Michal Bell

Following the completion of her PhD in biochemistry, Dr Bell was a post-doctoral fellow in the department of Medical Biochemistry at Gothenburg University, Sweden, and then in the department of Behavioral Neuroscience at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), USA. Her postgraduate research focused on the isolation, regulation, action, and biological effects of constitutively active MAPK molecules in a eukaryotic yeast model with reference to mammalian MAPKs. Her first post-doctoral post investigated the regulation of the transcription factor FoxC2 and the role of the PKA regulatory subunit RII? in adipocyte metabolism through the use of cell lines and mammalian models. This research had direct relevance to obesity and Type II diabetes. Following this research, she then moved into the field of biochemical neuroscience, studying the signaling pathway of the D2 dopamine receptor in relation to receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and MAPK in primary neuronal cultures and in vivo. To further broaden her skills and knowledge, Dr Bell recently completed two courses in Environmental Quality Assessment and in Food Microbiology. Throughout her career, Dr Bell has gained experience with a wide range of molecular biology techniques including genetic manipulation, yeast and mammalian cell culturing, animal breeding and dissection, DNA and mRNA analysis, molecular staining, imaging, and protein biochemistry.Dr Bell has published six peer-reviewed papers, three as first author, and holds a patent related to her development of constitutively active MAPKs. Her current interests include the fields of scientific communication and education.