My name is Oluwatobi Nnaemeka Eboda, and I am Nigerian-American currently residing in New Zealand. I completed both my Undergraduate and Master of Science degrees in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor prior to moving across the pond to New Zealand to pursue my PhD in Neuroscience at University of Otago. During my PhD I generated and characterized a novel human neuronal model of CLN12 Batten Disease, a neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder largely affecting children, from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) carrying an inducible transgene allowing for differentiation of these cells into an isogenic, pure population of cortical neurons. I used CRISPR techniques to knockdown my gene of interest prior to downstream characterization of my model. Here I gained many skills in genetic manipulation of human cell lines, cell culture, R language coding, molecular biology techniques, lentiviral production, immunocytochemistry/histology, and confocal imaging amongst others. Since joining the ENHANCE laboratory in the first year of my postdoc, I have shifted from human cell lines to zebrafish as a model. My current research interest is on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), where I am utilizing bioinformatic techniques to investigate PCOS associated genetic variants with modulated brain expression, and modelling those variants in zebrafish, because I just can’t seem to get the brain of my mind. Outside of the laboratory, I spend most of my time with my dog Atlas, who both is my world and holds it up, and planning menu items for my future Nigerian smoked meats food truck.
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