Imogen Skelton, BSc, BBiomedSc (Hons)

Imogen is passionate about improving the understanding of tumour biology to increase patients’ quality of life. She was inspired by the innovative work being done at Gillies McIndoe Research Institute and jumped at the opportunity to join the highly skilled and experienced team as a PhD student through the University of Otago in 2024.  

Her research focuses on understanding the progression of the childhood vascular tumour Infantile Haemangioma (Strawberry birthmarks). During her PhD she will be utilising spatial biology techniques to elucidate the molecules driving proliferation and involution (regression) of the tumour. She will also be building on current cell culture models, using patient derived cells from the Gillies McIndoe biobank to study the effects of cytokines and hormones on Infantile Haemangioma cell behaviour.  

Imogen has always been fascinated by human biology and gained an excellent background in biomedicine through completing her undergraduate and first class honours biomedical degrees at the University of Auckland. She was awarded a Summer Studentship in 2021 during which she got a taste for research and contributed to a study looking at synaptic function in the brain. She then went on to do an honours research project studying the effects of radiation therapy on cell invasion in Glioblastoma. This sparked a passion for tumour biology and encouraged Imogen to seek out opportunities to continue her contributions to cancer research. She is looking forward to expanding the current knowledge of Infantile Haemangioma and developing her research skills at Gillies McIndoe Research Institute.  

Outside of the lab Imogen is a New Zealand representative high jumper. She also enjoys dancing and listening to music and spending time in some of the beautiful nature spots around Wellington.