Profile
Emma Weir
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About Me:
I’m a neuroscientist PhD student growing mini brain models in Cardiff 🧠, but I’m originally from Newcastle.
I live with three of my friends who are also neuroscientists. I like growing houseplants, buying candles and cuddling my dog when I travel home.
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My pronouns are:
she/her
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My Work:
I grow mini brains (called organoids) in the lab using stem cells. We use these models to study brain development, and what happens in the brains of our patients who have mental health disorders.
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Read more
Patients and healthy people donate blood to us and from that we can make stem cells. We turn the stem cells into brain cells so we can study how the brain cells of those people work.
When we let lots of the cells stick together they make tiny models brains called organoids, which fire signals like the cells in your brain.
When we use cells from a patient with an illness this means we can look at what might be happening in their DNA to affect their cells and their brains, and find new treatments for them.
This is what our organoids look like in the lab. They’re much smaller than a human brain, about the size of cous cous…
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My Typical Day:
I get to work at around 8:00AM, and the first thing I have to do everyday is check that my cells and organoids are happy. This means looking at them down the microscope and taking pictures. Then I have to feed them, we grow our cells in a liquid mixture that contains everything they need to survive (but it just looks like juice). I also do experiments to study how the cells are developing.
In the afternoon I answer emails, have meetings, or attend talks about neuroscience. I usually leave the lab at 5PM, but sometimes have to come in at the weekend to check how
This is where I work, we have to keep bacteria and viruses away from our cells so they don’t affect our work. I spend a lot of time here in our hood which passes clean air over my hands as I work.
my cells are doing and feed them more!
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What I'd do with the prize money:
These are some of the 3D-printed animal brains we have made so far, including a ferret, crocodile and lion!
We’re running a brain-themed event as part of Cardiff Science Festival this year. We’d use the money to buy props for optical illusions, 3D printing models of different animals brains, and making brain jellies to practice “brain surgery” in!
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Education:
I went to Marden High School then St Thomas More Academy in North Tyneside.
Then I went to Newcastle University to study Biomedical Sciences.
While I was there I decided to stay for an extra year and also do a Master’s degree researching Parkinson’s disease. This is when I decided to stick with neuroscience as a career.
In 2021 I moved to start my PhD at Cardiff University (I haven’t finished my education yet!)
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Qualifications:
- 9 A*-B GCSEs
- ABB A-levels (Biology, Chemistry, Maths)
- A AS level (Psychology)
- BSc in Biomedical Sciences
- MSci in Biomedical Sciences
I graduated in 2020, but couldn’t celebrate until 2021 due to the pandemic 🧫
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Work History:
I worked in a cafe while at high school and as an online transcriptionist during university. Now my PhD is my full time job.
I’m also employed as a demonstrator at Cardiff University which means I help out during practical lab sessions with students studying at undergraduate level.
In the lab
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Current Job:
PhD Student
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Employer:
Cardiff University
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Brain-growing Geordie
What did you want to be after you left school?
I wanted to be a police detective
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Only occassionally for talking too much
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
I'd love to be a pathologist (working out how people died), or own a book shop.
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Charli xcx
What's your favourite food?
Sushi 🍣
Tell us a joke.
Why did the scientist get rid of their doorbell? They wanted to win a no-bell prize...
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