Ms Ashleigh Geiger
Higher Degree by Research Candidate
PhD candidate
School of Biomedicine
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
I am a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) candidate in the Genome Editing Laboratory at SAHMRI, under the supervision of Professor Paul Thomas, Dr Fatwa Adikusuma, and Dr Laurence Wilson (CSIRO, NSW).
A graduate in both biochemistry and genetics, my research interests lie at the intersect of these fields, in medical molecular genetics. Driven by curiosity regarding molecular mechanisms and the desire to engage in translational research, I am pursuing a PhD in genome editing therapeutics, developing CRISPR/Cas9 therapeutic strategies for genetic eye disease.
PhD project: The development of novel CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing therapies for autosomal dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa (adRP)
One of the most common inherited eye dystrophies, adRP is clinically and genetically heterogeneous, with causative mutations found in dozens of genes. adRP causes progressive degeneration of photoreceptors (light-sensing cells of the retina), eventually leading to blindness, for which there is currently no effective treatment. Using cutting-edge gene editing technology, I have developed a suite of CRISPR/Cas9 therapeutic strategies for the most common adRP gene variants, and am validating them in pre-clinical models to enhance the translational potential of these strategies.
For this research, I am grateful to be supported by both a RTP Stipend and a CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform postgraduate top-up scholarship.
L to R: Dr Stefka Tasheva, Joshua Chey, Ashleigh Geiger, Suraiya Onnesha, Lachlan Staker, Jesse Kennedy, Caleb Lushington, Prof Paul Thomas, Dr Louise Robertson, Jayshen Arudkumar, Melissa White, Dr Gelshan Godahewa, Luke Gierus.
Inset: Ryan Lee, Dr Fatwa Adikusuma, Sandra Piltz, Michaela Scherer
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Awards and Achievements
Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount 2023 Award 3MT Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences: People's Choice award The University of Adelaide Australia - 2023 Award 3MT Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences: faculty final winner The University of Adelaide Australia - 2022 Award Keith Dixon prize for the most outstanding poster (developmental biology) at the 2022 COMBIO Conference Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology Australia - 2022 Award Runner Up - most outstanding student presentation Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology Australia - 2022 Award BMG Prize for the most outstanding oral presentation by a student Adelaide Protein Group Australia - 2021 Award Most Outstanding Student Poster, 9th Annual Adelaide Meeting Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology Australia - 2020 Scholarship Research Training Program Stipend The University of Adelaide Australia - 2020 Scholarship Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform postgraduate top-up scholarship CSIRO Australia - 2019 Award Faculty of Sciences Outstanding Academic Achievement Award The University of Adelaide Australia - 2019 Award Sir Ronald Fisher Prize for Genetics III The University of Adelaide Australia - 2019 Scholarship Adelaide Summer Research Scholarship The University of Adelaide Australia - 2018 Award School of Biological Sciences Level II Biochemistry Prize The University of Adelaide Australia - 2018 Award School of Biological Sciences Level II Microbiology and Immunology Prize The University of Adelaide Australia - 2018 Award Faculty of Sciences Outstanding Academic Achievement Award The University of Adelaide Australia - 2017 Award Faculty of Sciences Outstanding Academic Achievement Award The University of Adelaide Australia - -
Language Competencies
Language Competency English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title 2020 University of Adelaide Australia Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine) 2016 - 2019 University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Science (Advanced) 2015 - 2015 University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Music (Honours, 1st class) 2008 - 2009 University of Melbourne Australia Bachelor of Music 2006 - 2007 University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Music student -
Research Interests
2023: School of Biomedicine HDR Travel Support Award (to attend and present at the International Congress of Genetics and Genomics) ($1021)
2023
Lecturer: Biomedical Science IIB
Practical demonstrator: Biochemistry IIIA (Molecular and Structural Biology)
2022
Tutor: Genetics IIA (Foundation of Genetics)
Tutor: Genetics IIB (Function and Diversity of Genomes)
Tutor and workshop demonstrator: Biomedical Science IIA
Guest lecturer and workshop demonstrator: Biomedical Science IIB
Practical demonstrator: MBS Practical C
2021
Tutor: Genetics IIB (Function and Diversity of Genomes)
Guest lecturer: Biomedical Science IIB
Practical demonstrator: MBS Practicals A, B, and C
Practical demonstrator: Biochemistry IIIA (Molecular and Structural Biology)
Supervisor: Summer Research Scholarship student
Supervisor: Principles and Practice of Research (Advanced) III placement student
2020
Supervisor: Summer Research Scholarship student
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Committee Memberships
Date Role Committee Institution Country 2023 - ongoing Member Adelaide Protein Group ASBMB Australia 2022 - ongoing President Women in STEM Alumni Network The University of Adelaide Australia 2021 - 2022 Chair Student Body Committee Australasian Neuroscience Society Australia 2020 - 2022 Secretary Women in STEM Alumni Network The University of Adelaide Australia 2020 - 2020 Member Student Body Committee SA representative Australasian Neuroscience Society Australia -
Community Engagement
Date Title Engagement Type Institution Country 2023 - 2023 FameLab science communication competition - national finalist Public Community Engagement The University of Adelaide Australia 2023 - 2023 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) - University runner up Public Community Engagement The University of Adelaide Australia 2022 - 2022 Host and MC, SAHMRI Lifelong Health public seminar: Can we really slow ageing? Public Community Engagement SAHMRI Australia 2022 - 2022 Panellist, Adelaide University Biosciences Network Academic Pursuit: Intro to Postgrad event Scientific Community Engagement The University of Adelaide Australia 2022 - 2022 Panellist, St Peter’s Girls’ School STEM Careers event, National Science Week Public Community Engagement The University of Adelaide Australia 2022 - 2022 Soapbox Science presenter at 'Science Alive!' Public Community Engagement The University of Adelaide Australia 2022 - 2022 Invited speaker, The University of Adelaide Young Women in STEM opening event Scientific Community Engagement The University of Adelaide Australia 2021 - 2021 Invited speaker, University of Adelaide Women in STEM Careers graduation lunch Scientific Community Engagement The University of Adelaide Australia -
Presentation
Date Topic Presented at Institution Country 2023 - 2023 Poster presentation International Congress of Genetics and Genomics The University of Adelaide Australia 2022 - 2022 Poster presentation SAHMRI Research Showcase The University of Adelaide Australia 2022 - 2022 Oral presentation SAHMRI Seminar Series The University of Adelaide Australia 2022 - 2022 Oral presentation Australian and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology (ANZSCDB) Adelaide meeting The University of Adelaide Australia 2022 - 2022 Oral presentation Adelaide Protein Group awards day The University of Adelaide Australia 2022 - 2022 Poster presentation ComBio Conference The University of Adelaide Australia 2022 - 2022 Poster presentation Australasian Neuroscience Society Annual Scientific Meeting The University of Adelaide Australia 2021 - 2021 Poster presentation The University of Adelaide Florey Postgraduate Conference The University of Adelaide Australia 2021 - 2021 Oral presentation Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) Adelaide Scientific Meeting The University of Adelaide Australia 2021 - 2021 Poster presentation Synthetic Biology: Engineering, Evolution & Design (SEED) international conference The University of Adelaide United States 2021 - 2021 Poster presentation Australian and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology (ANZSCDB) Adelaide meeting The University of Adelaide Australia 2021 - 2021 Oral presentation SAHMRI Research Showcase The University of Adelaide Australia
Connect With Me
External Profiles
