Team:Judd UK/Pages/Team 

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Our Team

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Team Members:

Nikita Shukan

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Helping to create the project we now have, I have explored the possibility of lab oriented research that has helped shape my future aspirations. Upon applying to be in the iGEM team, I wanted to challenge myself and experience something that very few other schools could offer me – the opportunity to carry out university level experiments in a school lab. I am currently studying biology, physics, maths and further maths at A level and intend to continue a research career in the field of neuroscience.


Jonathan Tsoi

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I'm aspiring to become a biochemist and am currently studying Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths at A level. The iGEM competition has helped provide me with valuable skills, especially as I plan to go into research. It is exciting that synthetic biology is such a rapidly developing field and we have been given the opportunity to explore the newest developments in this field. I am particularly interested in the technical aspects of synthetic biology, specifically lab work.


Mateo Hoare

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I wanted to do iGEM to get first-hand experience of working with a team on a scientific project involving the exciting field of synthetic biology. I have mainly been involved in researching our various ideas and have taken charge of the lab work. It has been especially great having the opportunity to be doing university level experiments in school. It has made me certain that I want my future to lie in science and I aim to study Natural Sciences at university next year and am pursuing A levels in Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths and Design & Technology.


Alfie Scopes

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Synthetic biology is something that I knew next to nothing about before iGEM. It’s a topic that has not been covered in my time as an A Level Biology student, so when given the opportunity to explore it in depth, I couldn’t refuse. Synthetic biology, in my opinion, could be on verge of causing a period of our history comparable to that of the industrial revolution. The possibilities are endless. Being part of the iGEM competition in such an innovative field of science was an opportunity that I couldn’t let slip by. Through studying chemistry, geography and biology I hope to achieve a degree in biological sciences-Biology has been fascinating to me from an early age and turning that interest into a potential career makes perfect sense to me.

Oli Prendergast

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Synthetic biology is the future of engineering and holds the potential to solve many of the world problems we face today. As an aspiring engineer, currently studying maths, further maths, physics and biology, I saw iGEM as a great way to become more involved in this new exciting technology and develop key skills such as working in a group, research and lab-work - all essential skills for engineering. My responsibilities in the team have included research and fundraising.


Alexander Angelis

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I wanted to join the team after hearing about synthetic biology in a podcast about bio-luminescent lights. Being a part of iGEM has given me the opportunity to develop valuable lab skills, an opportunity that is not available in most schools. I want to study Medicine at university and am currently doing A-levels in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths. Outside of school I enjoy tinkering with technology, the skills I have developed have been useful in leading the development of the wiki. I also enjoy reading, basketball, running and volunteering.


Katie Gibbs

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I wanted to be in the Judd iGEM team because it was a unique opportunity to get involved in an exciting field of biology that is not normally accessible to high school students. Being a part of the team has given me a great appreciation for the scientific process and the boundless potential of synthetic biology. iGEM is a wonderful way to get involved in current scientific research outside of the curriculum and as co-leader of human practices I have been able to explore the potential of our project and how developments in synthetic biology can have an impact on the global community. In the future, I hope to study medicine.

Elysia Lovitt

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When the iGEM team was first advertised around our school, I knew nothing about synthetic biology and so it caught my attention. After being part of the Judd iGEM team, my understanding of synthetic biology has grown immensely, as well as my interest in the subject. Although I wish to read Classics at university, taking part in this competition has helped me as I have worked within a team to create such a brilliant project. Research, human practices and fundraising are the sub teams I have worked in the most, but allowing me to understand the science behind the lab work has been eye-opening and has improved my understanding of A Level Biology.


Gabe Swallow

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I am the student leader for the Judd_UK team. Although I don’t study biology, iGEM has really widened my view of science and given me an appreciation of how different scientific fields can be integrated. I hope to read Natural Sciences at university, with a focus in physics. Outside of school, I am keen musician, playing and listening to everything from jazz to funk to punk!



Jonah Rowell

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I wanted to join the iGEM team after hearing about it from my friends, as an opportunity to push the boundaries of what I had learned at GCSE, as I knew that none of what iGEM is about is included within the Biology Syllabus. In the future I aspire to study medicine because I believe that one should leave the best impact on the world possible, and to me medicine is the most obvious way to achieve this, helping people, each and every day.


Moya Thomas

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For me the initial draw of being involved with iGEM was the opportunity to consider and work towards solving real world problems through the innovation of synthetic biology. I have been mostly involved with the research elements of the project as well as organising media and events to promote our project and cause. The opportunity to problem solve and take a multidisciplinary approach to project has furthered my desire to pursue a medical career with a research intercalation at university to further develop a passion for research sparked by iGEM.


Olivia Kehoe

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Gaining understanding into the applications of synthetic biology, as well as the ability to make our own contribution to this expanding field has been an amazing opportunity. When I first learned about iGEM, I was most excited by the chance to combine biology and art within the creative freedom and scientific challenge lent by the competition. Art and science being two subjects I am passionate about, I have attempted logo designs and lab work, posters and project research, and hope to use the skills picked up from the many experiences in between to blend the two together in future study.

Maz Geeson

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I decided to join the iGEM team after finding out that it would involve making a website. I want to study computer science at university and iGEM has given me a chance to practice and improve my programming skills. As co-leader of the wiki team I have also improved my teamwork and leadership skills. I am currently studying maths, further maths, chemistry, and physics at A level.

Adam Fidler

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I wanted to be part of the iGEM team because I've always loved experiments and practical science, and I think that synthetic biology is going to be the most important scientific field in the future. The project has given me experience of working in a highly skilled and capable team, and has been an amazing experience. I hope to study medicine next year, and iGEM has been fantastic preparation for that possibility.


Principal Investigators

Mrs Andrews

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After my youngest of four children started school, I embarked upon a career change and started teaching Biology at the Judd School (a selective grammar in Kent). Having been out of the field for some time, I was amazed at the biotech content of the higher level courses. By nature, my interest is in ethology and conservation but the speed at which this field was developing fascinated me. I lead a DNA technology project in 2015 which won the Rolls-Royce Science Prize that year and this paved the way to iGEM. In further preparation for this, i am a regular attendee at SynBioBeta London and judged at the last iGEM jamboree in Boston. The UK schools are grossly under-represented at iGEM and I wanted to help change this; to help bring synthetic biology into the focus of the very bright students that I teach.

Dr Courel

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I graduated from the University of Buenos Aires with a degree in Biology specialising in Molecular and Cellular Biology and then completed a doctoral degree on the role of transcription factors in embryonic development and cancer formation in the Biology Department at MIT. During my time at MIT, I had the opportunity to teach undergraduates and thoroughly enjoyed it so after a short postdoctoral fellowship in the UK, in 2007 I decided to retrain as a secondary school Biology teacher. Since the start of my teaching career, I have wanted to put my training in DNA technology to the benefit of my students’ education and have strived to incorporate as much practical work as possible in this often underrepresented area in the school curriculum. After securing the appropriate equipment and introducing a number of key techniques for our students, I have been part of our winning participation in the Rolls Royce Science Prize in 2015 with a project on the advancements of DNA technology and now with the first UK state school to enter iGEM. I have enjoyed working with a group of talented students as they tackle scientific concepts at the forefront of scientific achievement.