridization and various types of gel electrophoresis, including DGGE, PFGE and SSCP, histopathology, transmission electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. Dr Davy has published 12 papers in peer-reviewed journals and presented at several national and international conferences. Dr Davy has also completed an MA in Creative Writing and had a non-fiction book published by Random House New Zealand in 2011. Dr Davy is presently a freelance writer and editor, and scientific consultant. She began working with the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Dr Lesley Benyon

1999 - PhD Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
1994 - MSc Animal Science, North Carolina State University, USA
1998 - BA East Asian Studies, University of Virginia, USA
Dr Benyon is a researcher for the USDA-ARS in the US Horticultural Research Laboratory, which concentrates on improving citrus and specialty crops. His current research involves identifying genetic targets for combating Huanglongbing/Citrus greening in citrus, the bacterial pathogen, and the insect vectors. Dr Benyon has a diversified science background, including having researched antimicrobial peptides at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr Benyon has also worked in East Asia with scientists from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China, and was a post-doctoral associate at Okayama University in Japan. Dr Benyon began editing for the Edanz Group in 2011.

Dr Kenneth Zahn

1987 - PhD Genetics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
1975 - BS Biology, State University of New York, Albany, USA
Dr Zahn has 30 years’ experience as a researcher in academia and the biotechnology industry, with expertise in the molecular genetics and biotechnological applications of bacteriophage, bacteria, yeast and fungi. After completing a PhD in the laboratory of Dr Frederick Blattner, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Brown University with Dr Arthur Landy, and then a Sackler Fellow in Molecular Genetics and Informatics with Dr Joshua Lederberg at Rockefeller University. Dr Zahn has also worked as a NEDO Industrial Technology Fellow in the Molecular Microbiology Group at RITE, Kyoto, Japan with Dr Hideaki Yukawa. He currently works in the biotechnology industry in the San Francisco Area. Dr Zahn began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2010.

Dr Michal Bell

2003 - PhD Biochemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
2000 - MSc Biochemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
1998 - BSc Biology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Following the completion of her PhD in biochemistry, Dr Bell was a post-doctoral fellow in the department of Medical Biochemistry at Gothenburg University, Sweden, and then in the department of Behavioural Neuroscience at OHSU, USA. Her postgraduate research focused on the isolation, regulation, action and biological effects of constitutively active MAPK molecules in a eukaryotic yeast model with reference to mammalian MAPKs. Her first post-doctoral post investigated the regulation of the transcription factor FoxC2 and the role of the PKA regulatory subunit RIIβ in adipocyte metabolism. This research had direct relevance to obesity and Type II diabetes. Following this research she then moved into the field of biochemical neuroscience, studying the signaling pathway of the D2 dopamine receptor in relation to receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and MAPK in primary neuronal cultures and in vivo. Throughout her career Dr Bell gained experience with a wide range of molecular biology techniques including genetic manipulation, yeast and mammalian cell culturing, animal breeding and dissection, DNA and mRNA analysis, molecular staining, imaging and protein biochemistry. Dr Bell has published 6 peer-reviewed papers, 3 as first author. Dr Bell also holds a patent related to her development of constitutively active MAPKs. Her current interests include the fields of scientific communication and education. Dr Bell joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2010.

Dr Brendan Wilhelmi

1998 - PhD Biochemistry, Rhodes University, South Africa
1989 - BSc Hons Biochemistry, Rhodes University, South Africa
1988 - BSc Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, South Africa
For his PhD, Dr Wilhelmi researched the bioremediation of heavy metals from contaminated mine waste waters. He then worked in a doping control Research and Development laboratory investigating immunological techniques for the detection of corticosteroids. On returning to academia his research has been in a number of biochemical fields, including P450 drug metabolism, DNA barcoding, continuous fermentation and bioremediation. His current research involves the isolation of liver microsomes, cloning, expression and characterization of P450 isoforms. This research is aimed at determining the metabolism of various novel compounds and drugs of abuse. A second research interest investigates the potential of using DNA markers for determining the diet of elusive and dangerous herbivores on South African game reserves. In particular the work has investigated the rbcL gene as a biomarker for plants consumed by these herbivores. Dr Wilhelmi is a senior lecturer at Rhodes University, where he teaches metabolism, analytical techniques and forensic biochemistry. He has presented at conferences and has published in the areas of chromatography and analytical biochemistry, conservation biochemistry, and enzymology. Dr Wilhelmi joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2012.

Dr Chrissandra Zagami

2007 - PhD Neuropharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Australia
2001 - BSc (Hons) Biomedicine, Pharmacology, Monash University, Australia
Dr Zagami's scientific research has focused on the study of the normal development and function of the nervous system and the aberrant processes underlying neurological diseases. Her early studies involved the development of an organotypic spinal cord slice culture model of the motor neuron disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dr Zagami's PhD studies examined the roles of excitotoxicity and oxidative stress, two processes implicated in ALS, on glutamate transporter function and cell death. Particular attention was focused on astrocytes and their role in regulating glutamate transporters, as well the effect of these mechanisms on motor neurons. Dr Zagami’s postdoctoral work at the Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Canada, aimed to gain a better understanding of the development of certain brainstem neuronal populations by focusing on a protein with an important role in neuronal subtype specification and axon targeting in other areas of the nervous system. Dr Zagami joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Assoc Prof Irene Mackraj

2000 - PhD Physiology, University of Durban-Westville, South Africa
Prof Mackraj is an Associate Professor in the Discipline of Human Physiology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal. She teaches Human Physiology and Human Genetics at the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine. She is responsible for running a gene expression laboratory. Her main research focuses are hypertension and its management using medicinal plants; and the etiology and treatment of pre-eclampsia. Prof Mackraj’s postdoctoral work involved the generation and characterization of a gene-disrupted proximal tubular cell model for the investigation of transporter mechanisms in the kidney. Her current research projects involve the investigation of blood pressure lowering plants with a focus on the renin-angiotensin system; and the etiopathology of pre-eclampsia in the local population. She is also a participant in projects involving novel drug delivery systems. She is a well-published author in ISI-listed journals, and is the Principle grant-holder for her research projects. Prof Mackraj joined the Edanz Group as an editor and reviewer in 2011

Dr Matthew Barnett

2005 - PhD Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, NZ
1997 - MSc (1st Class Hons) Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, NZ
1994 - BSc Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Auckland, NZ
Dr Barnett's PhD thesis, "Effect of variation in maternal protein intake during gestation and lactation on fuel metabolism in the offspring - studies in the rat", investigated the effects of early nutrition on pancreatic function and insulin metabolism. Dr Barnett post-doctoral studies investigated the role of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids on intestinal inflammation in a mouse model using 'omics' technologies such as microarrays and proteomics. He is currently a Senior Research Scientist working for AgResearch in New Zealand; recently working in the field of epigenetics, in particular DNA methylation. Dr Barnett has published 20 peer-reviewed journal articles (11 since 2010) and one peer-reviewed book chapter, and has been an invited speaker at a number of international conferences. Dr Barnett joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011 with editing expertise in physiology, genomics/proteomics/metabolomics, epigenetics and intestinal inflammation and immunity.

Ms Carlotta Shearson

1987 - MS Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, USA
1985 - BS Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, USA
Carlotta Shearson did two years of undergraduate research on the synthesis of small molecules for neurotoxicity studies. Her graduate work was in the laboratories of Professor Clayton Heathcock at the University of California at Berkeley, where she worked on the synthesis of a potential HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor. She then spent four years working as a synthetic organic chemist in the agricultural chemicals industry, synthesizing novel pesticide candidates. She has been a freelance editor of books and scientific journal articles since 1991, working on a wide range of topics spanning chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology. For the past 15 years, she has specialized in editing scientific journal articles by authors for whom English is a second language. Ms Shearson joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Dr Rogan Tinsley

2003 - PhD Neuroscience, Flinders University, Australia
1998 - Bachelor of Biotechnology (Hons), Flinders University, Australia
Dr Tinsley completed his PhD at the School of Medicine at Flinders University of South Australia. His thesis title was "Non-Viral Glial Cell Transfection: A Therapeutic Strategy for CNS Regeneration." His post-doctoral training was in the neural stem cell laboratory of Prof Peter Eriksson, the first to demonstrate neurogenesis in the adult human brain. Dr Tinsley returned to Australia to work at the Howard Florey Institute, investigating models and diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. He has over ten years experience in medical research, and has published widely in leading journals in his field, including Annals of Neurology. Dr Tinsley began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2011

Dr Alan Robinson

2009 - PhD Chemistry, University of Bristol, UK
2005 - MSc (1st hons) Chemistry, University of Warwick, UK
Dr Alan Robinson is a senior process chemist working in the agricultural industry. His work requires a deep understanding across a wide range of chemical fields. He has extensive experience in organic and physical organic chemistry, especially with respect to synthesis, mechanism and kinetics. Dr Robinson completed his PhD, based on the development and understanding of new catalysts for diene and enyne metathesis, with internationally acclaimed Prof Lloyd-Jones in 2005. He has spoken and presented prize winning posters at numerous symposia, and recently co-authored an important paper in Chemistry – A European Journal. Dr Robinson began working with the Edanz Group as an editor in 2010.

Dr Tim Werry

2003 - PhD Pharmacology, University of Leicester, UK
1999 - BSc (Hons) Pharmacology, University of Manchester, UK
Currently, Dr Werry is at Queen Mary University of London studying dentistry. Prior to this, he worked for GlaxoSmithKline Ltd in the Neurosciences Centre of Excellence in Drug Discovery in Harlow, UK. Dr Werry studied G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) pharmacology and cellular signaling as part of his PhD in a thesis entitled "The effects of crosstalk on GPCR-mediated calcium signaling pathways". He has also worked in one of the premier pharmacology labs in the world with Prof Arthur Christopoulos at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, studying cellular signaling by variants of the serotonin 5HT2C receptor and the pharmacology and cell biology of mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling. Dr Werry's work has produced numerous publications including original research papers and authoritative reviews on calcium and ERK signaling and 5HT2C receptor RNA editing. His areas of expertise include pharmacology, neuroscience, G protein-coupled receptors, and cellular signaling. Dr Werry began working with the Edanz Group as a writer and editor in 2010.

Dr Tara Walmsley

2012 - PhD Microbiology, Rhodes University, South Africa
2007 - BSc (Hons) Chemistry, Rhodes University, South Africa
2006 - BSc Chemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, South Africa
Dr Walmsley recently completed her PhD in Molecular Marine Microbiology and Natural Product Chemistry. Her research, entitled “Investigating the link between microbial diversity and secondary metabolite production in endemic South African marine sponges of the genus Tsitsikamma” instigated the establishment of an environmental genomics project at Rhodes University. Dr Walmsley has extensive experience in molecular microbiology and natural product chemistry, including techniques such as cloning, Sanger sequencing, 454 pyrosequencing, phylogenetics, genetic identification, isolation of pure cultures, fermentation, natural product isolation and identification, nuclear magnetic resonance, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, sequence analysis and interpretation, polymerase chain reaction, DNA isolation, scanning electron microscopy, high pressure liquid chromatography, large scale column chromatography, media preparation and sterile techniques. Dr Walmsley joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Dr Christopher Kelly

2006 - DPhil Molecular Systematics, Oxford University, UK
2000 - BSc (Hons) Zoology, Rhodes University, South Africa
1999 - BSc Zoology & Biochemistry, Rhodes University, South Africa
Dr Kelly’s academic interests are in biological sciences and the philosophy of science. His work is focused on understanding, classifying and conserving biological diversity. Dr Kelly’s particular research specialty is the evolution and biogeography of snakes. After undergraduate study at Rhodes University in South Africa he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, where he obtained a DPhil in molecular systematics of 'advanced' snakes. His subsequent postdoctoral work has investigated the phylogenetics, phylogeography and taxonomy of several groups of African snakes, incorporating extensive molecular genetic laboratory work, analytical computation, and field surveys. His research has been internationally acclaimed through receipt of the Joseph B. Slowinski Award for excellence in snake systematics (2010), after one of his publications was selected as the best snake systematics paper to be published globally in 2009. Dr Kelly is an experienced lecturer in the biological sciences, and is a reviewer for many international journals. He joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2012.

Dr Catherine Dandie

2003 - PhD Environmental Microbiology, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
1996 - Bachelor of Biotechnology (Hons), Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
Dr Dandie is a microbiologist with interests in microbiological processes in soils. Her postdoctoral research has been undertaken in several international institutions, including University College Cork (Biomerit Research Centre) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Potato Research Centre). Currently Dr Dandie researches nitrogen cycling and nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural soils at the CSIRO in Australia. Her interests cover a wide range of research in soil microbiology including bioremediation of contaminated soils, composting, biochar, plant-microbe interactions, microbial inoculants and biosensors. Dr Dandie is an invited reviewer for a number of international journals and is also on the editorial board of a prominent soil science journal. She has published nine first-author journal articles. Dr Dandie joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011

Dr Ursula Byrne

2010 - PhD Neuroanatomy/Neuropharmacology, University of Auckland, NZ (to be awarded)
2003 - PGDip Health Sciences, University of Auckland, NZ / Freiburg University, Germany
2001 - BSc Biomedical Science, University of Auckland, NZ
Dr Byrne’s PhD studies in neuroanatomy and neuropharmacology have centered on the role of oxidative stress in neurodegenerative diseases. In her research she investigated the expression and activity of the pro-oxidant enzyme, myeloperoxidase, in post-mortem human brain tissue and in cellular models of neurofibrillary pathology. She has published two papers in international peer-reviewed journals and is currently a teaching fellow in human biology at the University of Otago, New Zealand. She began working as an editor for the Edanz Group in 2010.

Ms Areti Malapetsas

2008 - ELS (Board-Certified Editor in the Life Sciences), Vancouver, Canada
1997 - BA Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
1989 - BSc (Dist) Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Ms Malapetsas is a medical and scientific editor/writer with experience in the development of content in the various areas in the life sciences for both medical research institutes and pharmaceutical advertising agencies. Initially a research assistant in a cancer research laboratory at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research in Montreal, Canada, she performed molecular and cellular biology experiments—including mRNA, DNA, and protein extraction and purification, Northern and Western blots, RT-PCR, cellular transport, primary tissue culture, and various drug efficacy studies. She also developed laboratory documents for submission to journals and funding agencies. Ms Malapetsas then worked in pharmaceutical advertising, where for eight years she undertook proofreading, copyediting, and fact-checking, and wrote medical education programs delivering on-label drug information to physicians and healthcare professionals. Ms Malapetsas also has extensive experience as a freelance medical and scientific editor/writer for research laboratories and corporate entities. Ms Malapetsas began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2009.

Assoc Prof Donald Hendry

1977 – PhD Virology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
1969 – M Sc Virology, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
1966 – B Sc (Hons) Microbiology, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
Prof Hendry main research was in the molecular biology of RNA insect viruses. He also taught virology, molecular biology and immunology at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. Prof Hendry has wide international research experience, having been a Visiting Scientist at the University of Madison – Wisconsin, USA, at National Chung Hsing University in Taichung, Taiwan, at the University of California – Davis, USA, and at the CSIRO in Canberra, Australia. He was an appointee to the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) for 10 years, and was a member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), the Society for General Microbiology (SGM), UK, and the Society for Invertebrate Pathology (SIP), USA. He spent seven years as a referee for research grant applications sent to the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa. Prof Hendry has published over 25 papers in international journals, has presented at numerous international congresses, and has served as referee for scientific manuscripts submitted to several journals. Prof Hendry joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011

Dr Rebecca Jackson

2005 - PhD Molecular Biology, University of Queensland, Australia
2000 - BSc (1st Hons) Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University of Queensland, Australia
Dr Jackson’s PhD investigated bone healing mechanisms, focusing on mechanical loading and growth factors as healing agents, as well as fracture repair strategies. Her earlier studies had a strong focus toward human anatomy, physiology and forensic osteology. For five years Dr Jackson was a post-doctoral research fellow at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Singapore, where she also acted as an in-house scientific editor. Her postdoctoral research explored protein-protein interactions within signal transduction cascades, and the role of particular tumor-suppressor genes in breast cancer and mammary gland development. Dr Jackson has published 13 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has 16 conference papers. Dr Jackson also has a certificate in Professional Editing and Proofreading, and began editing for the Edanz Group in 2010.

Dr Laura Wicks

2010 - PhD Marine Biology, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ
2005 - MSc Marine Environmental Protection, University of Wales, Bangor, UK
2004 - BSc Oceanography and Marine Biology, University of Southampton, UK
Dr Wicks’ PhD thesis was entitled “Persistence of corals in marginal habitats: the role of the environment, and symbiont diversity and ecophysiology”. Dr Wicks is presently a post-doctoral research fellow in the areas of physiology, climate change and marine biology. Her research focuses on the impact of environmental variability on the functional ecology and physiology of marine ecosystems, including cold-water corals. Dr Wicks has extensive experience of coral reef ecology and biology, including cell biology, photosynthesis, symbiosis and biodiversity. Additionally, she has expertise in the fields of oceanography, climate change science, marine conservation, and rocky shore ecology. In molecular fields, she has undertaken sequence analysis, DNA extraction and various types of gel electrophoresis, including DGGE. She also has a working knowledge of chlorophyll fluorescence techniques, multivariate statistics and GIS. Dr Wicks has published five peer-reviewed papers, including an extensive review on the effect of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems. She has several years’ experience successfully completing grant applications and presenting at international scientific meetings. She is also a reviewer for several well-respected journals. Dr Wicks joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2012.

Prof Dolores Takemoto

1979 – PhD, Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, USA
1973 – MS Microbiology, Colorado State University, USA
1971 – BS Biology, Ball State University, USA
Dr Takemoto is a Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry at Kansas State University, where she has taught and conducted research for 32 years. Her research on the role of ischemia in lens and retinal diseases is funded through the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health. Areas of expertise include biochemistry, molecular biology, protein chemistry, cell signaling, metabolism, eye and neural disorders, pharmacology, biology and enzymology. Dr Takemoto has reviewed for numerous journals, including the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Current Eye Research, Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and Biochemistry. She also served, for eight years, on the Small Business: Visual Systems Study Section for the National Institutes of Health, where she reviewed both SBIR and STTR grant proposals. Dr. Takemoto has published over 100 peer-reviewed works, including book chapters, original works and a textbook and lab manual for non-science majors. She joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Dr Rachel James

2003 - PhD Medical Genetics, University of Edinburgh, UK
1998 - BSc Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, UK
Dr James’ PhD thesis, and initial postdoctoral work, was on the characterization of DISC1, a susceptibility gene for psychiatric illness. Subsequent postdoctoral research focused on acute brain injury and the mitochondrial response in a transgenic mouse model. Dr James understands brain biology with a particular interest in psychiatric illness, neurodegenerative disease, genetics and cellular biology. She has multi-disciplinary laboratory expertise in a number of techniques, covering protein biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, histology and microscopy. Dr James has experience of human tissue studies, as well as transgenic animal models and cell culture systems, including embryonic stem cells. From her research she has co-authored several peer-reviewed papers, including a Science paper, which was cited as one of the top ten breakthroughs of 2005. Dr James joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Dr Tamsin Sheen

2008 - PhD Genetics, University of Otago, NZ
2004 - MSc Genetics, University of Otago, NZ
Dr Sheen is a postdoctoral research fellow at San Diego State University, studying microbial pathogenesis. Her work encompasses microbial niche establishment as well as penetration of the blood-brain barrier. She also has two patents for the development of novel therapeutic agents for treatment of MRSA infections. Dr Sheen carried out her PhD research at AgResearch in Lincoln, New Zealand, focusing on applying genetic techniques to improve the soil survival of a microbial biocontrol agent. Her other research has involved the phylogenetic analysis of Antarctic notothenioid fish and species evolution. Dr Sheen began editing for Edanz Editing in 2011.

Dr Kajsa Igelstrom

2011 - PhD Physiology, University of Otago, NZ
2007 - BBiomedSc (1st class Hons), University of Otago, NZ
Ms Igelstrom currently works as an electrophysiologist at the University of Otago. She has a background in biochemistry and physiology, and is now specializing in neuroscience. Her PhD research focused on brain slice models of epileptic seizures, and she is currently investigating ion channel modulators for antiepileptic drug treatment. She has experience with a variety of electrophysiological techniques, including whole-cell voltage/current clamp, cell-attached tight-seal current clamp, field potential recording, and single-unit recording. Her past and current research interests include behavioral reward conditioning, olfactory processing, non-synaptic neurotransmission, epileptic seizures, antiepileptic drugs, and antidepressant drugs. Ms Igelstrom also has a special interest in the physiological effects of alternative and complementary therapies, such as Chinese medicine and yoga. Apart from her electrophysiological skills, Ms Igelstrom also has experience with cell culture, western blotting, microscopy, behavioral rat training, and immunohistochemistry. Ms Igelstrom joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Dr Julie Dwyer

2009 - PhD in molecular biology and biochemistry, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
2004 - Bachelor of Science (Hons), (genetics and immunolog), Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Dr Julie Dwyer is a postdoctoral researcher at the Cochin Institute, Paris, France. Her expertise is in cancer biology and molecular signaling, and has published several first author articles examining altered signaling in cancer. More recently, she has investigated the molecular crosstalk between different cell types in the tumor microenvironment, especially cancer cell signaling to endothelial cells and vice versa. As a result, Dr Dwyer has an in-depth understanding of endothelial barrier homeostasis and techniques used to study endothelial cell properties such as permeability and tubulogenesis assays. In addition, she is competent in numerous molecular biology methods, including RT-PCR, protein expression/interaction analysis and microscopy. Dr Dwyer has also been involved in the peer-review process for reviews as well as primary articles. Dr Dwyer joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Dr Susan Schade-Bijur

1998 - PhD Neuroscience/Pharmacology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
1990 - BS Psychology, University of Kentucky, USA
Dr Schade-Bijur’s PhD focused on identifying the promoter region of a neuronal sodium channel in the human brain. Dr Schade-Bijur’s work from these studies has been presented at an international Society of Neuroscience meeting and published in peer-reviewed journals. She is highly skilled in molecular biology techniques, such as cloning, mRNA, DNA and protein extraction, RT-PCR, blotting, sequencing and gel electrophoresis. For seven years Dr Schade-Bijur worked in a biotechnology company that focused on a radioactive peptide as targeted therapy for neuro-oncology. As a scientist and the Senior Manager for Manufacturing, Dr Schade-Bijur performed histology experiments for various tissues, including using a microtome for tissue slice preparation, and oocyte extraction and electrophysiology on a glioma chloride channel. Dr Schade-Bijur was also in charge of the clinical pharmacy and was part of the clinical team writing grants and regulatory documents. From this research she published two more peer-reviewed papers, including a clinical trial paper. As a freelance writer, Dr Schade-Bijur has written in the areas of health economics, medical education regarding cancer angiogenesis and over 50 technical bulletins about lipid products. Dr Schade-Bijur has a particularly broad science and writing background. She joined the Edanz Group as a writer and editor in 2010, specializing in the fields of neuroscience and oncology.

Dr Sabin Colton

1984 - PhD Biochemistry, University of Iowa, US
1977 - MSc Biology (Marine), Boston University, US
1972 - AB Biochemistry, University of Pennsylvania, US
Dr Colton's research background in biochemistry focused on lipid biochemical pathways in marine invertebrates and mammalian skin. His doctoral thesis involved describing the biochemical pathways for sebaceous lipid production in the genus Equus through radio-label, structural analysis, and comparative biochemical studies. His post-doctoral work involved relating the giant ring lactones of equine sebum to the epidermal water barrier of mammalian skin. Dr Colton is a generalist scientist and, as a college professor, taught courses from inorganic and organic chemistry to biochemistry and molecular biology to nuclear physics and astronomy. He has advised and edited numerous theses, papers, and articles for colleagues and students. He has published 13 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has been an active editor since 2007. Dr Colton began editing for the Edanz Group in 2009.

Dr Joel Anderson

2009 - PhD Nutrition, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, USA
1999 - BS (Hons) Biology, University of North Carolina-Wilmington, USA
Dr Anderson’s PhD research focused on the effects of manganese toxicity and iron deficiency on the biology of the neurotransmitters GABA and norepinephrine. He is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the Center for the Study of Complementary and Alternative Therapies at the University of Virginia. His research interests include the use of dietary and mind-body therapies for the prevention and management of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Dr Anderson has experience in basic science in addition to his current clinical research. Before his PhD, he was the laboratory manager of two cancer research labs at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Dr Anderson has expertise in various in vitro techniques, including cellular studies, molecular biology (western blotting, RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry), microscopy (brightfield and fluorescence), microbiology, and analytical chemistry, as well as in vivo work with mouse and rat models including stereotaxic surgery and microdialysis. Dr Anderson has over a dozen publications in peer-reviewed journals, as well as book chapters, and has presented at national and international conferences. He joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Dr Mary Vick

2006 - PhD Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
1999 - MA Psychology, East Tennessee State University, USA
1995 - BS Biology, Francis Marion University, USA
Dr Eve McCutchen Vick's research has included studies of hippocampal synaptic plasticity, degeneration of hippocampal cholinergic innervation, and modulation of neuronal signaling by neurotrophic factors. Her expertise includes learning and memory, synaptic plasticity, hippocampal physiology and intracellular signaling, cholinergic and adrenergic receptors, electrophysiology and immunohistochemistry. Dr Vick is well published in high-ranking journals, and has edited manuscripts across a variety of subject areas, including neuroscience, pharmacology, toxicology, and cardiology. She has also taught undergraduate courses in both Psychology and Anatomy and Physiology at several institutions in the US. Dr Vick joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Dr Ada Ao

2010 - PhD Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, USA
2003 - BS Biochemistry and Biology, Brandeis University, USA
Dr Ao completed her PhD studies in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, with a focus on cancer biology and anti-estrogen therapy resistance. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University, conducting research in the interdisciplinary field of regenerative chemical biology. She has composed and published a number of peer-reviewed articles, a review article, and a book chapter for a broader scientific audience. The topics ranged from the influence of epigenetics on cancer biology, chemical biology in regenerative medicine, and the role of cancer stem cells in anti-estrogen therapy resistance. Dr Ao joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Dr Susannah Cleary

2007 - PhD Biomedical Science (Neuroendocrinology), Murdoch University (Australia) in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (USA)
2003 - BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science, Murdoch University, Australia
Dr Cleary is a biomedical scientist with a special interest in cancer research and chronic disease. Her doctoral thesis was entitled “From chromaffin cells to phaeochromocytoma: insight into the sympathoadrenal lineage”. Dr Cleary was a Post Doctoral Fellow with the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH), where she was the lead researcher on a project investigating novel strategies for the treatment of metastatic kidney disease. Dr Cleary has an extensive history of research in cancer tumor biology and an interest in the developmental origins of cancer, especially those related to mutations of the von Hippel-Lindau gene. Dr Cleary has an interest in health policy and was a Fellow with the Fogarty International Center at the NIH. During this time she was involved in a number of global health policy projects. Dr Cleary has published a number of articles in peer-reviewed journals in addition to other science writing for a non-technical audience. Dr Cleary began working as an editor for the Edanz Group in 2010.

Dr Raymond Price

2009 - MBA, INSEAD
2001 - PhD Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, US
1996 - BA Biochemistry, Whitman College, US
Dr Price's training is as a pharmacologist, with specific emphasis on molecular pharmacology, signal transduction, and neuroscience. His research includes extensive work on immunophilins, a class of compounds that promote nerve regeneration. He has worked in both pharmaceutical and small biotechnology companies in Japan, the US, and Europe. He has published over 20 research articles, including an invited review. Over the past seven years, Dr Price has edited/co-written over 1100 scientific publications, presentations, and regulatory documents. Dr Price began as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2008.

Ms Kathleen LaPoint

2002 - MS Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
2000 - BS Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
Ms LaPoint is a science and medical writer-editor with experience in a wide range of medical and life science topics. Her master’s thesis involved the development of antimicrobial agents to prevent and treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Ms LaPoint has taught biology and microbiology at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, where she also conducted research investigating links between obesity, inflammation, and insulin resistance. She has co-authored seven scientific manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals and one scientific book chapter. Ms LaPoint also has a post-graduate biomedical writing certificate and is a board-certified editor in the life sciences (ELS). As an editor she has edited hundreds of research manuscripts; as a writer she has written about health and medical topics for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. She began working as an editor and writer with the Edanz Group in 2010.

Mr Robert Gorman

1996 - MS Health Administration, University of Montreal, Canada
1980 - BA Applied Social Sciences, Concordia University, Canada
1976 - Registered Respiratory Therapist, Ste-Foy College, Canada
Mr Gorman has 35 years of experience in the healthcare system in Canada. He has worked as a project manager, research coordinator, department head, consultant, respiratory therapist, and more recently as a medical editor. Mr Gorman is familiar with AMA guidelines and ICMJE Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals. For the past four years he has worked as a freelance medical editor for medical researchers at the McGill University and University of Montreal Research Centers in Montreal, QC, Canada. Mr Gorman joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Dr Toni Atkinson

2007 - PhD Mycology, Otago University, Dunedin, NZ
2000 - BSc Hons (first class) Biology/Mycology, Victoria University, NZ
1991 - BA Hons (first class) Anthropology/English Literature, Victoria University, NZ
Dr Toni Atkinson is a research scientist specializing in mycology. Dr Atkinson’s long-standing interest in writing is evidenced by her initial degree in anthropology and English literature. Her mycological focus is ascomycete microfungi, and their taxonomic and methodological challenges. She enjoys finding new species in wild natural landscapes in New Zealand. Dr Atkinson also worked with hyphomycete specialists in Ottawa, Canada, in 2009. She has presented at two international conferences and at several North American venues. Her special interests include interrelationships between organisms, biospheric energy cycles, and implications for sustainable living. Dr Atkinson joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2010.

Ms Genova Davis

1965 - BS Chemistry, Simmons College, Boston, USA
2009 - Copyediting Certification, University of California, San Diego, USA
Ms Davis has worked in research and development in the areas of biochemistry and molecular biology at several academic institutions in the U.S., Germany, and Denmark. For the last 20 years, she has been employed in biotechnology companies in California where she was involved in heterologous gene expression in yeast and diagnostic assay development as well as laboratory operations. During this time, she was also responsible for editing scientific articles and biotech business documents. She joined the Edanz Group in 2010.

Ms Kelly Bogh

1999 - BSc Biochemistry, University of Victoria, Canada
2010 - Postgraduate Certificate in Editing, Macquarie University, Australia
After studies in biochemistry and microbiology at the University of Victoria, Ms Bogh worked as a biomedical researcher with biotechnology companies and university departments. For the last 10 years she has worked for publishers of international, peer-reviewed scientific and technical journals and has edited manuscripts in many disciplines including microbiology, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics. Ms Bogh is a board-certified Editor in the Life Sciences and recently earned a Postgraduate Certificate in Editing from the Department of Linguistics at Macquarie University. She joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2012

Dr Karina Apricó

2002 - PhD Pharmacology, Monash University, Australia
1998 - BSc (Hons) Pharmacology, Monash University, Australia
1987 - BSc Pharmacology & Physiology, Monash University, Australia
Dr Aprico's doctoral thesis was "[3H]4-methylglutamate as a novel radioligand for the brain glutamate transporters." From 2003 to 2005, Dr Aprico held a post-doctoral position at Arvid Carlsson Institute, Göteborg, Sweden, working with Dr Michael Nilsson, investigating in vitro models of reactive astrogliosis. Since 2005, Dr Aprico has been a university lecturer in pharmacology and physiology, but returned to university to obtain her medical degree in mid-2009. Dr Aprico began as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2008.

Ms Emily Morris

2006 - MS Biology, Humboldt State University, USA
2003 - BS Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, USA
Emily Morris has studied at UC Davis, the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science and Humboldt State University. Her research has focused on the molecular diversity and physiology of coral reefs and their symbiotic dinoflagellates. She has a broad background in oceanography and the life sciences and successfully published her master's research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. Ms. Morris joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Mr Mitchell Arico

2006 - (Hons) Stem Cell Biology, Monash University, Australia
2002 - Grad Cert – Molecular Biology, University of Queensland, Australia
2001 - BSc Biotechnology, Griffith University, Australia
Mr Arico has been working and studying in the Australian scientific sector for the past several years and has held research positions at internationally recognized organizations such as the Queensland and Garvan Institutes of Medical Research. During this time his research focused on Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunology. Mr Arico has also worked in the private biotechnology sector in the area of Molecular Diagnostics. Mr Arico completed his honors degree in 2006 under the direction of a prominent Professor of Stem Cell Sciences at Monash University researching definitive endoderm differentiation from human embryonic stem cells. His technical skills include: cell culture including human and mouse embryonic stem cells, in vitro cell differentiations using embryonic and adult stem cells, various imaging techniques, cell-based assays, flow cytometry, cell purification techniques, PCR, cloning and retroviral transfections. Mr Arico has a strong interest in tissue engineering technologies and the clinical use of stem cells. He began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2011.

Ms Amber O'Connor

2012 (Expected) - PhD Cell Biology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA
2006 - BS Microbiology, Arizona State University, USA
Ms O'Connor’s PhD thesis entitled “Consequences of primary cilia ablation in the developing limb and epidermis” will be submitted in early 2012. She is also a graduate of the 2010 Embryology course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. Ms O’Connor is presently researching in fields related to hedgehog signaling, limb and bone development, and primary cilia. She has experience in mouse breeding, genetics, histology, transgenic and knock-in model generation, development, and embryology. In vitro techniques Ms O'Connor is skilled in are primary cell culture, qRT PCR, western blotting, confocal imaging, and in situ hybridization. She has extensive training in embryology and development, as well as an understanding of the complex signaling pathways involved in pattern formation, cell fate determination, and specification. Ms O'Connor has published a methods chapter on the generation of mouse models, and has 3 peer-reviewed publications. She is a regular attendee and presenter at the American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting. Ms O'Connor began as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2011.

Ms Sandra Doherty

2008 - MSc Molecular Ecology, Galway-Mayo-Institute of Technology, Ireland
2005 - BSc Honours Applied Aquatic Ecology, Galway-Mayo-Institute of Technology, Ireland
Ms Doherty's background is in aquatic ecology focusing on marine invasive species. Ms Doherty is presently the recipient of a Victoria University, New Zealand, doctoral scholarship for research focused on the ecology of invasive mussels in both Ireland and New Zealand. Ms Doherty is skilled in DNA extraction, PCR, electrophoresis, gene sequencing, histology, image analysis and various other laboratory techniques. She has published in 3 peer-reviewed scientific journals and has an in-depth knowledge of marine and freshwater ecology, particularly in the areas of bioinvasion, speciation, hybridization and evolution. Ms Doherty joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Mr Blair Granville

2010 - MSc (candidate) Science Communication, University of Otago, NZ
2008 - BSc (Hons) Neuroscience, University of Otago, NZ
Mr Granville's research has included work on the expression of immediate early genes in the rat hippocampus, and involved extensive use of primer design and sequence analysis, gel electrophoresis, and quantitative PCR. He has also studied Science Communication specializing in non-fiction writing, and has studied the history and philosophy of science over a wide range of disciplines including psychology, neuroscience, pharmacology, biochemistry, and molecular and cell biology, focusing on developments from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. He joined Edanz Group in 2010 as a science editor and writer.

Ms Emily Bass

2008 - MA Rhetoric & Writing Studies, San Diego State University, USA
2000 - BA History & French, University of Houston, USA
Ms Bass is a science writer and editor focused on academic medicine and clinical research. Since 2007, she has served as a grant writer, manuscript editor, and project manager for many UC San Diego laboratories, assisting investigators involved in such diverse fields as hospital policy and quality improvement, radiology, medical physics, nanotechnology, materials science, and genomics. Ms Bass has also edited patient-education and complementary/alternative medicine guidebooks and newsletters for a San Diego-based health insurer. In addition to her academic degrees, in 2004 Ms Bass earned an Advanced Certificate in Technical & Scientific Writing from San Diego State University. Ms Bass joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Ms Morag O'Neill

Post-graduate Diploma Pharmacology
BSc (Hons) Applied Biology
Ms O’Neill is a highly proficient information scientist and indexer with extensive experience in a wide range of disciplines, including pharmaceutics, pharmacy, pharmacology, general medicine, biochemistry, molecular biology, health care management and environmental biology. From 1993 to 2007, Ms O’Neill was a specialist medical indexer working on the EMBASE database, BIOSIS database and customized drug-based databases for a number of leading pharmaceutical companies. She is also experienced at writing customized abstracts for the pharmaceutical industry. Ms O’Neill began working as an editor with Edanz Editing in 2007. As well as the work carried out for Edanz, Ms O’Neill is currently still performing indexing work, mainly in the fields of pharmacology and gastroenterology, for a variety of major drug companies.

Dr Sheril Daniel

2007 - PhD Biochemistry, Rhodes University, South Africa
2003 - MSc Pharmacology, Rhodes University, South Africa
2000 - BPharm (1st Hons), Mahatma Gandhi University, India
Dr Daniel’s PhD thesis was entitled “Molecular Characterization of the Hsp70/Hsp90 Organizing Protein (Hop): Phosphorylation, Subcellular Localization and Interaction with Hsp90.” Dr Daniel is familiar with all standard laboratory and research techniques including molecular biological techniques, organ culture, tissue culture of immortalized cell lines (mammalian), recombinant production and purification of heterologous proteins, recombinant DNA manipulation, confocal fluorescent microscopy, transient transfection of mammalian cells, site directed mutagenesis, one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, assay techniques, Western blot analysis and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, and thin layer and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Dr Daniel began as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2008.

Ms Liubov Kardashyan

2005 - BSc (Hons) Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Australia
2004 - BSc Biochemistry & Molecular Biology & Cell Biology, Monash University, Australia
Ms Kardashyan's honors project was “Neuronal apoptosis and mitochondrial function in striatal GABAergic neurons: mechanistic insights into Huntington’s disease.” From 2005 to 2008, she was a research assistant at the Howard Florey Institute, University of Melbourne, where she investigated the effects of preconditioning with hypoxia and hypoxia-mimetic compounds in neonatal rat brain with hypoxic-ischemic injury. She has also worked in the field of neurogenesis. Ms Kardashyan began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2008.

Mr Art Riddle

2002 - BA (Magna Cum Laude) Biology & Chemistry, Whitman College, US
Mr Art Riddle has over 10 years of experience in neuroscience research and writing and is currently in the final stages of his MD/PhD. His research has focused on neuro-development and mechanisms of neurological injury. He has performed studies on neurotoxicology and experience-dependent plasticity in the developing rodent. For his doctoral research Mr Riddle is studying glial injury in small and preclinical animal models of hypoxic-ischemic preterm brain injury. In his studies he has become technically proficient in immunohistochemistry, slice culture, primary-cell culture, immunoblotting, protein purification, animal surgery, animal physiology, blood flow measurement, light/fluorescence/confocal microscopy, medical imaging and high-field magnetic resonance imaging. Mr Riddle is trained as a clinician and is familiar with human anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology and epidemiology. He has written numerous peer-reviewed articles published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of Child Neurology, Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, and Stroke. He also has experience as a scientific writer in a range of topics including cerebral palsy, neurodegeneration, neurotoxicology, gliosis and cerebral blood flow. Art Riddle began working with the Edanz Group in 2009.

Mr Martin Wallace

2008 - PhD (candidate) Bioengineering, University of Canterbury, NZ
2007 - MSc Biomedical Science, National University of Ireland, Ireland
2004 - BSc Biochemistry & Genetics, University College Dublin, Ireland
Mr Wallace’s background is in biochemistry and genetics. Later he focused on biomedical science/bioengineering, in particular nerve regeneration in both the peripheral and central nervous systems. His PhD focuses on tissue engineering for spinal cord injury and combines the use of novel nerve guides as cell carriers for the promotion of axonal regeneration. This project also looks at optimal cell isolation protocols for neural stem cells and optimization of nerve conduits using hydrogels. He is experienced in tissue extraction and cell culture, viral transduction, electrospinning, scanning electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, freeze-dry processing of scaffolds, collagen isolation, RT-PCR, SDS-PAGE, Southern blotting and histology. He has also worked as a Scientific Information Specialist for Thomson Scientific & Healthcare during 2004–2006. In this position he was responsible for analyzing and extracting information from life science and biomedical articles to allow for seamless access to current and retrospective multidisciplinary information from approximately 8,700 high-impact research journals from the Web of Science. He also worked as part of the quality control team for BIOSIS Previews, where he was required to write abstracts for scientific articles. Mr Wallace began working as an editor for the Edanz Group in 2009.
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