Madsen Lab News — Spring into Summer 2025
As we move from spring into summer, it’s a good time to reflect on a number of recent developments in the Madsen Lab. Over the past two months, we’ve welcomed new members (both human and goat), said goodbye to a longstanding colleague, and had the chance to connect with the wider PI3K research community. Here’s a snapshot of what’s been happening.
Welcome Back, Alex!
At the end of April, we were pleased to learn that Alex Musk will be rejoining the lab as a Wellcome Trust PhD student. Alex previously spent time with us during her Autumn 2024 rotation, and it’s great to see her return to continue developing her research. Her PhD will focus on systems biology approaches to understanding context-dependent PI3K signalling, using iPSC-derived cellular models. Together, we aim to use the new knowledge to identify novel ‘state-gating’ therapeutic targets for disorders of aberrant PI3K signalling. We’re looking forward to seeing this work progress.
Our First Lab Retreat
In early May, we held our first lab retreat in a quiet location near Aberdeen, surrounded by open fields and a few curious farm animals. The retreat featured a mix of structured, science-focused sessions — including paper writing and experimental planning — and time set aside for informal conversations and group walks. It was a useful opportunity to step away from the lab bench and think together as a team.
We were also joined remotely by Sweta Swaminathan, who is currently based in Boston, where she works at a biotech company. Sweta will officially join us in person in September 2025 as our third PhD student, and it was a pleasure to have her contribute to the retreat discussions.
A Visit from CSC and Some Filming
Early May was also exciting for another reason. We were visited by Lauren Beauregard, the CEO of CLOVES Syndrome Community (CSC), who travelled all the way from the US West Coast. Lauren’s visit coincided with that of a journalism student from Sheffield who came to film the lab and conduct interviews about our research on PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum. We look forward to seeing the final product, which will feature the lab, Lauren, Oliwia, and myself.
Lauren and I also had time to discuss potential future collaborations aimed at supporting the broader PROS patient community. None of our research would be possible without them, and we are grateful for their continued support.
P.S. Thanks to ChatGPT for saving me some time on structuring the above into a coherent blog post! ;-)
