Efterpi Nikitopoulou
Efterpi Nikitopoulou
DPhil Student, University of Oxford
Efterpi completed her undergrad in biochemistry and biotechnology in Greece before reading a master’s in molecular genetics and diagnostics at the University of Nottingham. After that she worked as a research assistant in Christian Frezza’s laboratory (cancer metabolism at the MCR cancer unit of the University of Cambridge) where she discovered their passion for metabolism and biochemistry. Here in the Rosalind Franklin Institute, her project focuses on studying glycogen. Glycogen is a very important molecule of human metabolism that provides energy to cells in times of glucose deprivation or starvation. However, its accumulation has been associated with many pathological conditions. Efterpi is working on identifying a new method to better characterise those over accumulated forms to assist future researchers to untangle the glycogen biosynthetic and degradation pathway better.