Dr. Ruth Arkell

Biography

Ruth Arkell leads a research group at the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University, focusing on how genome-environmental variation impacts embryonic development. She began her science career at the University of Sydney, where she obtained her BSc Honours before moving to the UK for her PhD and post-doctoral research. She established her laboratory at the Mammalian Genetics Unit in Harwell, Oxfordshire, earning competitive fellowships throughout her career. In 2006, she was recruited to ANU’s Research School of Biological Sciences, where she was awarded the Senior Viertel Medical Fellowship. In 2016, she transitioned to the John Curtin School of Medical Research. Throughout her career, she has pioneered the use of mouse models for precision health, engaging in sequencing the mouse genome and conducting mutagenesis screens to identify models of human disease. Her laboratory focuses on the immediate post-implantation stage of embryonic development, known as gastrulation, and aims to understand the genetic and embryological mechanisms underlying abnormal gastrulation, which can lead to congenital defects. This research also investigates how the maternal environment interacts with the embryo's genetic makeup to influence birth and lifelong health outcomes.

Research Interests

Experience