I studied Biomolecular Science here at Portsmouth and graduated 1985. I then continued my PhD studies in Professor Crane-Robinson's laboratory where I developed the Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, which enabled me to establish a direct link between of histone acetylation and gene regulation. After completing two postdoctoral positions I was awarded a Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellowship held at the University of Warwick. In 2001 I returned to Portsmouth as a Research Fellow and was appointed Senior Lecturer in 2002.

During my research career I have focused on the role of histone acetylation in gene regulation. My early studies which established a key role for acetylation in the formation of transcriptionally competent chromatin lead me to investigate the enzyme systems (HATs) that regulate the modification. Currently I am working on a number of novel histone acetyltransferases and and how they influence gene expression to direct when and where genes are activated. My work has been supported by the Wellcome Trust and BBSRC.