Meet the Researchers
Stephen Carter
Thinking is in the job description
Stephen is a post-doc at University College London where he works with Steve Wilson and Gaia Gestri.
What is your research focus?
My research broadly focuses on eye development, from its earliest specification as the eye field, through to the differentiation of retinal cell types.
What current project are you excited about?
My main research project aims to systematically map genetic interactions in eye development, particularly those that result in structural eye defects like coloboma or microphthalmia. The crispant/CRISPR F0 knockout approach has allowed us to quickly generate large numbers of double or triple mutants and pursue something akin to Synthetic Genetic Arrays in yeast. We have identified many double and triple mutant combinations affecting the penetrance and expressivity of ocular developmental defects, and have begun to build a functional genetic network of eye morphogenesis. The scale of our mapping efforts is nowhere near what can be achieved in SGA (hundreds of pairwise tests for fish vs millions in yeast), but it’s still an incredibly exciting advance in zebrafish genetics that we can now interrogate epistasis so easily. We’re getting closer to the level of sophistication that already exists in models like yeast, C. elegans and Drosophila, and turning that genetic power on questions in vertebrate development. I’m really excited by the possibilities this affords, particularly in deepening our understanding of phenomena like developmental robustness and phenotypic variability.
What do you like about working with zebrafish? What don’t you like about it?
As someone who previously worked with C. elegans, I think of zebrafish as the happy medium between the speed and simplicity of an invertebrate model and the clinical relevance of a mammal. I also just find the embryos very beautiful to look at. As to what I don’t like: the paralogues.
Getting to know you better (answer all those that apply)
Where were you born/where did you grow up?
I was born and grew up in Ireland, close to the capital, Dublin.
When did you realize you wanted to have a career as a scientist?/What made you realize you wanted to have a career as a scientist?
I fell in love with science in high school. I had an amazing science teacher who really instilled in me an awe of nature and an admiration for the scientific method. I changed my mind a lot on what kind of scientist I wanted to be, but was dead set on becoming one from then on.
Where did you do your undergraduate studies? Did you do research with anyone?
I did my undergraduate degree in University College Dublin, where I majored in genetics. I did a research project in the lab of Breandán Kennedy, who uses zebrafish to study blindness. At the time CRISPR was still relatively new and that was my first exposure to it.
Where did you do graduate studies and with whom? What did you work on?
I stayed on in Breandán’s lab for my PhD, but was also jointly supervised by Oliver Blacque, whose lab studies cilia biology in C. elegans. I specifically worked on the functions of several small GTPases in ciliary trafficking and, by extension, photoreceptor function.
Where did you do postdoctoral studies and with whom? What did you work on?
I am currently a postdoc in the lab of Steve Wilson and Gaia Gestri at University College London, where I research eye development and related genetic disorders.
What other jobs have you had?
During college I had summer jobs painting houses and public buildings.
Science and careers
Share a turning point or defining moment in your science/career.
I chose to do an undergraduate research project in a zebrafish lab for the sole reason that I thought that sounded cool. The end result has been almost a decade of not just working with zebrafish, but specifically on disorders of the eye. Stumbling across something you find interesting can play a significant role in scientific career trajectory.
If you could be present for any "Eureka" moment in history (i.e. the moment some scientific discovery was made), which moment would you choose? Why?
I recently learned about Miller spreads, which is a mostly unused technique nowadays, developed by Oscar Miller and Barbara Beatty in the 1960s. It involves isolating and lysing nuclei, fixing the genomic DNA and then preparing it for EM. You can literally see the genes fixed mid-transcription, polymerases, threads of RNA, spliceosomes and all. The images are incredibly beautiful. Imagine being the first person to see a gene with your own eyes!
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in science/research?
Never accept anything less than a PI who treats you with dignity and respect.
Where do you think the next scientific breakthroughs are going to occur?
After many decades of hype, it seems like gene therapy is about to become quite widespread as a treatment. Also, if ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) doesn’t keep getting delayed, maybe we’ll see some proper advances in nuclear fusion development within the next 10 years.
What is the most challenging part about your science or obtaining your career goals?
It is challenging to make myself stop, step back and think deeply about my data, rather than moving on to the next experiment. I think the former is, paradoxically, disincentivised within academia. I can’t help but feel like I have wasted the day when I do this, even though that is obviously not true. Thinking is in the job description.
Outside of work
What do you enjoy doing outside of work/lab?
I go swimming and bouldering every week, and try to go to the cinema as often as I can.
What are you reading right now (not including research papers)?
The Black Jacobins by C.L.R. Jame, about the Haitian revolution.
Name a favorite song or musical piece.
Queen Latifa’s version of Lush Life by Billy Strayhorn
Favorite place you have lived or visited?
I lived for a short time in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, which is one of the most beautiful parts of a very beautiful city. Would recommend visiting if you can.
What alternative career would you like to attempt if you could?
I don’t think I have any talent for it, but I sometimes imagine what it would be like to be a writer.
Provide a quote that speaks to you.
“I'll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there's evidence of any thinking going on inside it.” – Terry Pratchett
Shiho Suzuki
Better to be the chicken’s head than the cow’s tail.
Current research
What is your research focus?
My research is on an ADHD-associated gene, which was identified in a genome-wide association study. I generated a mutant zebrafish line that has a disruptive mutation in this gene and am currently analyzing the phenotype of the mutant.
What current project are you excited about?
I am excited about my project focused on a mutant in an ADHD-associated gene. The mutant seems to respond differently to light stimuli, which is fascinating.
What do you like about working with zebrafish? What don’t you like about it?
I like working with zebrafish because they are easy to breed and cost-effective. I also like that they are diurnal, which makes them a suitable model to study circadian rhythm. Plus, I think zebrafish are adorable!
Getting to know you better (answer all those that apply)
Where were you born/where did you grow up?
I was born and mostly raised in Japan. I spent most of my childhood in a city called Izumi. It has beautiful rivers, which are home to various wildlife, including the medaka fish (Oryzias latipes).
When did you realize you wanted to have a career as a scientist?/What made you realize you wanted to have a career as a scientist?
I really loved science class in high school, which made me want to become a scientist. I continued to be passionate about science as I participated in research projects as an undergraduate student at university.
Where did you do your undergraduate studies? Did you do research with anyone?
I did my undergraduate studies at Kyoto University, Japan. I did research with Dr. Ryo Kimura and Dr. Shingo Maegawa.
What other jobs have you had?
During my undergraduate years, I had a part-time job as a biology teacher. After graduation, I worked as a doctor for two years in a university hospital.
Science and careers
Share a turning point or defining moment in your science/career.
When I first did in situ hybridization with zebrafish embryos, I marveled at the beauty of the spatial pattern of gene expression. That was one of the moments that I realized that I love doing experiments and research.
If you could be present for any "Eureka" moment in history (i.e. the moment some scientific discovery was made), which moment would you choose? Why?
I would choose to witness the discovery of penicillin. I cannot imagine the surprise and the awe that Alexander Fleming experienced in finding out this impactful substance.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in science/research?
I would say that you should choose a field that you love so much that you can endure days of setbacks.
Where do you think the next scientific breakthroughs are going to occur?
I think breakthroughs in generating better organoids will occur in the near future, while in vivo studies will likely stay critical in the biomedical field.
What is the most challenging part about your science or obtaining your career goals?
The fact that it is an international competition. However, at the same time, I also find this encouraging because it means there is plenty of room for collaboration as well.
Outside of work
What do you enjoy doing outside of work/lab?
I love reading fiction, visiting shrines and temples, and learning Mandarin (Chinese). Learning Mandarin is my passion project outside of the lab, and it keeps me in a growth mindset.
What are you reading right now (not including research papers)?
Molecular Biology of the Cell. Revisiting the elegant principles in biology keeps me motivated to do research in my field.
Name a favorite song or musical piece.
7 years by Lukas Graham. I wonder what I will be doing when I am 60; hopefully I am still doing research.
Favorite place you have lived or visited?
Kyoto. It is a beautiful city with numerous historical and cultural sites to visit. The 18th IZFC in Kyoto was also fantastic!
What alternative career would you like to attempt if you could?
I would like to study Japanese folklore. I am particularly fascinated by stories about ghosts and monsters in Japan and would like to become a researcher who studies those if I could.
Provide a quote that speaks to you.
From Chinese literature Shiji: “It is better to be the chicken’s head than the cow’s tail.” It means that it is better to be the leader in a small group than to be the last one in a big group.