Harriet Oliver

Harriet joined the Life Sciences team at Carpmaels & Ransford in 2022. She graduated from Imperial College London with a first-class Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences, after which she completed her PhD in Neuroscience at University College London.

During her undergraduate degree, Harriet undertook a summer research placement funded by the Genetics Society, where she investigated host-pathogen interactions using the model organism C. elegans. The placement culminated in a 3-day conference in Edinburgh, where her research was presented. During her time at Imperial, she was also awarded a position on the 2016 Dean’s List for the highest academic achievers.

For her postgraduate studies, Harriet was awarded funding through the MRC LMCB Molecular Cell Biology programme. She spent her first year exploring different areas of research, including the molecular interactions between growth factor signalling and autophagy, and the use of zebrafish as a model system for understanding brain development. She chose to focus her PhD research on the main inhibitory receptor in the central nervous system: the GABA(A) receptor. She investigated how phosphorylation affects the subcellular localisation of these receptors within the brain, and the implications that this has for the expression of different diseases.

Outside of the office, Harriet enjoys spending as much time outdoors as possible, and her activities include running, hiking and scuba diving. She is also a keen traveller, having spent six months travelling around the world prior to joining Carpmaels.