{"id":5482,"date":"2025-05-22T09:13:56","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T09:13:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/graduateschoolfestival\/?page_id=5482"},"modified":"2025-06-05T10:43:32","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T10:43:32","slug":"researchers-in-conversation-ifigeneia-kalampouka-and-khalid-akram-aysha-ali-and-yumeng-yang","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/graduateschoolfestival\/graduateschoolfestival2025\/researchers-in-conversation-ifigeneia-kalampouka-and-khalid-akram-aysha-ali-and-yumeng-yang\/","title":{"rendered":"Researchers in Conversation: Ifigeneia Kalampouka and Khalid Akram\/ Aysha Ali and Yumeng Yang"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Researchers in Conversation: Ifigeneia Kalampouka and Khalid Akram\/ Aysha Ali and Yumeng Yang<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Tuesday 24 June 2025
2 - 4.30pm
C109
115 New Cavendish Street<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Researchers in Conversation brings doctoral researchers across the University of Westminster together in conversation with each other.<\/p>

Doctoral researchers present a short paper each about their research followed by a conversation. The aim is to bring researchers together in dialogue to explore the converging interests and themes arising from their presentations<\/p>

2pm: Ifigeneia Kalampouka and Khalid Akram<\/p>

3.20pm:\u00a0Aysha Ali and\u00a0<\/strong>Yumeng Yang<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Ifigeneia Kalampouka and Khalid Akram<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Ifigeneia Kalampouka: 'Rethinking Light in Modern Environments: A Critical Approach to Health'<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Exploring groundbreaking research on near-infrared (NIR) light’s biological effects and challenges our current lighting paradigms. Our work reveals how NIR light modulates mitochondrial function\u2014our cellular powerhouses\u2014with significant implications for health and wellness in modern environments.<\/p>

My passion is to keep exploring the human as a micro-environment, it’s interactive macro-environmental stressors and I seek to link biological aspects of life with quantum phenomena.\u00a0As a researcher, my enthusiasm is gathered around the impact and applications of multidisciplinary science to real world and I engage with translational science communication<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Khalid Akram: 'Geomic Landscape of a CRISPR-edited Breast Cancer cell line: Cancer Drivers and Vulnerabilities'<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Breast Cancer is the most diagnosed malignancy worldwide and the leading cause of mortality in women. Large-scale genomic studies have revealed significant chromosomal changes in breast cancer, importantly copy number variation and point mutations that drive tumourigenesis and alter therapeutic responses. However, the mechanisms by which exogenous genotoxic stressors induce vulnerabilities at distinctive genomic landscapes are not fully understood.<\/p>

Utilizing a unique gene-edited model created at the Genome Engineering Laboratory at Westminster, we have attempted to analyse the mutation patterns underlying genomic instability, mutational processes linked to DNA replication stress using the DNA polymerase inhibitor, aphidicolin. Using language models trained on DNA sequencing data, we have obtained unique genome-wide variant and mutation patterns across chromosomes, including known fragile sites. This bioinformatics-powered approach enables a deeper understanding of mutational signatures, uncovering patterns that traditional pipelines may overlook. By analysing these mutational footprints across both wild-type and CRISPR-engineered MCF-7 cells, we reveal for the first time how external replication stressors reshape the genomic landscape, uncovering gene-specific susceptibilities that are amplified in the absence of key regulatory proteins such as ZFP36L1. Our study demonstrates how integrating CRISPR functional genomics with next-generation sequencing and computational biology tools can critically challenge static views of cancer progression, revealing hidden vulnerabilities that could shape future therapeutic strategies. In doing so, we advocate for a research paradigm that embraces complexity, questions reductionist interpretations, and envisions a more inclusive and dynamic future for cancer research.<\/p>

Khalid Akram is a PhD researcher in Biotechnology at the University of Westminster, investigating the role of in genomic instability in breast cancer. His research focuses on CRISPR\/Cas9 gene editing of\u00a0cells, studying the effects of replication stress using, and analysing whole genome sequencing (WGS) data to identify mutations, fragile sites, and structural variations. Khalid integrates bioinformatics, cell culture, and mutation visualisation tools to explore cancer vulnerability and therapeutic targets. Passionate about accessible science, he also shares insights on CRISPR and cancer genomics through public engagement, aiming to bridge lab research with real-world impact.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Aysha Ali and Yumeng Yang<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Aysha Ali: 'Visual Politics in Advertising: Exploring Representation of Marginalised Community Amid Socio-Political Change in India'<\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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This session will present an in-progress PhD research project that interrogates the representation of Indian marginalised community in advertisements from 2004 to 2024, against the backdrop of evolving socio-political and cultural landscapes. The research critically examines how advertising functions not only as a commercial tool but also as a political and cultural apparatus that constructs and disseminates dominant ideologies. Drawing on postcolonial theory, media representation studies, and semiotic analysis, this project explores how marginalised communities are made invisible, stereotyped, or appropriated within Indian advertising.<\/p>\n

Aysha Ali is a PhD researcher and Quintin Hogg Studentship recipient at the University of Westminster. Her research explores the intersection of media, identity, and politics by examining how representations of marginalised communities have evolved in advertising between 2004 and 2024 given the change in socio-political landscape in India. With a background as a 3D generalist in India\u2019s advertising industry for over seven years, Aysha brings a practice-based perspective to her academic inquiry. Outside her research, Aysha enjoys pottery, climbing, and animated films.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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Yumeng Yang: 'Chinese Queer Representation on Social Media: An Analysis of \"Obscure Lines\" on RED and Weibo'<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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This presentation explores how queer identities are represented and negotiated on Chinese social media platforms, with a focus on RED and Weibo. Through the concept of \u201cobscure lines,\u201d the presentation examines how content creators and audiences navigate the blurred boundaries of visibility, ambiguity, and censorship in an evolving digital landscape. By analyzing these subtle yet powerful modes of expression, the research challenges dominant narratives, exposes underlying power dynamics, and highlights the creative strategies employed by marginalized voices to foster connection and resistance.<\/p>

Yumeng Yang graduated from the University of Glasgow with a Master of Science in Media Management in 2023. Before that, she finished her undergraduate degree in Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College in International Journalism in 2022. She is now is a MPhil student in Sociology at the University of Westminster. Yumeng\u2019s research is at the intersections of media studies, gender studies and Chinese studies. She is particularly interested in the study of queer expression on Chinese social media platforms. She hopes that such research may positively affect the visibility of Chinese queer people in society.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Researchers in Conversation: Ifigeneia Kalampouka and Khalid Akram\/ Aysha Ali and Yumeng Yang Tuesday 24 June 20252 – 4.30pmC109115 New Cavendish Street This event is free to attend. Booking is required here Researchers in Conversation brings doctoral researchers across the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":911,"featured_media":0,"parent":4704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5482","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/graduateschoolfestival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/graduateschoolfestival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/graduateschoolfestival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/graduateschoolfestival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/911"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/graduateschoolfestival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5482"}],"version-history":[{"count":92,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/graduateschoolfestival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5482\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5877,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/graduateschoolfestival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5482\/revisions\/5877"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/graduateschoolfestival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/graduateschoolfestival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}