If you would like to be featured, or know someone who should be, use the nomination form on our Humans of LMP page.
What are you studying at LMP and why are you interested in studying it?
I am a PhD candidate in Dr. Karim Mekhail’s lab. My project involves studying a regulator of R-loops at the mammalian ribosomal DNA. R-loops are three stranded nucleic acid structures that consist of an RNA:DNA hybrid and a displaced single strand DNA, and they are by-products of transcription.
I am interested in studying R-loops because these structures have not only been shown to be involved in many cellular pathways but also shown to be detrimental to genome stability. There are many questions yet to be answered about these structures, especially at a region that is highly transcribed, such as the ribosomal DNA!
What is the most interesting thing you’ve done, seen or got involved with while at LMP?
Attending the Annual Graduate Student Research Day at the end of the school year. I had the opportunity to attend the Research Day during my first year where I got to listen in on selected student talks and the many student poster presentations. The social networking after the conference was a lot of fun as well!
Which project are you working on just now that is top of your to-do list?
I am working on a protocol paper that is a follow-up of the tool we introduced in our recent Nature publication.
This tool can be used to modulate levels of locus-associated R-loops and allow for an accurate functional analysis of these structures.
The experiments for this paper are at the top of my to-do list because we would like to get the paper out soon so other labs can use it to advance our understanding of R-loops and their functions.
What is your favourite album, film and novel?
Album: ❤️ - Michael Bublé
Film: The Sound of Music
Novel: Harry Potter series
What is your favourite joke (pre-watershed)?
Why was the skeleton dancing alone?
Because it had no body.
Who would be your dream dinner guests?
Anousheh Ansari, Sandra Bullock, and Michael Bublé
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t stress and enjoy life!
What would it surprise people to know about you?
I have an identical twin! She also studied in LMP and just completed her Master’s.
What is your favourite place?
Iran. I have family there which makes every trip super fun and memorable! The country has rich history and culture, and I get to learn a little bit more every time I visit.
