Dr Jessica Anne Downs is a Reader at the MRC Genome Damage and Stability Centre, University of Sussex. Awarded the Cancer Research UK Career Establishment Award in 2008.
Research interests
I chose to work on cancer because I think that tumourigenesis - the process behind development of tumours - is fascinating. Intriguingly, the pathways which maintain genome stability are inextricably linked to other activities such as aging and development. On a personal level, there is a very strong history of cancer in my family, and this keeps me focused on the real point of cancer research.
Support
The Career Establishment Award from Cancer Research UK covers the salaries of two posts - a postdoctoral researcher and a research assistant - and help with equipment for five years. My award, held here at the MRC Genome Damage and Stability Centre, at the University of Sussex is exactly what I need at this stage in my career - a long term, generous source of funding that lets me to invest in a core research programme, around which I can build the lab.
I also received very good support from my senior colleagues during the application process, which helped me to solidify my long-term research goals and integrate them with the other research groups here.
Project
The project that this award is funding explores how chromatin influences genome stability. We have found a role for the Chromatin Remodelling Complex (RSC) in DNA double-strand break and repair activity and will investigate its response to DNA damage.
The support of Cancer Research UK lets me consider the diagnostic and therapeutic value of the research. Ultimately, I hope we exploit every opportunity to identify new drug targets or biomarkers linked to tumour development.
Next stages
The work done in the next five years will support future programme grant applications. The stability offered by this award means I can consider how to use any lab results to establish avenues of clinical and translational investigation.
Advice to applicants
This award is ideal for people who have just been appointed to a University position. The five year time-frame lets recipients develop an ambitious long-term research plan and consider how basic research can help develop new diagnostics or therapeutics for cancer research. I would advise future applicants to look at the broader scope of their research career to make use of this opportunity to generate excellent science, and develop their future.
Applicants should also take advantage of the advice and expertise of senior colleagues and collaborators in their field.
Outside the lab
When not in the lab, I love spending time with friends and family - especially my son who's almost three now. I also enjoy long distance running. I ran the Beachy Head Marathon in October, and recently travelled to the Sahara Desert to compete in the Marathon des Sables - a 150 mile ultra marathon, commonly referred to as 'the toughest footrace on earth'.
Career Snapshot
2007 - Reader, MRC Genome Damage and Stability Centre, University of Sussex
2002 to 2007 - Group leader. I received the Jenner Fellowship from the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine. I used this award to establish my own group in the Biochemistry Department in Cambridge.
1999 to 2002 - Post PhD Fellow. I stayed at Cambridge University's Wellcome Trust/Cancer research UK Institute for three more years to do a post doctorate supported by funding from Cancer Research UK.
1996 to 1999 - PhD at Cambridge University at the Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute.
1995 to 1996 - Research Associate Harvard University.
1996 - MSc degree at Boston University in Molecular Biology.
