Kasia Hammond

City Coordinator

Kasia is a third year PhD student doing a structural biology project which uses very big microscopes to look at very small proteins, usually found in the cell membrane. This is her third year of Pint of Science and she can’t wait to help share all of the exciting science in Leeds!

Becca Motley

Becca Motley

City Coordinator

Becca is a PhD student and aspiring professional spreadsheet creator with a boundless enthusiasm for science. She works in the lab to expand our understanding of rare childhood epilepsies and is thrilled to have the opportunity to share her love of the science of the mind with the public.

Jelizaveta Pavljuk

Jelizaveta Pavljuk

Event Manager - Atoms to Galaxies

Jelizaveta is a second year PhD student looking at molecule diffusion within the sugary cell coat, working at the interface between biology, physics and chemistry. She is excited to be part of the Leeds team this year and help make science accessible and inclusive.

Trent McLean-Ash

Trent McLean-Ash

Event Manager - Creative Reactions/Our Society

Trent spent the first few years post-school as a butcher, baker, but lamentably never a candlestick-maker. Attending university following an access course, he now does a PhD in microbiology. He aims to use his non-scientific past to make science more open for people from varying backgrounds.

Emma Ryder

Event Manager - Planet Earth

Emma, a postdoctoral researcher, specialises in structural biology in DNA repair. Her work involves isolating protein tools to understand specific protein-protein interactions. Inspired by last year’s Pint of Science talks, she is excited to get involved and help share more exciting science!

Eddie Bowes

Eddie Bowes

Event Manager - Creative Reactions

Eddie, a first-year PhD student, explores the intersection of science and art. A jazz drummer by training, he now researches ways to make music more accessible. He is excited to be involved in his first Pint of Science, combining his love for research and pints!

Erica Harris

Erica Harris

Event Manager - Beautiful Mind

Erica is a Research Assistant and part time PhD student working on trying to understand the mechanisms behind rare neurodevelopmental disorders. She treats her “mini brains” she grows in the lab like her children & is looking forward to contributing to Pint of Science after many years as a big fan!

Jennifer Mclauchlan

Jennifer Mclauchlan

Event Manager - Atoms to Galaxies

Jenny is a second year PhD student in food science working on alternative proteins by changing oat protein to improve acceptability. She is passionate about interdisciplinary science and sustainability, with an excitement to share the work being done here at Leeds (with a pint in hand, of course!)

Paloma Serena Tarodo

Paloma Serena Tarodo

Event Manager - Our Body

Paloma is a first year PhD student looking at microglia in a neurodevelopmental disorder called Fragile X syndrome. She is very excited to be part of Pint of Science and help make science more accessible and engaging for everyone!

Amy Truesdale

Amy Truesdale

Event Manager - Atoms to Galaxies

Amy is a 2nd year PhD student studying a cell membrane protein which responds to physical stresses. She is interested in collaborative science that combines fields, as well as sharing scientific concepts and research skills with the public.

Gaia Ferrarin

Gaia Ferrarin

Event Manager - Planet Earth

Gaia Ferrarin is a skilled molecular biologist and cancer researcher. Her PhD focuses on the BACE family of proteins in cancer and their therapeutic potential. Passionate about making science accessible, she thrives on learning and collaboration to drive impactful scientific progress.

Tanmay Bhore

Tanmay Bhore

Event Manager - Atoms to Galaxies

Hi! I'm a PhD student in theoretical physics, working on the mysteries on quantum physics! I study all the spooky aspects of quantum mechanics, from Schrodinger's cats to quantum teleportation and all the way to black holes. I love demystifying science and explaining it like I'm 5! 

Hannah Shackleton

Hannah Shackleton

Event Manager - Our Society

Hannah is a fist year PhD student in Criminology, looking at Probation and partnership-working blending interview data and social statistics. She is excited to get involved in her first year of Pint of Science, using her social science background to make science more accessible for everyone.

Molly Massey

Molly Massey

Event Manager - Creative Reactions

Molly is a second-year PhD researcher uncovering the sweet secrets of crystallisation in chocolate. After a few years in New Product Development, she returned to academia for more chocolate-challenges. She loves talking about science and is totally ready for Pint of Science 2025!

Emily Horner

Emily Horner

Event Manager - Our Body

Emily is a second-year PhD student, whose research seeks to explore how immune cell interactions alter metabolism in type 2 diabetes. Emily is very excited to get involved in her first year of Pint of Science and help share exciting science, to the public, in an engaging and accessible way.

Xinyu Mao

Xinyu Mao

Event Manager - Creative Reactions

Xinyu is a PhD student researching a gold nano-assembly system to develop a treatment platform for pancreatic cancer. Her work bridges chemistry, physics, and biology, to advance pancreatic cancer therapy. She is excited to be part of the Pint of Science team, bringing science to a broader audience.

Cella Conning-Rowland

Cella Conning-Rowland

Event Manager - Tech Me Out

Cella is a 4th year PhD student looking at how diabetes affects gene expression in the heart, and how we can use this to predict those who are more at risk of cardiac problems. This is her first time working with pint of science and she can't wait to share some exiting science with new people. 

Eima Karim

Eima Karim

Event Manager - Our Body

I am a British Heart Foundation funded PhD student interested in the mechanisms that drive blood clotting in disease. My research focuses on targeting Pim kinase as a therapeutic approach. I am looking forward to my first year of Pint of Science, educating non-scientists on all things science!

Alex Derry

Alex Derry

Event Manager - Atoms to Galaxies

Alex, a 3rd year PhD student, works on screening a fragment library using NMR machines. He enjoys outreach projects, having delivered a Lego drug design activity to sixth form students and is looking forward to helping in this year’s Pint of Science to enthuse more people with some wacky science.

Alex Rzeszutek

Alex Rzeszutek

Event Manager - Creative Reactions

Alex is a third-year PhD researcher, exploring how diet and nutrients impact chemotherapy resistance in triple-negative breast cancer. Outside the lab, she loves baking, relaxing in local cafes, going to gigs, and hitting the trails for a good hike.

Meg Pott

Meg Pott

Event Manager - Creative Reactions

Meg is a second year PhD student exploring how nutrition impacts the gut-brain axis, aiming to identify therapies for long COVID. Working closely with patients to understand their condition has sparked her interest in science communication, which she hopes to further through Pint of Science.

Emily Rawsthorne

Emily Rawsthorne

Event Manager - Planet Earth

Em is a first year PhD student using genetics to increase the winter growth of wheat. She had no scientific knowledge before 2020, and is excited use her non-academic background to help Pint of Science bridge the gap between scientific discovery and public engagement.

Andrea Sendula

Andrea Sendula

Event Manager - Planet Earth

Andrea is a second year PhD student exploring fracture dynamics in materials that behave somewhere in between fluid and solid. She is excited to be involved with this year’s Pint of Science and in sharing her interest in maths and science with the general public.

Charlotte Williams

Charlotte Williams

Event Manager - Our Society

Charlotte is a first year PhD student studying how viruses make their way from animals into humans. She spent a significant portion of her teenage years in Leeds youth politics, helping young people to feel heard and is excited to continue sharing her passions with the unsuspecting public.

Benedict Brown

Benedict Brown

Event Manager - Our Body

Benedict is a lecturer in pharmacy and a practicing pharmacist. His PhD was looking at methods to improve the speed of drug development within the pharmaceutical industry. Since taking up his lecturing position, he has developed a research interest in the use of AI in healthcare.

Molly Southern

Molly Southern

Event Manager - Tech Me Out

Molly is a first year PhD student looking at building a whole-heart computational model integrating fibrosis for use in research and teaching, to then be used in a study focused around the triggers of atrial fibrillation. She is very passionate about making science fun and accessible for all!

Dylan Casey

Dylan Casey

Event Manager - Planet Earth

My name is Dylan and I am from County Cork in the south of Ireland. I moved to Leeds last year to begin my PhD studies where I am investigating how errors in V(D)J recombination contribute to the development of childhood leukaemia. I have always been deeply passionate about science and look forward …