FHMRI’s Worm Lab PhD student Rosie Coleman will be heading to MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) for a 6 month research exchange, supported by a Barbara Hale fellowship granted by the Australian Graduate Women‘s society.

Rosie specialises in molecular biology and fundamental neuroscience, focusing on understanding how brain cells age. Rosie is a firm believer in bridging the gap between research and the public, ensuring research relevance through engagement with affected communities, as well as ongoing involvement in STEM mentoring, outreach, and public science communication.

Rosie’s PhD project focuses on understanding what makes the brain vulnerable to age-related decline, like memory loss. She wants to uncover and understand why some brains stay sharper for longer as we age and aims to use this knowledge to improve the ageing experience for all. This fellowship will enable Rosie to travel to the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK, to learn advanced imaging and data analysis techniques. This will not only speed up her project but also equip her with new skills to bring back to Australia, contributing to the local neuroscience research community. Rosie’s research team are also excited to work with Bill Schafer and team again on a new project studying how we can use worms to understand what makes the brain vulnerable to age-related decline.