Name:
Dr Keeley Brookes
Job Title:
Research Fellow / Lecturer in Biosciences (Genetics)
Place of work / study:
University of Nottingham / Nottingham Trent
Area of research:
Human Genetics and Genomics
How is your work funded?
ARUK Major Project Grant
Tell us a little about yourself:
I got my BSc (Hons) degree in Biological Sciences (Genetics) from the University of Leicester in 2002, and continued to do a MSc in Gene and Environment interplay, and PhD in the Molecular genetics of ADHD at Kings College, London. Since then I have had three post-doc research positions, at the University of St Andrews, University of Manchester and University of Nottingham. I will be moving to Nottingham Trent in April to take up an academic post.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
I once wrote a 10-episode fan fiction series for an obscure TV show called “Vampire High” .
Why did you choose to work in dementia?
I think dementia chose me. During my enforced career break, I went back to live with my parents in the West Midlands, and emailed all the human genetics research groups at local Universities offering my lab skills in return for learning a new technique/analysis. Prof Kevin Morgan at the University of Nottingham was the only one that answered my email, and so I came to Nottingham to work on the genetics of dementia for two weeks and became intrigued with the disease. A few years later (after taking at post at the University of Manchester working on cleft palate) I applied for a fellowship to develop a genomics approach to under cover the aetiology of dementia at Nottingham University – I didn’t get it, but I was offered a research position by Prof Morgan, and I have been working in dementia ever since.