Early Career Mentoring Network

Welcome to the Early Career Mentoring Network, run by the Faculty of Medical Sciences.

The Early Career Mentoring Network provides the opportunity for early-career researchers (PhD students and Post-docs) to discuss career issues with people who may have relevant experience. Mentors are not there to solve your problems, but they can help you work through issues, give examples of similar cases (possibly their own) and give some advice. All interactions with Mentors are of course confidential.

On this page, you can find contact information of people across the different Institutes who have agreed to be approached. Each Mentor has some information listed next to their names which may help you with your selection.

When you have selected someone you would like to talk to, please start by sending them an e-mail message. This message should have something about mentoring in the Subject line, and should clearly state what you would like to discuss with this person. They will then reply to you with suggested times for a meeting. They may also request that you send them more information ahead of the meeting, allowing them to prepare. This will depend on the Mentor and the exact topic you want to discuss.

The Early Career Mentoring Network does not imply any expectation of long-term relationships between the Mentor and the Mentee. It is perfectly possible to have a single meeting with one of our Mentors to get a third-party perspective on a career issue you are struggling with. If you want to have more meetings with the same person in the future, this is between you and them to arrange. If you want to meet with more than one Mentor, this is perfectly fine as well.

If you have any questions about the Early Career Mentoring Network, please contact Tom Smulders () in the first instance.

NOTE: This is by no means a prescriptive list. If you want to contact someone not on this list and you feel comfortable approaching them, you should go right ahead.


Institute of Neuroscience (IoN)

Academic Mentors

Melissa Bateson (Professor)

Institute of Neuroscience – Henry Wellcome Building

Career path:

Undergraduate degree in Zoology with Biological Anthropology: University of Oxford, 1987-1990

DPhil, University of Oxford (Zoology), 1990-1993

Post-doctoral research assistant Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 1993-1995

Wellcome Advanced Training Fellow, University of Oxford and Department of Psychology, Duke University (USA) 1995-1998

Royal Society University Research Fellow, Department of Psychology, Newcastle University, 1998-2007

Lecturer, Newcastle University, 2007-2009

Reader, Newcastle University, 2009-2012

Professor, Newcastle University, 2012-

Family situation:

Married to another senior academic

Gavin Clowry (Senior Lecturer)

Institute of Neuroscience - Dental School

Career path:

Undergraduate: University of Oxford 1979-83

DPhil at University of Oxford- 1983-1987

Post-doc at University of Oxford 1987-1989

Post-doc at University College London 1989-1994

Lectureship at Newcastle University in 1994

Family situation:

Married to High School Teacher

4 children

David Cousins (MRC Clinician Scientist)

Institute of Neuroscience – Wolfson Research Centre, CAV

Career path:

MBBS - Newcastle University Medical School (UK) 1990-1996

BMedSci - Newcastle University Intercalated 1994-1995

Central Newcastle Hospitals SHO general medicine 1997-2000

MRCP(UK) 2000

Northern Deanery Core and Specialist psychiatry training 2000-2011

MRCPscyh 2003

PhD - Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre 2006-2011

MRC Clinical Research Training Fellowship 2006-2009

FSF Funded Clinical Research Associate 2009-2011

GMC Specialist register 2011

Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist Regional Affective Disorders Service 2012-ongoing

Family situation:

Married to a psychiatrist

2 lively boys (born in during my PhD!)

Peter Gallagher (Lecturer)

Institute of Neuroscience – Henry Wellcome Building

Career path:

Undergraduate: University of Northumbria (UK) 1995-1998

Research Associate in Academic Psychiatry, Newcastle University 1999-2013

(Concurrently completing staff-registered MPhil (1999-2003) and PhD (2004-2010))

Lectureship in Neuropsychology at Newcastle University in 2013

Family situation:

Sold (subject to contract)

No children

Marcus Kaiser (Reader)

Institute of Neuroscience/School of Computing Sciences – Claremont Tower

Career path:

Undergraduate: Ruhr-University Bochum (Germany) 1997-2002

PhD at Jacobs University Bremen (Germany) - 2002-2005

RCUK Academic Fellow at Newcastle University - 2005-2010

Visiting Associate Professor at Seoul National University (South Korea) - 2010-2012 (part time)

Readership at Newcastle University in 2010

Family situation:

Married to another academic researcher

1 child

Andrew Jackson (Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellow)

Institute of Neuroscience – Henry Wellcome Building

Career path:

Undergraduate: University of Oxford 1994-1998

PhD at UCL – 1998-2002

Post-doc at University of Washington (US) 2002-2006

Moved to Newcastle in 2006, awarded Wellcome Trust fellowship at 2nd attempt in 2008

Family situation:

Married to another academic researcher

No children

Domhnall Jennings (Lecturer)

Institute of Neuroscience – Henry Wellcome Building

Career path:

BA, MA in Psychology – University College Dublin

PhD in Zoology – University College Dublin

Post Doc at University of York (Psychology)

Post Doc at University of Nottingham (Psychology)

Fiona Lebeau (Lecturer)

Institute of Neuroscience – Cookson Building

Career path:

Undergraduate: Sheffield University, UK 1988-1991

PhD at Newcastle University 1991-95

Post-doc at University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA 1996-1999

Post-doc MRC Unit, Oxford, UK 1999 – reloacted with supervisor to Leeds University 1999-2005.

Lectureship - Newcastle University 2005

Family situation:

No children

Other info:

Started Undergraduate degree as a mature student.

Chris Petkov (Reader)

Institute of Neuroscience – Henry Wellcome Building

Career path:

Undergraduate: California State University, Chico (USA) 1992-1997

PhD at University of California, Davis (USA) - 1998-2004

Post-doc at Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics (Germany) - 2004-2008

Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University in 2008

Family situation:

Married with 2 kids

Jenny Read (Reader)

Institute of Neuroscience – Henry Wellcome Building

Career path:

Undergraduate: BA in Physics at Oxford University (UK) 1991-1994

PhD (DPhil) in Theoretical Astrophysics at Oxford University (UK) - 1994-1997

Wellcome Trust Mathematical Biology Training Fellowship at Oxford University (UK) - 1997-2001

Post-doc at National Institutes of Health (USA) - 2001-2005

Royal Society University Research Fellowship at Newcastle University (UK) – 2005-2013

Readership at Newcastle University from 2013

Family situation:

Married, since 1995, to a schoolteacher

2 children

Other info:

6 months maternity leave with 2nd child in UK.

Unofficial 2 months period of poor work attendance with 1st child in US.

Candy Rowe (Reader)

Institute of Neuroscience – Henry Wellcome Building

Career path:

BSc Zoology, University of Nottingham 1991-1994

PhD, University of Oxford 1994-1998

Sir James Knott Fellow, Newcastle University 1998-2001

Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellow, Newcastle University 2001-2005

Lecturer, Newcastle University 2005-2008

Family situation:

Partner also an academic in IoN

1 child

Other info:

6 months maternity leave in 2010

Member of the BBSRC Training Awards Committee that assessed David Phillips applications (2010-12)

Current member of NC3Rs Grant Panel, and Core Member of BBSRC Grant Panel A

Tom Smulders (Senior Lecturer)

Institute of Neuroscience – HenryWellcome Building

Career path:

Undergraduate: University of Antwerp (Belgium) 1988-1992

PhD at Cornell University (USA) - 1992-1998

Post-doc at Wake Forest University School of Medicine (USA) - 1998-2000

Post-doc at Duke University (USA) - 2000-2002

Lectureship at Newcastle University in 2002

Family situation:

Married to another academic researcher

2 children

Roger Whittaker(Clinical Senior Lecturer)

Institute of Neuroscience - Henry Wellcome Building

Career path:

Undergraduate: University of Cambridge 1989-1995

NHS House officer 1995-1996

Research assistant Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford 1996-1997

NHS Senior House officer 1997-2002

Registrar Clinical Neurophysiology 2002-2005

PhD at Newcastle University 2005-2008

Consultant Clinical Neurophysiologist 2008-2013

Clinical Senior Lectureship at Newcastle University in 2013

Family situation:

Married to Consultant Neuroradiologist

3 children

Geraldine (Jeri) Wright (Professor)

Institute of Neuroscience – Henry Wellcome Building

Career path:

Undergraduate: University of Wyoming (1990-1994)

DPhil University of Oxford (1994-1998)

Post-doc Ohio State University (1999-2005)

Lectureship at Newcastle University in 2005

Family situation:

Single, no children

Non-Academic Mentors

Andrew Baron

Scientist/ section head bioassay ELISA group at BioOutsource (Glasgow).

Career path:

Undergraduate: Pharmacology 2003-2007

Analyst with Covance 2005-2006

MRES in Medical and Molecular Biosciences 2007-2008

PhD Neuroscience 2008-2011

Roche Clinical Trials Assistant 3 month Jan-March 2012

Family situation:

Single

Email:

Lucinda Male

Office location:

Redburn,75 King William St, London

Current position:

Maternity leave from position as equity analyst

Career path:

Undergraduate: Cambridge University 1997-2000

Accountancy: ACA qualification whilst working at Arthur Andersen 2000-2003

PhD at Newcastle University 2003-2006

Business modelling in corporate finance at Deloitte 2006-2007

Equity analyst (stockbroker) at Redburn from 2007

Family situation:

Married

2 children (born in 2011 and 2014)

Career breaks:

Currently on maternity leave. Expected to be March 2014 to March 2015

Maternity leave from February 2011 to February 2012

Gap yr before undergraduate

Contact:

Fiona Randall

Scientist in Translational Neurogenomics Research Group (Electrophysiology Lead, Project Leader)

Eisai Inc., Massachusetts, USA

Career path:

Undergraduate: University of Edinburgh, UK - Molecular Biology with an industrial placement year with Merck, Sharp and Dohme UK) 2000-2005

PhD at Newcastle University, UK, 2005-2008

Post-doc at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, Japan 2008-2010

Scientist at Glaxosmithkline, Shanghai, China 2010-2012

Senior Principal Researcher at Eisai, UK 2012-2014

Family situation:

Single

Email:

Claire Savy

Centre Manager for EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Fluid Dynamics at University of Leeds

Career path:

Undergraduate: University of Sunderland 2003-2006

MSc: University of Teesside 2006-2007

Graduate Analyst at Sanofi-Aventis 2007-2008

PhD at Newcastle University 2008-2012

Internship at Staff and Departmental Development Unit (SDDU), University of Leeds 2012-2013

Course Coordinator at SDDU, University of Leeds 2013-2014

Centre Manager at University of Leeds 2014 to present

Family situation:

Engaged

Email:


Institute of Genetic Medicine (IGM)

Academic Mentors:

Prof Helen Arthur

Office location:

Cardiac Offices, 2nd floor, BioMedicine East Wing, Centre for Life.

Current position:

Professor of Cardiovascular Biology, IGM.

Career path:

Undergraduate: University of Liverpool 1973-1976

PhD at University of Nottingham 1976-1980

Teaching Demonstrator Newcastle University 1980-1983

Lectureship at Newcastle University in 1983-1984

Resigned to become a part time postdoc when Claire was born

Postdoc at Newcastle University 1984-1986

Career Break 1986-1995

Research Associate Newcastle University 1996-1997

Wellcome Trust Research Re-entry Fellow 1998-2002

Senior Research Associate 2002-2003

BHF Lectureship 2003-2008

BHF Senior Basic Science Research Fellow 2008-2013

Personal Chair 2013-

Family situation:

Married to another academic

3 children

Career break:

11 years between 1986 and 1995 to bring up my young family

Dr Simon Bamforth

Office location:

Cardiac Offices, 2nd floor, BioMedicine East Wing, Centre for Life.

Current position:

University Lecturer, Institute of Genetic Medicine.

Career path:

Undergraduate: University of East London 1989-1992

PhD, University of London 1992-1996

Post Doc, Max Planck Institute, Bad Nauheim, Germany 1996 -1998

Post Doc, Oxford University 1998 - 2008

British Heart Foundation Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellowship, Newcastle University 2008 – 2013

University Lecturer at Newcastle University 2014 -

Family situation:

Married

2 children

Mike Briggs

Office location:

B202 West Wing Biomedicine IGM

Current position:

Professor

Career path:

Undergraduate: Liverpool (1985-1989)

PhD at MRC Clinical Research Centre & ICL (1989-1992)

Post-doc at UCLA (1992-1995)

Research Fellow at University of Manchester (1996-2004)

Senior Research Fellow at University of Manchester (2004-20012)

Professor at Newcastle University (2012-)

Family situation:

Married to a research nurse/midwife

3 children

Career breaks:

none

Dr Bill Chaudhry

Office location:

Cardiac Chambers, Second Floor, Biomedicine East Wing, Institute of Genetic Medicine

Current position:

Senior Lecturer

Career path:

Medicine: Newcastle University 1982-87

PhD at UCL 1995- 1998

Consultant in Paediatric Intensive Care 2002-2010

Senior Lecturer atNewcastle University in 2010

Family situation:

Married to another academic researcher

3 children

Career breaks:

Several swaps between clinic and laboratory environments

Dr Joanna Elson

Office location:

Third floor of the BioMedicine East Wing at the Centre for Life

Current position:

Lecturer in Mitochondrial Genetics, IGM

Career path:

Undergraduate: University College London 1995-1998

PhD at University of Newcastle 1998-2002

MRC Bioinformatics Training Fellow, Newcastle University, 2002-2005

Research Associate, Newcastle University, 2005-2006

RCUK Academic Fellow, Newcastle University, 2006-2011

Lecturer in mitochondrial genetics, Newcastle University, 2011 – present

Honorary Professor North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa, 2012 – present

Family situation:

Married to another academic living in London, no children

Career break:

None

Dr Mike Jackson

Office location:

G220A (Institute of Genetic Medicine, ICFL East Wing)

Current position:

Senior Lecturer

Career path:

Undergraduate at University of Nottingham, Genetics. 1981-1984

PhD at Cambridge University, Genetics. 1984-1988

Post-doc at North Carolina State University, Genetics (USA). 1988-1990

Post-doc at Cambridge University, Pathology. 1990-1993

Royal Society Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Newcastle University. 1993-1998

Lecturer, Newcastle University. 1998-2001

Family situation:

Married

2 children

Career breaks:

none

Professor Simon Pearce

Information to follow

Professor Caroline Relton

Information to follow

Prof Maya Sieber-Blum

Office location:

B141, Centre for Life

Current position:

Professor

Career path:

Undergraduate: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich

PhD: The Biocenter, University of Basel, Switzerland

Post-doc: The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Instructor (Lecturer): The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Assistant professor: The Medical College of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, USA

Associate professor: The Medical College of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, USA

Full professor with tenure: The Medical College of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, USA

Professor of Stem Cell Sciences (since 2008): Newcastle University

Family situation:

Married to another academic researcher; divorced

2 sons (adult)

Career breaks:

None

Non-Academic Mentors:

Dr Gillian Borthwick

Office location:

B207 IGM, 2nd Floor West Wing

Current position:

NIHR CRN: genetics National Research Coordinator

Career path:

Undergraduate: Glasgow University 1976-1980

PhD at Glasgow University - 1980-1983

Post-doc at Bristol University - 1983-1990

Post-doc at Adelaide University (Australia) – 1990-1992

Post-doc/Research Fellow at Newcastle University- 1995-2008

Senior Grants Administrator & Assistant Grants & Contracts Manager, Newcastle University Research Office 2008- 2010

NIHR CRN: genetics National Research Coordinator , Newcastle University IGM 2010- to date

Family situation:

Married to another research scientist who has also left the lab, now works in bioinformatics

2 sons

Career breaks: 1992-1995 due to relocation from Australia to UK with young children

Dr Michelle Latham

Office location:

IGM, 2nd Floor West Wing

Current position:

Institute Manager

Career path:

Undergraduate: BSc (Hons) Medical Biology, Brunel University

Sandwich work placements: Hillingdon Hospital, Biochemistry Dept – Medical Laboratory Assistant. Harefield Hospital, Heart Graft Dept – Medical Researcher.

PhD, Liverpool University: Surface Analysis and in vitro Biocompatibility of Chemically Modified Ti and Ti-alloys

Liverpool University: Practical Demonstrator (during PhD)

Unilever: Part-time Quality Control Analyst (during PhD)

Ashby Scientific Medical Devices: Laboratory and Project Manager

National Blood Service: Tissue Bank Supervisor

NIBSC (Health Protection Agency), Biotherapeutics: Divisional Resource Manager

Moorfields Eye Hospital : Eye Bank Manager

UCL, Institute for Women’s Health: Institute Manager

Newcastle University, IGM: Institute Manager

Family situation:

No dependants

Career breaks:

3 months: Travel to Australia & NZ in 2008

Northern Institute for Cancer Research (NICR)

Academic Mentors:

Dr. James Allan

Office location:

Paul O'Gorman building

Current Position:

Senior lecturer

Career path:

Undergraduate: Liverpool Polytechnic (1988-1992)

Research Student: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals (1990-1991)

DPhil at York University (1992-1996)

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America Fellow at Harvard University (Boston, USA) (1996-1998)

Kay Kendall Leukaemia Fund Fellow at Leeds University (1998-2003)

Independent Fellow at York University (2003-2007)

Senior Lectureship at Newcastle University (2007-present)

Family situation:

Married with two children.

Career breaks:

None

Dr. Olivier Binda

Office location:

Paul O'Gorman building, room 2.018

Current position:

Newcastle Fellow

Career path:

Undergraduate: Université Laval (Québec City, Canada) 1997-2000

PhD at McGill University (Montréal, Canada) 2000-2007

Postdoc at Stanford University (Palo Alto, USA) 2007-2009

Postdoc at Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research (Montréal, Canada) 2009-2012

Family situation:

Family overseas.

Professor Steve Clifford

Office location:

Level 5, Sir James Spence Institute for Child Health, RVI

Current position:

Professor of Molecular Paediatric Oncology

Career path:

Undergraduate: Cardiff University (UK) 1988-1991; PhD at Newcastle University (UK) - 1991-1995; Post-doc at Cambridge University (UK) - 1995-1997; MRC Research Fellowship at Birmingham/Oxford Universities (UK) - 1997-2000; Lectureship at Newcastle University - 2000-2005; Senior Lectureship at Newcastle University - 2005-2009; Chair at Newcastle University - 2009-.

Family situation:

Married to a non-academic

3 children

Career breaks:

None

Dr. Kelly Coffey

Office location:

Floor 2 North (Paul O'Gorman Building)

Current position:

Prostate Cancer UK Career Development Fellow

Career path:

Undergraduate: Newcastle University (UK) 1998-2001

PhD at Newcastle University (UK) - 2001-2005

Junior Research Associate at Newcastle University (UK) - 2005-2007

Post-doc at Newcastle University (UK) - 2007-2008

Post-doc at Newcastle University (UK) - 2008-2011

Post-doc at Newcastle University (UK) - 2011-2014

Prostate Cancer UK Career Development Fellow - 2014

Family situation:

Married to a Proctor and Gamble Prestige Services Manager

No children

Career breaks:

None

Professor Nicola Curtin

Office location:

1st Floor Paul O'Gorman Building

Current position:

Professor

Career path:

Undergraduate: University of York (1972-5) PhD at University of Surrey - 1977-1981, RA at PHL (Newcastle) 1982-1985, RA (1985-1990), SRA 1990-1996, Lecturer 1996-2002, Senior Lecturer 2002-2006, Professor 2006 to present all at Newcastle University

Family situation:

Married to a mechanical engineer

1 child

Career breaks:

8 months travelling after PhD 1981-2

4 months following road traffic accident 1988

3 months maternity

Dr. Luke Gaughan

Office location:

Paul O'Gorman building

Current Position:

Senior lecturer

Career path:

BSc Biochemistry 1998: Newcastle University

PhD 2001: Newcastle University

Post-doc 2001-2006: Newcastle University

2006-2011: RCUK academic research fellow, Newcastle University

2011-2014: University Lecturer, Newcastle University

Family situation:

Married with three children

Career breaks:

None

Professor Olaf Heidenreich

Office location:

Paul O'Gorman Bld

Current position:

Professor of Molecular Haematopoiesis

Career path:

Undergraduate: University of Goettingen (Germany) 1984-1990

PhD at Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine (Goettingen, Germany) 1990-1993

Post-doc at Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, USA) - 1993-1995

SRA at Medical School Hannover (Germany) - 1996-1997

Lectureship at University of Tuebingen 1997-2007

Senior Lectureship at Newcastle University 2007-2012

Professorship since 2012

Family situation:

Married to another academic researcher

3 children

Career breaks:

None

Dr. Julie Irving

Office location:

Paul O'Gorman building

Current position:

Reader

Career path:

Undergraduate: Newcastle University- 1982-1985

PhD as staff member at Newcastle University - 1986-1991