Research Overview
Dr Kirsty Flower received her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Sussex in 2011, where she investigated the control of lytic cycle activation by a viral transcription factor in Epstein Barr Virus, and the effect of DNA methylation upon the binding ability of this protein, using a combination of in vitro, in vivo, and in silico techniques. In 2011, she joined the Epigenetics Unit in the Division of Cancer, working with Dr James Flanagan and Prof Bob Brown on various projects, including work which aims to establish epigenetic characterisation of breast cancer tumours with BRCA1 variants of unknown clinical significance, and DNA methylation biomarkers associated with ovarian cancer. Her work continued with Dr Sadaf Ghaem-Maghami examining the impact of epigenetic treatments on immune response, as well as investigating the potential use of immune-related biomarkers in ovarian cancer.
Since becoming a teaching fellow her research has become education focussed.
She collaborated with Professor Roger Kneebone on an interdisciplinary project which resulted in a publication about the shared lessons of "mis en place" between a chef, and molecular biologist, and a wound nurse.
Her current educational interests can be found on the home tab of this page.