Haley Wyatt was born and raised in the small rural community of Broadview, Saskatchewan (Canada). Her research training in biochemistry and molecular biology began during her postgraduate studies at the Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute and the University of Calgary. Under the supervision of Tara Beattie, she studied the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). hTERT is the catalytic subunit of telomerase, an enzyme that has a pivotal role in cellular proliferation and organismal aging and is deregulated in many types of cancer. Haley developed the first biochemical assay to study interactions between hTERT and telomeric DNA substrates. This assay was critical for subsequent structure-function studies, in which she provided important insight into the molecular mechanisms of telomerase deficiency associated with human disease.

After receiving her PhD in 2009, Haley moved to Stephen West’s laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute (formerly Clare Hall Laboratories) in London, England to pursue her interests in DNA repair and mechanisms of genome instability. Her research has significantly advanced our understanding of the biochemical and cellular functions of the SLX4 protein and its role as a scaffold for an endonuclease DNA repair complex. This research is of particular relevance to human health because mutations in SLX4 (and its associated nucleases) are linked to Fanconi anemia, a complex disorder characterized by bone marrow failure, chromosomal instability, and cancer susceptibility. In 2017, Haley moved back to Canada to open her lab in the Department of Biochemistry.