Hollie smiling and being happy in front of an hotel. She is wearing sun glasses

Meet the Intern: Hollie Jackson Ireland

Hi, I’m Hollie, a 4th year PhD student and the new (and first) research culture intern working under the fabulous Elaine Gourlay who is the Research Culture Specialist in Communities and Collegiality.

My Role: Research Culture Intern

My journey as a research culture intern began with a desire to build an inclusive community. As a PGR representative in the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, my initial motivation was in all honesty, a quest for a trip to the Firbush Outdoor Centre. However, it very quickly evolved into a love of organising events that had a lasting impact on our local PGR community. Seeing the positive effect these events had made me acutely aware of the isolation many of us felt after the pandemic and how important it was to build a fun, supportive community.

In my role as the research culture intern, I am actively involved in organising events such as the Research Professional Staff (RPS) Network’s 2023 Festive Event. Planning and hosting events that bring joy and a sense of community is what I love, and I am grateful to Elaine for trusting my slightly unhinged suggestions for activities. After all, nothing builds friendships like trying to act out a squirrel chewing through some wires or a snowman coming to life and starting a snowball fight. Aside from providing support to Elaine for the launch of the RPS network, I will also be responsible for handling administration and comms for the Catalyst Mentoring programme.

My PhD journey and Research Interests

My university journey started at the University of Edinburgh where I got my Bsc in biochemistry. For years I’ve known that I have wanted to work in the science sphere – first it was as a vet, then a doctor, and then I decided I would go into drug development for neurogenerative diseases. I wrote an essay in my third year that completely changed the trajectory of my career and I applied for a Virology PhD where I could research HIV. Over the course of my PhD I have realised that my intrigue with HIV extends beyond just scientific curiosity and that it stems from a desire to understand myself and the history of the LGBTQIA+ community. I felt somewhat compelled to contribute what I could to the fight against HIV as a way of honouring and thanking those who fought for our rights yet whose lives were tragically cut short because of AIDS.

Hollie is sitting at a restaurant with another 5 people. They are Hollie’s lab mates.

Regarding my Ph.D… When our cells sense a virus has entered the body, they release compounds called Interferons which switch on various genes. Scientists have aptly called these genes “interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs)”. These ISGs brace the cell for attack by the virus so that the cell can fight back and hopefully survive. I am looking at one of these ISGs and exploring how it works. So far, I have shown that when this ISG is switched on, HIV struggles to infect cells, which means it somehow inhibits the virus. Currently, I’m investigating how exactly it does this.

A little bit more about Hollie

I’m an east coaster at heart and grew up in Livingston before being lucky enough to move to the Philippines for 6 years in high school. It was here that I first got to experience the joys of travelling and embracing other cultures. My biggest hobby now is cooking and testing new recipes for dishes from different cuisines, many East Asian. Aside from travelling (when I have the money) and cooking, I love being an auntie to 3 amazing boys and a beautiful cocker spaniel, a good old Netflix binge, and unleashing my competitiveness at games nights with friends.

The picture on the left is showing Hollie with two of her friends. They were in Italy in 2023.
The picture on the right is showing a cocker spaniel being happy at a bright forest.

My hopes and aims for this year

Over the next year in this role, I hope to expand my own personal network and collaborate with people I never would have met otherwise. I hope I can continue to create fun events that have a lasting impact on those who attend, to help build and maintain a fun, supportive community for all. I would love to look back after a year and see all the people I have met and the memories we all now share and think “I did that”. I hope I can inject a little bit of Hollie and make my mark on the new RPS network, People Make Research, and the many amazing initiatives we will be continuing/setting up over the next year.

Thank you!

As I navigate my new role as the research culture intern, I become more certain of the importance of building a strong, inclusive community. I have only been working in this role for two months and I am already having a blast. Thank you to everyone on the team for making me feel so welcome, particularly to Elaine who has been an amazing boss and mentor! I look forward to seeing what progress and FUN we can all have in 2024.

Hollie is a 4th year Ph.D. student in Virology. Hollie’s research is about understanding interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) and how they work on HIV treatments.