• M.Chem. in Chemistry with Industrial Experience from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh

• Ph.D. in Biology from University of St. Andrews in 2023 under the supervision of Dr. Clarissa Melo Czekster

• Washington Research Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow

• Joined Riley Research Group in September 2023

• Email: emmajays

I’m from Motherwell, Scotland where I grew up before moving to Edinburgh to complete a Master’s degree in Chemistry with Industrial Experience from Heriot-Watt University in 2014 - 2019. As part of my degree programme, I worked at MOF Technologies Ltd in Belfast from 2017-2018, where I learned how to use mechanochemistry to make metal-organic frameworks. Following this, I began my Ph.D. studies at the University of St Andrews in 2019, under the supervision of Dr. Clarissa Melo Czekster. This project focused on designing enzymes to generate a diverse library of products from both natural and unnatural amino acids. Here, I developed an appreciation for enzymology and mass spectrometric techniques to investigate small molecules. I defended my Ph.D. thesis in April 2023 in the presence of Dr. Tracey Gloster and Dr. Louise Walport. Inspired by a desire to use mass spectrometry for therapeutic and diagnostic applications, I started in the Riley Research Group in 2023.  During this time, I aim to develop a more efficient route to tagging cell surface glycopeptides which can then be extended to living cells with the overarching aim of furthering our understanding of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition during disease progression. Outside of the lab, I am a keen baker and a big fan of the hit TV show “Great British Bake Off” – hoping to, one day, achieve a coveted Paul Hollywood handshake! 

• Masters in Drug Innovation from Utrecht University with internships at Utrecht University (Scheltema and Mastrobattista labs) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Northen lab)

• Ph.D. from Utrecht University in 2023 under the supervision of Dr. Maarten Altelaar and Dr. Albert Heck

• Joined Riley Research Group in October 2023

• Email: tveth

In 1994, I was born in England but soon moved to the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant, where I grew up. Interested in innovation, I moved to Utrecht to complete the bachelor’s program “Science and Innovation Management”. However, biotechnology seminars sparked my interest in science and being a researcher, so I changed direction and started the research Master's “Drug Innovation”. During this program, I got the chance to be involved in mass spectrometry in Utrecht and in Berkeley, which further sparked my passion for science and mass spectrometry. Luckily, Prof. Maarten Altelaar and Prof. Albert Heck gave me the chance in 2019 to perform a 4-year PhD program in their labs. During this time, I focused on developing (targeted) mass spectrometry approaches to follow system-wide phosphorylation dynamics in biological systems, such as breast cancer and viral infections. This culminated in me defending my PhD thesis in 2023 with the title “Kinases and Phosphorylation-driven Signaling in Disease.” Now, working in the Riley Research Group, I will expand on the skills acquired during my PhD and expand upon them by focusing on glycobiology and (structural) mass spectrometry techniques. With a focus on glyco-immune checkpoint receptors and mass spectrometry method development. I am very excited to be a member of the Riley Research Group. Outside of the lab, you can find me outside. I want to explore all the nature Washington state and beyond has to offer. Skiing, sailing, hiking, cycling, and the list goes on.