Profile

I moved to Manchester 5 years ago from Paris to start my PhD in embryo implantation. It was a good importunity to learn English while doing some incredible science. Since then, I have found a job as a research associate in a Reproductive biology team in Manchester. I love Manchester.

I don’t have a pet here in the UK but my heart beats for our family dog called Vénus (Greek goddess of beauty). I have installed a 240-litres fish tank at my parents’ place and I love to see them growing and getting babies.

I am really fussy about food … Yes, I am French and I love French food (even snails). Nothing is better than cheese and some bread.

I really enjoy going out with my friends (most of them are my lab colleagues): restaurant, quick catch-up in costa or even going to watch a movie. I went to watch Black Panther… OMG, it was so good.

Even if I work really hard, I like to take some time off to visit countries and observe animals in their natural habitat or in conservation parks. I have been really close to a wild mummy bear and her 2 pups in Canada, white lions and baby lions in Mauritius, dolphins in Cuba and panda in China.

Looking forward talking to you in the Genes zone!

I really enjoy being in the laboratory and doing some experiments.

I have always been interested in reproductive biology to potentially find a way to help couples getting pregnant.

At the moment, I am working on the effect of lifestyles (such as if someone drinks alcohol, plays sports or smokes cigarettes) on the sperm parameters.

What are sperm parameters? It could be if the sperm cells move and how they move, also how much there are and how they look.

In the laboratory, I am using a technique called “Comet Assay” (because it looks like comets).

The DNA presents in sperm cells can be damaged and there is no system available in these cells to repair it. Smoking is known to damage DNA integrity. If the DNA is damaged, it will be fragmented. Therefore, when I apply an electric field on it, the fragmented DNA migrates and forms a comet tail (chemically induced fragmentation on the right picture).

I love fluorescence microscopy (look at my fluorescence pictures in my profile, most of them are mouse embryo)

Come and ask me some questions.

This is a very difficult question because, in science, we don’t have typical days: we work really hard in the laboratory but it is exciting when your experiments work and give you a great result.

Due to the fact that I work with Human participants, my days are highly dependent on them. Moreover, I am involved in about 10 different projects and I am teaching techniques to students at the university. Therefore, I don’t have time to get bored.