(Please see LinkedIn for a more extensive work history) Current Position: 1.1.2023-Present Doctoral Researcher Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland Research focus: Transcriptomic and phenotypic responses of microalgae to salinity change, marine literacy (knowledge and perceptions of public about ‘algae’)
Degrees 1.1.2023-Present: Doctoral Programme in Wildlife Biology (LUOVA) University of Helsinki, Finland 13.04.2022: Master of Science (Master’s Programme in Environmental Change and Global Sustainability, Study track: Environmental Change) University of Helsinki, Finland Thesis: Battle in the Brine: Salinity modifies the effect of resource availability on competition within phytoplankton communities (grade: 5) 25.07.2019: Bachelor of Science (Degree with Honours) Major: Marine Biology University of Melbourne, Australia Thesis: A Little Bit of Green: Genome dynamics in green algae (grade: 88%)
Language skills Native languages: Finnish, English Other language skills: French (conversational), Swedish (A1)
Prior work experience 06.2022 - 12.2022 - Museum technician Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS) Digitisation Team (Following internship in same position: 09.2021 - 12.2021)
01.2019 - 06.2019 - Research assistant (part-time) Project: Industrial-scale agarose production using bioengineered yeast. Funding:The University of Melbourne Biosciences Seed Funding Scheme. Supervisors:Dr Heroen Verbruggen, Dr Joshua Heazlewood. Independent work examining putative agarose-producing genes in red seaweeds: phylogenetic examination, and gene expression analysis.
Research funding and grants 2023 - KONE Foundation Research and Art Grant Purpose: Project "Evolving: Microalgal responses to salinity change, and closing the gap between ‘algae’ and society”. Value: 162 300 € 2023 - HELSUS Societal impact funding Purpose: A microalgal communication exhibition and PhD research study Value: 5000 € 2023 – Vuokon Luonnonsuojelusäätiö Purpose: Algae: microalgal communication exhibition and study Value: 500 € 2023 – University of Helsinki Doctoral Programme in Wildlife Biology Travel Grant Purpose: Trait-based Approaches to Ocean Life – 6th International Workshop conference Value: 850 € 2023 – WiipurilaisenOsakunnanstipendisäätiöApurahajatkotutkintoon Purpose: For obtaining of a doctoral degree Value: 11000 € 2021 – WiipurilaisenOsakunnanstipendisäätiöTutkielma (Pro Gradu) apuraha Purpose: For completion of Master’s thesis work Value: 4000 € 2018 – The Australian Society for Microbiology (Victorian Branch) Summer Student Research Award Project:Identifying the genetic footprint of how microbial symbiosis became permanent: Searching for targeting signal in Lepidodinium genes implicated in enslaving secondary green plastids Value: $1500 AUD Teaching 2023 – Biology teacher, Baltic Sea Summer High School, Kesälukioseura ry Designed and lead the teaching of an intensive bilingual (English and Finnish) summer school curriculum presenting the basics of ecology (lukio BI2), and the importance of and threats faced by Baltic Sea ecosystems. Collaborated with teaching team to run field research practicals and support students to perform and communicate the results of their own research projects
2018 - Subject Demonstrator, Marine Botany (BOTA30001), The University of Melbourne Part of a teaching team organising and teaching laboratory practicals on algal morphological diversity, life histories and identification in the field. Independent supervision of students creating their own research project sampling, identifying and comparing microalgae from different waterbodies.
Awards and honours Luigi Provasoli Award for outstanding paper (Wetherbee et al. 2019) published in Journal of Phycology (2020) University of Melbourne Leaders in Communities Award (2019) University of Melbourne Dean’s Honours List – Faculty of Science (2015, 2016, 2018) University of Melbourne Kingsley Rowan Marine Botany Prize (2017)