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Amit Shrestha is an Oxford-BMS Fellow in the Department of Oncology. Here he discusses his experience and aspirations for the future of his research.

Amit Shrestha

What is your research background?

My research background is in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. I received my PhD from Cardio Pulmonary Institute, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Germany where I was involved in understanding the role microRNA in alveolar epithelial lineage formation during early lung development and disease.

I am currently working as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Professor Nick La Thangue’s Lab in the Department of Oncology.

What are you researching now?

I research focus on the effect of E2F1 citrullination in inflammatory diseases.

E2F is a family of master transcription regulators involved in diverse cellular fates. The E2F1 subunit is regulated through extensive post-translational events including citrullination mediated by PAD4, which is known to occur in inflammatory cells. Increasing evidence suggests that PAD4 is involved in inflammatory disease in part by influencing target proteins which contribute to the inflammatory response. Therefore, my project aims to determine the impact of E2F1 and its citrullination on gene expression and relate this information to the context of inflammatory disease.

What has your experience of this Fellowship been like?

My experience with this Fellowship so far is very positive. The BMS mentors are extremely helpful and supportive. This fellowship has given me a great opportunity to understand how the pharmaceutical industry functions and how they prioritise their research. In addition to this, it gave me a platform to meet people from both industry and academia.

What are your aspirations for the future of this research?

E2F1 citrullination in inflammatory diseases setting has not be widely explored. Therefore, I hope this research will help us to better understand the underlying molecular mechanism downstream of E2F1-PAD4 axis during inflammatory disease.