Epidemiology

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 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.

Associate Prof Rachel Huxley

2001 - DPhil Epidemiology, Oxford University, UK
1999 - Physiological Sciences MA, St John’s College, Oxford University, UK
Dr Huxley obtained both her undergraduate and graduate qualifications from Oxford University in Physiological Sciences and Epidemiology, respectively. In 2002 she was appointed as a Senior Research Fellow at the George Institute at the University of Sydney, Australia. In 2007, Dr Huxley was appointed Conjoint Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney and Director of the Nutrition and Lifestyle Division within the George Institute. Over the past 10 years, she has published more than 90 research articles, many in high impact journals including The Lancet, British Medical Journal, Circulation and JAMA and is a regular invited speaker at international conferences. Dr Huxley has also been the recipient of several prestigious research awards and fellowships. Dr Huxley began work as a writer, editor and consultant 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 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 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 Mary Cant

1996 - MPH Statistics & Epidemiology Modules, University of Dundee, UK
1980 - PhD Pharmacology, University of Edinburgh, UK
1977 - BSc (Biol Sci) (Hons) Pharmacology, University of Edinburgh, UK
Dr Cant has been a Research Fellow (Pharmacology) at the University of Edinburgh and a Research Assistant at the University of London and the University of Oxford, as well as a Lecturer in Physiology at the University of Aberdeen where she also established an electrophysiology laboratory for investigation of drug effects on electrical activity in isolated mammalian cardiac ventricular cells. Dr Cant also has extensive writing and editing experience, having edited papers in biological and physical sciences for the European Community CORDIS Results and Publications databases, as well as for the BEST (British Expertise in Science and Technology) database and its sister database in the US. Dr Cant was a medical editor/database indexer for Thomson Scientific for a number of years and has a wide knowledge of various areas including cardiovascular disease, gastroenterology, neuroscience, epidemiology, pharmacology and physiology.

Dr Cathel Kerr

1984 - PhD Virology, University of Aberdeen, UK
1980 - BSc (Hons) Microbiology, University of Glasgow, UK
1990 - DipLib, Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology, Aberdeen, UK
Dr Kerr originally studied microbiology at Glasgow University and went on to complete a PhD on herpes viruses at Aberdeen University. He then specialized in electron microscopy and continued for a few years in post-doctoral research on ultrasound treatment of cancer. This was followed by a diploma in information studies, and he has worked in medical and drug information since 1991. Dr Kerr has worked previously as an indexer for EMBase and other pharmaceutical databases, a news writer for several journals including Lancet Infections Diseases and Lancet Oncology, and as a copyeditor for Springer and the Society for General Microbiology. In addition to editing, he works on product literature databases for a number of leading pharmaceutical companies. Dr Kerr joined the Edanz Group in 2005 and edits in the medical and life sciences, with a particular interest in microbiology and infectious diseases. He is a member of the Society for General Microbiology.

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.

Ms Vanessa Hammond

2008 - DPH (distinction) Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Otago, NZ
2003 - BA Psychology, University of Otago, NZ
Ms Hammond is currently in her final year of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in Ecology at the University of Otago. Her doctoral thesis involves modeling ecological processes, including biological response to changes in hydrological and chemical conditions, and predicting future spread and proliferations of invasive species. Prior to her doctoral candidacy, Ms Hammond held academic positions at the University Of Otago School Of Medicine. She has extensive experience in research relating to the epidemiology of skin cancer and vitamin D deficiency. Ms Hammond is skilled in ultraviolet radiation dosimetry and analysis. She has extensive statistical knowledge and training in both epidemiology and ecology. Ms Hammond has published papers in peer-reviewed journals, including Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. She has written numerous scientific and technical reports, and presented at many conferences and industry workshops. She joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Ms Nancy Schatken

1960 – MT (ASCP) Medical Technology, Albany Medical Center School of Medical Technology, USA
1959 - BS Medical Technology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
Ms Schatken’s university studies focused on medical technology. After graduation she worked for six years in specialized hematology and research laboratories: the Albany (NY) Medical Center, Mallory Institute (Boston), Tufts Medical School (Boston), Upstate Medical Center (State University of New York, Syracuse, NY), and the Jewish Medical Center (New York). She then went into medical publishing at Harper & Row, later moving to the magazine Medical World News. In 1970 she began working as an independent medical editor and writer. Her work has included preparing reports for physicians, pamphlets/booklets for pharmaceutical houses, abstracts of medical articles, and conference presentations. She has also copyedited medical and scientific journals and books for a variety of publishers, including Springer (New York and Tokyo), Oxford University Press, Little Brown, Raven Press, Harper & Row, Appleton-Century Crofts, and Churchill Livingstone. Ms Schatken began working as an editor and writer with the Edanz Group in 2010.

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.

Prof Cameron McLeod

1977 - PhD Chemistry, University of London (Imperial College), UK
1973 - BSc Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, UK
Cameron McLeod is Emeritus Professor (Chemistry) at the University Of Sheffield, having been Director of the Centre for Analytical Sciences (1995–2011) and Head of Department of Earth Sciences (1997–2000). His research focus has been in trace element spectrochemistry, and laser and plasma spectrochemical analysis, Professor McLeod has published extensively in these areas, and in the fields of atomic mass spectrometry and laser ablation. His work has had an impact on the environmental, materials and life sciences sectors. Professor McLeod has served on the boards of several leading Analytical Science journals. He joined the Edanz Group as an editor and specialist reviewer in 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.

Assoc Prof Simon Watts

1986 - PhD Hydrometallurgy, Imperial College, University of London, UK
1981 - BSc (Hons) Chemistry, University of Bradford, UK
Dr Watts is an atmospheric biogeochemist who has taught Atmospheric Chemistry, Meteorology, Climatology and Policy in both the UK and New Zealand. He has spent over 20 years working in the area of air quality and its affect on health, historic artifacts and climate. He is a referee for several major journals including Atmospheric Environment, and has been a member of both UK and EU government and inter-government working groups and technical committees on air quality and its measurement. Dr Watts, a frequent invited speaker at congresses, has published over 30 peer reviewed papers, has patents (including Japanese patents), and has authored textbooks. He works closely with a network of colleagues in Japan, China and Thailand, and began working as an editor with the Edanz Group 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 Annette Bolton

2011 - PhD Geology, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ
2005 - MSc Environment, Management and Sustainable Development, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
2001 - BSc (Hons, 1st Class) Environmental Science, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
Dr Bolton's research focuses on the geochemistry of marine carbonates for paleoclimatic reconstruction. Her PhD involved reconstructing the paleoceanography of the Southwest Pacific Ocean using fossil foraminifera from a marine sediment core. Dr Bolton has applied the use of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to extract trace elemental data from individual chambers of fossil foraminiferal shells (tests). This research also involved the development of a new Mg/Ca based paleotemperature calibration for the widely used planktonic species Globigerinoides ruber. Before her PhD, Dr Bolton studied heavy metals in the tissues of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), after which she worked for 4 years in the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, at the University of Manchester. There she worked on a number of human health studies, including the INTERPHONE international study on adult brain tumors. Dr Bolton is now a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Hong Kong working on the geochemistry of corals from the South China Sea. Dr Bolton joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

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 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.

Assoc Prof Grant Steen

1985 - PhD Biology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA
1980 - MS Biology, University of Southern California, USA
1977 - BSc Biology, McGill University, Canada
Dr Steen’s experience is related to anything to do with the brain; from human behavior to molecular biology and everything in between. He has done brain imaging research, using MRI to study pediatric stroke (particularly hematologic and genetic risk factors for stroke). Dr Steen has held Associate Professor positions in Psychiatry, as well as in Radiology, Pediatrics, and Biomedical Engineering. He has published 80 papers in refereed scientific literature, as well as 6 books and many book chapters. His specialties are brain imaging and clinical neurology, but Dr Steen has also written in the fields of epidemiology, genetics, exercise physiology, psychology, allergy, cardiology, sleep medicine, pulmonology, orthopedics, research ethics, and even invertebrate zoology. Dr Steen joined the Edanz Group as a writer and editor in 2010.

Dr Andrea Alfaro

PhD Marine Biology, University of Auckland, NZ
MSc Marine Ecology, California State University, Northridge, US
BSc Wildlife Biology, University of California, Davis, US
Dr Alfaro is a marine biologist with special interests in invertebrate ecology and aquaculture. Her research is inter-disciplinary (i.e., chemistry, physiology, microbiology, genetics, geology, statistics), and aims to elucidate the complex interactions among organisms and their environments. Current projects include the ecology and cultivation of mussels, and estuarine community ecology (i.e., food web dynamics). She is skilled in the design and implementation of field and laboratory experiments that incorporate tools and approaches from a variety of fields. Dr Alfaro is a Senior Lecturer at the Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. Dr Alfaro began working as an editor for Edanz Editing in 2008.

Mr Alex Pishief

2010 - BBmedSc Molecular Pathology, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ
2009 - LLB, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ
Mr Pishief, a barrister and solicitor, is a legal editor and writer of manuscripts for publication in text books, legal bulletins, and online on global legal platforms. His background in both law and science, with his biomedical science study focusing on molecular pathology, specifcally pathology (including histology) of the brain, heart, liver, kidney, bone, blood, and lymphoid system; genetics, including sequencing, bioinformatics and genetic disorders; biomedical laboratory techniques, with a focus on DNA/RNA extraction and isolation, reverse transcription, PCR, and gel electrophoresis; metabolism; immunology; medical microbiology; and physiology (including neurophysiology and neuroimaging). An experienced report and abstract writer, Mr Pishief joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Mr Peter Janiszewski

2010 - PhD Exercise Physiology, Queen's University, Canada
2006 - MSc Exercise Physiology, Queen's University, Canada
2004 - BA (Hons) Kinesiology, University of Western Ontario, Canada
Dr Janiszewski is a well published author with 16 peer-reviewed reports, plus abstracts and a book chapter on topics including obesity, body composition, physical inactivity, cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, sexual dysfunction, diet, exercise, and obesity management. His research has been published in high impact journals including Diabetes Care, Archives of Internal Medicine, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the Journal of Sexual Medicine, Diabetologia, and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Dr Janiszewski now works as a medical writer and has a medical blog and podcast on PLoS Blogs Network. He is an expert in social media and currently holds the position of Health/Clinical Research Editor at ResearchBlogging.org. Dr Janiszewski began working with the Edanz Group as a medical writer in 2009.
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