About Us

Hi, my name's Lucy and I'm a second year undergraduate at St Edmund Hall studying Biomedical Sciences. I was keen to be part of the Gene 'Zine team because I'm very interested in how global issues, such as cancer and antibiotic resistance may be approached at an individual level, to improve both individual patient outcomes and be part of the solution to wider problems in public health.

My name is Ecaterina, I’m a 5th year medical student at GTC. I joint Gene ‘Zine because I love blending art with science. It’s all about making complex ideas more relatable and fun! I enjoy creating visuals that spark curiosity and help people connect with health topics in a fresh, engaging way. Each project is a chance to explore and share the beauty of the human body and mind.

Hi, I am Beverly, a 3rd year medic at Wadham College. As I enter my intercalated year, I would like to expose myself to diverse aspects of medicine. A family member's encounter with the possibility of using personalised medicine in rare disease treatment led me to discover the potential of this field. I am interested in learning and sharing about the potential of personalised medicine in areas of medicine that I am interested in, currently cardiovascular medicine, orthopedics and rare disease management.  

Hi I'm Corenna and I am a second year Biomed at New College! I have a passion for neuroscience and in particular neurodegenerative diseases. I would really love to explore more about the personalisation of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, as these conditions are very variable in their symptoms and rates of progression, meaning they have great potential for personalisation!

I'm Eunice, a second-year undergraduate biologist from Queen's! I joined Gene 'Zine as a writer with the aim of sharing my interest in genetic therapeutics and synthetic biology in general with the magazine's readers. Genetic therapeutics are a powerful tool to treat many currently-incurable diseases, and the potential for it to be tailored to each individual patient makes it an exciting new branch of personalised medicine. The Gene 'Zine community is one full of passionate and hardworking individuals, and I'm confident you will enjoy any of the articles published. Happy reading!

Hello, I am a second-year DPhil student studying Genomic Medicine and Statistics at University College. I am passionate about the use of genomics to guide treatment opportunities, particularly in cancer. Before my DPhil, I worked as a research assistant investigating how mutations in leukaemia can drive its progression.

​Hi, I'm Giulia, a second year biomedical sciences student at New College and I'm excited to be a part of the Gene 'Zine this year! I'm particularly interested in personalised medicine in relation to cancer therapeutics such as the emerging personalised cancer vaccines which have currently been showing great promise in the early stages of recent clinical trials. I want to explore how gene therapy allows us to harness each individual's immune system against their specific type of cancer, as well as allowing us to modify the actual cancer cells. 

Hi, I’m Hash, a second-year undergraduate medicine student at Lady Margaret Hall! I am particularly fascinated by how existing biological mechanisms such as how bacteriophage infections and CRISPR as a bacterial anti-viral defence system can be personalised to for human use to improve patient health outcomes. I am excited to contribute to Gene ‘Zine alongside people equally intrigued by the field of personalised medicine.

I am passionate about the transformative potential of personalised medicine, with a particular interest in its applications to cancer care and infectious diseases. The rapid advancements in precision medicine inspire optimism about our future where healthcare can be truly tailored to individual needs. I am an MCR Associate student at Magdalen College and a 6th-year medical student with the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, affiliated with Ivan Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University in Ukraine. As part of my final year, I am completing clinical training with Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, based at the John Radcliffe Hospital and the Churchill Hospital. Prior to studying medicine, I undertook postgraduate studies in Genomic Medicine at the University of Exeter. I received specialised training in microbial genome sequencing at Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA, and in genetic data analysis at the University of Cambridge.

Hey! I'm Kiera, a second year undergraduate medic at Magdalen College. I think personalised medicine is fundamental for good practice as a doctor - every patient will experience injury and illness differently, and I'm really interested in exploring how we can make treatments reflect this :)

​Mazhar ElShorbagi works as a Scholar of Political Philosophy and the International Cooperation Focal Point at Deraya University. He teaches philosophical and critical thinking, bioethics, and the philosophical aspects of health to undergraduate and postgraduate students of life sciences disciplines. His scientific conviction is that if the sciences enable us to know how to progress, the humanities act as our compass in determining the ethical and logical patterns to implement such progress. He believes that scientific writing is a crucial way to stimulate curiosity and raise questions that will enrich scientific life.

​I am a second-year undergraduate Medical student at Magdalen College, Oxford, with a strong interest in oncology and personalized medicine. My academic journey is focused on exploring how cutting-edge technologies, such as genomics and AI, can transform patient care and lead to more individualized treatment approaches. In addition to my studies, I have engaged in research projects and sought opportunities to expand my knowledge in the evolving field of medical innovation. I joined Gene 'Zine to contribute to discussions on the latest advancements in healthcare and to engage with others who share a passion for driving the future of medicine. Through this platform, I hope to spark conversations that bridge the gap between research and clinical practice.

Hi, I’m Nathan, a 3rd year biochemist at Somerville College. I’m interested in understanding how personalised medicine can be used to treat diseases with a wide range of pathophysiological mechanisms, such as diabetes. I’m particularly interested in diabetes because of its high disease burden.

I am a second-year biochemistry student at Lady Margaret Hall. I am fascinated by the potential of personalised medicine to transform patient care. I joined Gene 'Zine because I want to explore the challenges of implementing personalised medicine in our healthcare systems and how these can be overcome.

Hi, I'm Vivien and I am currently a second year Biomedical Science undergraduate at King's College London. My passion lies in enhancing the quality of life for those facing health challenges. Through this objective, I have found interest in personalised medicine, specifically in the prospect of developing biotechnology that can improve the experience of surgical interventions for people with hearing loss. As a former medical writer, I enjoy writing about ongoing scientific and medical research, and Gene 'Zine offers the perfect opportunity for me to showcase the direction in which I strive to learn and grow. 

Yasmin works as a Scholar at the Boutros-Ghali Chair for Sustainable Peace, a non-resident Fellow at the Arms Control Negotiation Academy (ACONA), a Fellow at the Africa Climate Mobility Academy, and a Part-time Scholar at Deraya University’s Center for Research and Sustainability. She was a Trainee at the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons. She served as a Reviewer at the Oxford University COVID-19 Government Response Tracker. She authored the Child-Friendly Text of the UN Paris Agreement and Palermo Protocol. She studied Medicine Development at King's College London. Yasmin obtained a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy with distinction from Deraya University. Her main passion for scientific journalism is to upgrade young people's mindsets in the context of life science. She was awarded as a UNHCR Young Champion for Refugees and named a Young Arab Pioneer from the Arab Youth Center in the United Arab Emirates.

My name is Yiran and I’m a second-year Biomedical Sciences undergraduate at Lincoln College. Various aspects of neuroscience fascinate me, including learning and neuroplasticity, pitch and timbre perception, and computational/mathematical models of neural processes. I’m also passionate about the development of novel treatments for diseases affecting the nervous system, such as autoimmune diseases that cause neurological damages. Joining Gene ‘Zine has given me the great opportunity to delve deeper into these interests and share the insights I’ve gained with others.

​Hi, I am Yue from St Hugh's College! I am a second-year Biomed student and I joined Gene 'Zine because I am interested in how genomics influences our responses to drugs and enables tailored treatment for neurological and psychiatric diseases. I am excited to contribute as a writer for The Gene 'Zine! 

As a postgraduate student pursuing an MSc in Integrated Immunology at Hertford College, University of Oxford, I'm thrilled to be part of Gene 'Zine. My journey into the world of personalised medicine began during my undergraduate studies, where I was introduced to its molecular basis. This fascination led me to explore the intersection of digital health and personalised care during an internship at a health tech startup.

Now at Oxford for the 2024-25 academic year, I'm diving deeper into immunology, constantly amazed by how individual variations in immune responses can significantly impact disease outcomes and treatment efficacy. This aligns perfectly with the principles of personalised medicine that Gene 'Zine champions.

I joined Gene 'Zine because it offers an exciting platform to stay at the forefront of personalised medicine developments, engage with cutting-edge research, and contribute to discussions that could shape the future of healthcare. As an aspiring immunologist, I'm eager to explore how immunological insights can inform tailored therapeutic approaches and share these discoveries with the Gene 'Zine community.

My name is Cassandra (otherwise known as Tatenda) Mbanje. I am an 2025/26 MSc student in Global Health Science and Epidemiology. I completed my MBBCh degree in South Africa and since then I have been searching for how best to do my part in improving equitable access to surgical, obstetric, trauma, anaesthetic (SOTA) and cancer care beyond promoting this concept as a tagline. Precision medicine is a new avenue I am trying to place within the context of LMICs. So, I wanted to be a part of Gene Zine to learn and grow in my understanding of how precision medicine can improve care for everyone, especially those with historically lesser access. 

Hi, my name is Imama and I am a second year medic at Univ college. I’m passionate about neuroscience and the exciting possibilities of personalised medicine in understanding and treating the brain and nervous system. I enjoy exploring innovative ideas at the intersection of neural science and medicine and sharing them through writing. I’m particularly fascinated by how emerging research can deepen our understanding of the brain and drive breakthroughs in patient care.