About Us
Welcome to the Gene 'Zine
The Gene 'Zine is a brand new, interdisciplinary magazine, focusing on all things personalised medicine. Topics include medical history, current approaches, and novel technology, as well as ethical and legal discussion. Our fantastic team of editors and writers work hard to produce the termly magazine, which is available online, as well as in limited physical release.
Meet the Team
The Gene 'Zine Team is made up of Undergraduate, Masters, and DPhil level students from across disciplines. We're always interested in new writers - email us or message us on social media if you're interested in joining the team!
Editors
Editor in Chief
Becky Howitt
Hi! I’m Becky, a final-year medical student at The Queen’s College. Having written for the Gene ‘Zine over the past year, I am very excited to take over as Editor-in-Chief. I am particularly interested in the application of personalised medicine to paediatrics and enjoy exploring how cutting-edge research can be applied clinically to help patients. I am looking forward to promoting these areas, as well as other aspects of personalised medicine, in the magazine this year, and hope to widen the audience that Gene ‘Zine reaches.
Editor in Chief
Melville Nyatondo
Melville completed her undergraduate degree in Personalised Medicine at Ulster University and is now undertaking an MSc in Applied Cancer Science in the Department of Oncology. She’s interested in cancer immunotherapy and its potential to enhance patient outcomes and quality of life. Additionally, she is passionate about tackling underrepresentation in STEM and health inequalities within the field.
We are excited to bring you this issue of the Gene ‘Zine, covering a range of topics from genetics, economics, data bias and ethics of personalised medicine.
Editor & Writer
Eeshani Bendale
I am an Ayurvedic Physician from India and my work is aimed at furthering research in the field of Ayurveda via the fields of Nanomedicine and Evidence-Based Medicine. I am currently in the final year of my MSc in Evidence-Based Medicine at Kellogg College, University of Oxford. I have been following the work and events of the Oxford University Personalised Medicine Society for a while and I wanted to get involved in some capacity. Gene 'Zine seemed like the perfect opportunity as it also gave me a chance to voice my thoughts as well as my interest in Personalised Medicine! I'm very grateful for this opportunity and I'm excited to learn a lot from it!
Editor & Writer
Devon Darley
Hello, I’m Devon a 2nd-year Biomedical Sciences student at New College. Innately curious, I have always enjoyed learning and writing about the hidden biological world that surrounds us. With a deeply set passion for the personalization of medicine, I have a particular interest in epigenetics, specifically transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, and phage therapy.
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Editor & Writer
Ramon Brown
Hi, my name is Ramon Brown and I am a postgraduate student at Kellogg College in the Mathematical Modelling for Global Health Program. I have a background in Synthetic Biology and Genetic Engineering research so I have exposure to many of the techniques used to develop personalized medicines. I am particularly interested in the equitable distribution of personalized medicines into existing healthcare systems through the use of health economic modelling. Personalized medicine is such a fascinating and interdisciplinary topic and I am excited to be on the Gene ‘Zine team and contribute to this rapidly growing field.
Writers
Writer
Mingwan Lin
Hello, I'm Mingwan from Singapore, a first-year Biomedical Sciences student at St Hilda's College. I am deeply passionate about the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases, with a particular fascination for RNA therapeutics. I aspire to delve into the intricacies of disease mechanisms to further our understanding and contribute to the development of novel treatments.
Writer
Edward Zhao Kangyan
Hello, I'm Edward from China, a first-year Biomedical Sciences student at St Hilda's College. My passion lies in unraveling the complex interplay within the human body and its connection to disease progression. I have especially interested with carcinogenesis, and how these process can become targets of novel personalized medicine.
Writer
Eloise Wells
Hi! I’m a DPhil student studying Genomic Medicine and Statistics. I am excited by advances in genomics used to inform the diagnosis and treatment of rare conditions. My research focuses on identifying rare neurological conditions which may be treatable with splice-altering RNA therapies. Before starting my studies at Oxford, I worked as a research assistant at Wellcome Sanger in gene editing and DNA sequencing. In my spare time I’ll be rock climbing and cycling.
Writer
Taisya Volodina
Greetings, I'm Taisya, a fifth-year medical student at LMU Munich. I'm passionate about the evolving landscape of oncological treatment through personalized approaches. My journey into this field was ignited by my involvement in an RNA-sequencing project. Gene Zine will help you dive into the world of personalized medicine and can assure you, there are astounding developments beyond your wildest expectations.
Writer
Mazhar Elshorbagi
Mazhar ElShorbagi works as a Scholar in Political Philosophy at Deraya University. He teaches critical thinking, bioethics, and the philosophical aspects of health to undergraduate and postgraduate students of life sciences disciplines. His scientific conviction is that if the sciences enable us to know how to progress in our lives, the humanities act as our compass in determining the ethical and logical patterns to implement such progress. He believes that scientific writing is a crucial way to stimulate curiosity and raise questions that will enrich scientific life.
Writer
Yasmin Hamdy Mohamed Hussien
Yasmin Hamdy works as a Reviewer at the Oxford Covid-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) at the University of Oxford and a Scholar at the Boutros Boutros-Ghali Chair for Sustainable Peace. Currently, she's studying Pharmaceutical Medicine Postgraduate Program at King's College London. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy with distinction (Class of 2022) from Deraya University. Her main passion for scientific journalism is to upgrade young people's mindsets in the context of life science.
Writer
Emilia White
Hi, I'm a third year at St. Anne's College studying biochemistry. I am interested in genetics and the ethical questions surrounding the field of personalised medicine, and I am passionate about diversity in science. Outside of my studies, I enjoy baking and knitting.
Writer
Hossameldin Saber Ahmed
I am a master's student in clinical epidemiology and a dedicated researcher with a keen interest in precision public health. My diverse work experience in private and government sectors informs my vision of precision medicine as a transformative solution to current health inefficiencies. I believe that precision medicine will eradicate health disparities and ensure access to quality healthcare for all, aligning with my commitment to advancing health equity.
Writer
Mariam Galal Mohamed Eldesouky Khalil
I am a pharmacist, content creator on YouTube, researcher SDGs ambassador and certified trainer.