We’re delighted to welcome Professor Helen Cooper to the Rosalind Franklin Institute this January. Helen, a leading expert in mass spectrometry, joins us at a pivotal time for the Franklin as we refresh our science strategy. Her expertise promises to advance the Franklin’s mission of integrating physical sciences and life sciences to address some of the world’s most pressing biomedical challenges.
Helen’s enthusiasm for the Franklin’s interdisciplinary approach is clear. “I think it’s a fantastic opportunity to integrate mass spectrometry with other technologies,” she said. “That’s what excites me about it—the potential to make a huge impact on life sciences by bringing together physical and biological sciences.”
The initial priority for Helen will be to establish a core capability in Native Ambient Mass Spectrometry at the Franklin, an emerging technique to extract structural and spatial information about folded proteins in tissues. She sees joining the Franklin as a chance to enhance these methods and pair them with other transformative technologies. “I’m particularly excited about integrating mass spectrometry with cryo-EM and cryo-ET. The complementarity of these techniques can open new doors in structural biology,” she explained.
Using the native ambient mass spectrometry techniques, Helen’s work focuses on neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s. “If we could use these advanced techniques to better understand these diseases or even help a, that would be a great achievement,” she said. Her work also investigates to drug discovery including exploring drug distribution in tissues.
The University of Birmingham is a founder member of the Franklin, and this appointment offers exciting opportunities to create closer connections between our organisations.
Helen’s career is a testament to her passion for research and innovation. After earning her BSc and PhD in Chemistry at the University of Warwick, she played a key role in establishing the UK’s first 9.4 Tesla FT-ICR mass spectrometry facility. With notable fellowships, including a Wellcome Trust University Technology Fellowship and an EPSRC Established Career Fellowship, Helen’s work has continuously pushed boundaries in analytical science.
As Helen prepares to take on this new role, she has clear goals for her first year at the Franklin. “I’m looking forward to improving the robustness, automation, and sensitivity of protein imaging techniques,” she shared. She also emphasized the importance of data integration: “It’s not just about physical integration but marrying the data streams from different technologies to exploit their complementarity.”
Helen’s vision, dedication, and innovative approach align with the Franklin’s ethos. We can’t wait to see the transformative impact she will bring to the team. Welcome to the Franklin, Helen!