MEET THE TEAM

DR. EMMA KERR

Principle Investigator

Emma completed her PhD in Cancer Biology in 2011, at Queen's University Belfast, working with Prof Dan Longley and Prof Patrick Johnston on mechanisms of cancer therapy and drug resistance. In 2012, Emma moved to University of Cambridge to pursue her post-doctoral studies, working on tumour progression and therapy in the lab of Dr Carla Martins, based at the MRC Cancer Unit. Her work focussed on defining the role of metabolic reprogramming and therapeutic susceptibilities in genotype-specific lung cancer models. She returned to Queen's in 2018, where she runs the Cancer Metabolism and Therapy Group supported by a Cancer Research UK Career Development Fellowship (Werth Trust Fellow).

DR CONNOR BROWN

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Connor obtained his MBiol in Molecular Cell Biology from the University of York in 2017, during which time he worked for a year at GlaxoSmithKline, establishing liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods and analyses. He then joined Queen’s University Belfast in 2017 to complete a PhD in metabolic changes associated with age-related macular degeneration. Connor joined the Kerr group in 2021 as a Research Technician, where his work focused on developing LC-MS techniques to examine metabolic-based therapy resistance mechanisms in cancer.

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In 2023, Connor graduated with a PhD in Medicine and began a Postdoctoral Research Associate role, focusing on modelling chemotherapy treatment in advanced models of colorectal cancer.

DR ANDREW SHAW

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Andrew is a mitochondrial biologist with 10 years’ experience exploring mitochondrial contributions to disease. Andrew received his Bsc (Hons) and M-Phil degrees in Sport and Exercise Science from University of Stirling. In 2015 he moved to the MRCPPU in Dundee to pursue a PhD investigating the regulation of the mitochondrial ubiquitin kinase PINK1 which is mutated in familial forms of Parkinson’s disease. In 2019 he moved to the CRUK Scotland Institute (formerly Beatson institute) to work with Dr Payam Gammage and explore the mechanisms by which mitochondria regulate their DNA copy-number in cancer. Andrew joined the Kerr lab in October 2023 to explore and validate mitochondrial phenotypes observed in chemotherapy resistant CRC models. When not in the lab Andrew likes to chase egg shaped balls on grass, drink (good) coffee, beer and wine and spend time with his wife Aimee and son Noah.

TILLY DOWNS

PhD student (DfE funded)

Tilly obtained her BSc in Biomedical Science from Cardiff University before taking a position as a Research Assistant within the Respiratory Medicine Unit at the University of Oxford in 2017, focusing on translational research and early phase clinical trials for respiratory diseases and cystic fibrosis.  In 2020, Tilly moved to Belfast to undertake her MSc in Cancer Medicine at Queen’s University Belfast, and joined the Kerr group to begin her PhD in October 2021. Tilly's project investigates lung cancer metabolism driven changes in immune function and therapy resistance.

NIAMH DOHERTY

LCMS Research Technician

Niamh obtained her BSc in Biomedical Science from Queen’s University Belfast in 2021, where she went on to work at Randox Laboratories. She initially worked in their COVID PCR testing labs and moved on to work in Molecular Diagnostics to establish a multiplex assay for a range of respiratory viruses. She then came back to Queen’s University to study her Master’s in Experimental Medicine, where she investigated pathways contributing to morphological alterations to the retina in diabetic retinopathy.

Niamh recently joined the Kerr group in November 2023 as a Research Technician, working on furthering LC-MS techniques to investigate metabolic mechanisms in resistance to therapy in colorectal cancer thanks to funding from  

C A Montgomery Bequest: Medical

Research Fund.

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When not in the lab, Niamh is currently training for the London Marathon in April 2024 where she is running to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation.