Mrs Sarah Waite

For enquiries please contact - ClinMed-Operational@sheffield.ac.uk

I joined the University of Sheffield in 2002 where I worked in the Robotics laboratory within the Department of Genomic Medicine. In 2003 I moved across to the Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine in the Jessop Wing and have been there ever since! My early work in the Unit involved studies looking at the impact of hyperglycemia on early embryo development using a mouse model.

I have also been involved in a number of studies investigating how sperm morphology and DNA damage relate to infertility. The research I am currently involved in seeks to understand uterine function in relation to the onset of labour. This research has two main focal points, firstly understanding gene regulation and secondly exploring the role and regulation of ion channels within the smooth muscle of the myometrium.

During my time as a university technician I have become competent in a number of core molecular biology techniques including RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, PCR, ChIP, Protein extraction, SDS PAGE, Western Blotting, Co-IP and various staining techniques. Whilst in the Unit, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to undertake a PhD as a staff candidate. I completed the work for this within the specified time frame and was awarded my PhD in December 2015.

My laboratory skill base was instrumental in obtaining this Higher degree and, importantly, I also employ these skills in training and teaching such laboratory techniques to the students enrolled on the Unit’s MSc course and also to the PhD students within the Unit itself.

Outside of the laboratory I am part of the core outreach team from the Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine and as such I have been involved in a wide variety of public engagement and outreach activities. These include, Discovery Night, Life Festival, and Festival of the Mind. I have also been involved in designing and delivering science classes for Y5 / Y6 pupils at a number of schools and, along with other members of the outreach team, have designed and developed a board game to teach the biology behind reproduction to school children from Y5 to Y11, this game has been well received in a number of schools.