JING Alumni interview: Liz Roundhill, Leeds paediatric ECMC

This month we spoke to Dr Elizabeth Roundhill as part of our series of interviews with JING alumni. Liz is a Research Fellow in the Children’s Cancer Research Group at the University of Leeds. Liz was a key member of the JING steering committee a couple of years ago and shares what she gained from being involved in that group.

 

Can you give us a brief summary of your career?

I received my BSc in cell biology from University of Durham in 2005 and completed my PhD in the Children’s Cancer Research Group at the University of Leeds in 2009, investigating multi-drug resistance in Ewing’s sarcoma. After completing a Post-Doctoral position in Leeds, I joined the Children’s Cancer Institute, Sydney, Australia, as a Post-Doctoral Research Officer involved in the development and pre-clinical testing of novel therapeutics for the treatment of a variety of paediatric cancers, including neuroblastoma. I returned to the Children’s Cancer Research Group at the University of Leeds in 2015 as an Early Career Research Fellow to coordinate a national Ewing’s sarcoma biological study, GenoEwing, to develop more representative models of bone sarcoma for drug screening approaches. My current work is focussed on the identification and validation of novel biomarkers of risk and therapeutic targets. I also supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students during their research degrees at the University of Leeds.

 

You were on the JING steering committee, what did you gain from that experience?

It was a great to be involved in helping to train the next generation of cancer medicine researchers- providing focussed training for researchers by tailoring the speakers and sessions at the JING meeting to the areas where junior investigators feel they need the most support is key to the success of the programme. It’s also been great to be part of a multi-disciplinary network of scientists and allied healthcare professionals all working towards the same goal- those connections have been really helpful in projects that have developed after being on the committee. 

 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received in your career so far?

Collaboration is the key to successful research projects- whether that’s wet lab work or a clinical trial.

 

What advice would you give to the 2024 JING Cohort?

Make the most of the opportunity to receive feedback on your proposal, ask questions of the speakers- they’re the experts, chat to as many people as possible within the cohort and faculty- find out about their skills- could they help with the missing piece in your proposal? But most importantly enjoy the experience!