ApconiX Welcomes Dr Rosie Alderson
ApconiX is delighted to welcome Dr Rosie (Rosanna) Alderson as a content writer in the Marketing team. Rosie will be working with Dr Cynara Livera, Head of Marketing at ApconiX.
Career
Rosie left Lancashire to study her undergraduate degree in biochemistry at the University of Edinburgh. She really enjoyed the science and decided to pursue a PhD in Bioinformatics at the University of Saint Andrews in Scotland. Her thesis was titled "Tracking the evolution of function in diverse enzymes superfamilies": using bioinformatics to search and analyse online databases, she looked at how the active sites of enzymes had evolved over billions of years. An interesting case-study was the evolution of antibiotic resistance in a particular class of enzyme. For instance, her work involved building phylogenetic trees to show where specific antibiotic cleaving enzymes appeared and how many times they appeared across different families of bacteria, how likely they were to have evolved and the implications for drug discovery.
By the end of her PhD, Rosie realised that she most enjoyed talking about her research and explaining science. She secured a post-doctorate position in Science Communication at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in the United States where she developed the research group's software guide to improve readability and delivered workshops and mentoring in science writing. She also acted as a referee for the Journal of Biological Education in 2016.
Rosie went on to become a chemistry teacher in Secondary School back in the UK. She obtained her Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) at Liverpool John Moores University and set up her own tutoring business. Alongside, Rosie was also offering freelance scientific and technical writing, working for various companies on their website content. This activity quickly required further development of her marketing skills, as Rosie noticed the link between clear, concise communication and customer engagement.
Working at ApconiX
Rosie's diverse career clearly emphasises her passion for science communication and content writing. At ApconiX, she will work with Cynara on updating and adding content to the website. She has already started interviewing team members so she can write about their ongoing projects. In time she will also work on broader marketing and communication strategy, for instance illustrating day to day lives and interactions of employees across the different teams, as well as more content about the drug discovery process and where ApconiX's services fit in said process.
Cynara commented: "It's great to have Rosie join the team. Rosie brings a wealth of experience in creating clear and engaging content and her enthusiasm for science is energising."
Interests outside of work
Rosie's time is very busy looking after her toddler. She loves spending time with her family, cooking and eating together. She really enjoys the outdoors and will often be found going for family walks. When she is not outdoors, she likes to stay active with yoga and Pilates.
