Download Rebecca-Smith

Mid-term report
Rebecca Smith
I have spent the greater part of 10 years at Massey University in Palmerston North where I
completed my Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Science with Honours and am currently
completing my PhD, all in the subject of Biochemistry. I have always wanted to know the
mechanisms behind cellular processes, particularly in the prevention and development of
cancers. My interest in DNA repair began during my undergraduate education. Each cell in a
person’s body contains a complete set of DNA which has the potential to become damaged or
mutated. It is an accumulation of mutations that ultimately led to the development of cancer.
To overcome this, each cell houses a set of proteins that are responsible for repairing any
damage. Trying to understanding these repair processes has been the focus of my PhD.
Specifically, I have been investigating how two key proteins interact with each other and
potentially alter each other’s activity. One protein is responsible for identifying and marking
break regions within a cell allowing repair proteins to accumulate at these break sites and
repair damage. The other protein is responsible for returning DNA to its original state after
the DNA has been repaired. I have shown that there is an interaction between these two
proteins which has not been previously described. We hypothesise that the interaction
between the two proteins may improve DNA repair. This is an exciting area of research as
understanding the mechanisms behind DNA repair can lead to improved cancer therapies.
With my time at Massey coming to a close, it is time to look to the future. Completing a PhD
is the first step on the road to becoming an independent researcher with the aim of ultimately
setting up my own research lab. Overseas experience is an essential requirement for
becoming an academic in the science field in New Zealand. Recently I have accepted a postdoctoral position at the Ludwig Maximillians University in Munich where I will be
continuing researching cancer biology.
I would like to again say thank you to the NZFGW for awarding me the postgraduate
fellowship. The support has been instrumental in helping me complete my PhD. I am
currently in the final stages of writing my thesis and without the support this support, I would
have had to take a part time job which would have delayed my completion.