Anne Donaldson

Professor Anne Donaldson is a Personal Chair at the University of Aberdeen within the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, leading the 'Chromosome & Cellular Dynamics' Section at the Institute of Medical Sciences with six research groups focused on chromosome biology.

Her educational background:

• BA in Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge (1989)
• PhD, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge (1994)

Her research centers on DNA replication fidelity and chromosome maintenance mechanisms, using budding yeast to uncover evolutionarily conserved processes with direct cancer relevance. She investigates molecular controls over origin initiation, replication fork progression, and damage repair through advanced proteomic, genomic, and microscopy techniques, revealing fundamental insights into genome stability.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications shows dominant trends in replication timing regulation, RIF1-mediated fork protection, and phosphorylation-based control mechanisms. Her work increasingly integrates human cell models with yeast genetics, emphasizing clinical connections to cancer therapeutics through proteins like BRCA1 and RIF1 splice variants.

Professor Donaldson actively mentors PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, with current opportunities advertised in her lab. Her research is supported by major grants:

• Cancer Research UK Programme Award (£1.56 million) investigating Rif1's role in replication recovery after chemotherapy
• Wellcome Trust Discovery Award (£2.48 million) examining Protein Phosphatase 1 in replication control

She directs the Chromosome & Cellular Dynamics Section, fostering collaborative research across six groups that collectively advance understanding of chromosome replication, maintenance, and their implications for disease.