biomedical sciences research institute - Research - University of Ulster

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Recent Funding Initiatives:C-TRIC: Academia-Business-Clinical Research Facility–Altnagelvin Hospital Site (partnership between the WesternHealth and Social Care Trust in partnership, the University of Ulster and Derry City Council) - £1.764 M (£1.3 MINI Intereg IIIa Programme; £464,000 ILEX Integrated Development Fund-IDF).INI Proof of Concept Grant), Personalized Medicine in Breast Cancer: Predicting metastases-free survival in lymphnodenegative breast cancer patients £,79,0002008 (HSC R&D Office Cancer RRG Research Cohesion Grant) Role of IFITM1 in Breast Cancer, £5000Students graduated 2008:Natalie Scott (PhD): The Role of MicroRNAs in Breast Cancer Invasion.Seona McErlean (PhD): Genetic profiling of breast cancer.Crispin Madavo (PhD): Isolation and characterisation of VIP from tape-wormsRecent Publications:Thompson AH, Bjourson AJ, Orr DF, Shaw C, McClean S; Amphibian skin secretomics: application of parallelquadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and peptide precursor cDNA cloning to rapidly characterize the skinsecretory peptidome of Phyllomedusa hypochondrialis azurea: discovery of a novel peptide family, the hyposins;Journal of Proteome Research, 6: 3604-3613, 2007Thompson AH, Bjourson AJ, Orr DF, Shaw C, McClean S; A combined mass spectrometric and cDNA sequencingapproach to the isolation and characterization of novel antimicrobial peptides from the skin secretions ofPhyllomedusa hypochondrialis azurea; Peptides, 28: 1331-1343, 2007Membership of External Committees:Member of Bio-Business Northern Ireland. DETI Northern Ireland Academia-Industry Life & Health Sciences PanelGeneLibrary Ireland (Irish BioBank project) Steering Committee Member 2008-present.GeneLibrary Ireland (Irish BioBank project) Work-Package Chair 2008-present.Member Northern Ireland Science Industry Panel-MATRIX – Life and Health Sciences Horizon Panel.–2007-currentCouncil Member of Irish Society for Human Genetics 2006-presentMember of HPSS R&D Clinical Doctorate Review Panel (2004-2008).Dr Paul ThompsonLecturer in Molecular BiologyContact details:T: +44 (0)28 70323246p.thompson@ulster.ac.ukDr Thompson is primarily interested in the biological activities of the nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR) and themechanisms through which it mediates the wide range of physiological responses to its cognate Vitamin D ligand.The research projects in Dr Thompson’s laboratory are broadly divided into two main areas of focus:Novel biological actions of VDR as a chemoprotective agent in epithelial-derived tissues:Dr Thompson and others have demonstrated that vitamin D can dictate expression of the CYP3A4 gene in coloncarcinoma cells, a pivotal factor for the metabolism and clearance of many potentially harmful xeno and endobioticcompounds. In expanding upon this concept our more recent data reveal that vitamin D can also regulate the levels ofdrug transporter proteins within the apical membrane of enteric cells. Taken in combination, our findings suggest that16
vitamin D can significantly impact upon the detoxification and expulsion of a range of potentially mitogenic moleculesand that vitamin D may be integral to processes such as drug disposition and the appropriate handling of bile acid andsteroid hormone derivatives across the gut. This work was carried out by Declan Doherty, as part of his doctoralstudies, and as part of a collaborative effort with the Department of Pharmacology, University of Liverpool.Dr Thompson and his team have also examined the potential for VDR and vitamin D to induce expression ofmetabolism-related genes within extra-hepatic ‘non-classical’ sites for CYP expression. With the collaboration ofresearchers at Liverpool and Birmingham, our PhD students, Orla Maguire and Catherine Pollock have demonstratedthat VDR-Vitamin D is a significant modulator of CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 expression in prostate cells. This is an on-goingtopic of research in our laboratory that intends to relate how dietary-derived signalling molecules such as vitamin Dmay effect the bioavailability of testosterone and other growth-regulatory androgens within prostate epithelia.Modulators of VDR activity:Critical to our knowledge of how VDR exerts its pleiotropic effects is knowledge of its associations with otherregulatory proteins. Through performing a genetic screen of a prostate cDNA library we have identified a number ofnovel VDR interacting proteins, which we are currently characterizing for their roles within the vitamin D hormonalpathway. The most potentially exciting among these proteins include members of the SENP and PIAS families, whichwe observe to significantly modulate VDR activity upon interaction. We believe that their relative expression levelsmay be pivotal to how certain tumour types become resistant to the growth-regulatory effects of vitamin D.This work is being carried out by two PhD students, Wai-Ping Lee and Catherine Pollock, with collaborative helpfrom researchers at Arizona State University. In continuing this theme of vitamin D resistance in tumours, we arealso working in collaboration with scientists at Cardiff University in assessing novel chemical inhibitors of vitamin Dcatabolism as chemotherapeutic agents targeted towards aggressive forms of prostate cancer. This work is currentlyfunded by Prostate Cancer UK and has been carried out in our laboratory by Dr Joachim Schimdt.Grants awarded:Society for Endocrinology (£9,500 1 year)“NPAS as a novel interactor of the vitamin D receptor-a role for vitamin D in the peripheral circadian clock?”Prostate Research UK (£30,000 1 year)“Characterization and evaluation of novel CYP2A4 inhibitors as anti-proliferative/pro-differentiating agents targetedtowards hormone refractory prostate cancer.”CEC EU Framework Programme VII (£133,793)“BISON: Bisociation Networks for Creative Information Discovery”Werner Dubitzky, Daniel Berrar, Martin Swain, Paul ThompsonStudents graduated:Declan Doherty “The nuclear Vitamin D Receptor as a Medaiotr of Detoxification Pathways in Enteric Cells”Orla Maguire “Novel chemo-protective roles of the Vitamin D Receptor in prostate cells”Presentations:“The Role Of Reversible De-Sumoylation In The Vitamin D Signalling Pathway”; ENDO 2008: Annual meeting of theEndocrine Society, San Francisco, June 2008Markers of esteemExternal examiner for PhD examinationUniversity of Liverpool Department of PharmacologyGrant reviewer for National Science Foundation17
Page 1: BIOMEDICAL SCIENCESRESEARCH INSTITU
Page 4 and 5: 1 Foreword by the Pro Vice-Chancell
Page 6 and 7: 2 Foreword by the Research Institut
Page 8 and 9: The BMSRI Research StructureThe BMS
Page 10 and 11: BMSRI Core FacilitiesContact: Karen
Page 12 and 13: of Metabolomics, pharmacy, nutritio
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Page 20 and 21: Dr Mateus Webba da SilvaLecturer in
Page 22 and 23: 5. BIOIMAGING RESEARCH GROUPResearc
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Page 26 and 27: Publications:Bigot S, Lucas L, Morr
Page 28 and 29: Publications:Barnes CA, O’Hagan B
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Page 34 and 35: Professor Anthony P McHaleProfessor
Page 36 and 37: Professor Stephanie McKeownProfesso
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Page 42 and 43: have wider applications in vivo, in
Page 44 and 45: Inter-relationships between diet an
Page 46 and 47: Flatt PR; Effective surgical treatm
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Page 50 and 51: Dr YHA Abdel-WahabSenior Lecturer i
Page 52 and 53: Dr VA GaultLecturer in Molecular Bi
Page 54 and 55: McClean PL, Irwin N, Hunter K, Gaul
Page 56 and 57: Publications:Duffy NA, Green BD, Ir
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Page 60 and 61: Publications:Graham RJL, Graham C,
Page 62 and 63: analyses. However there is still a
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Dr Stephen McCleanLecturer in Prote
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environmental remediation and as ro
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9. NORTHERN IRELAND CENTRE FOR FOOD
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26-28 Sept 2007: International Seaf
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Dr Barnes has developed expertise i
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Dr Alison GallagherSenior Lecturer
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In addition, results of a pilot stu
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Dr Maeve KerrResearch AssociateCont
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Memberships of External Committees/
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Indicators of Esteem:Professor McNu
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were examined. The intervention and
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Within this work both short-term an
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micronutrient supplementation at a
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10. STEM CELL & EPIGENETICS RESEARC
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Publications:Lees-Murdock DJ, Lau H
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Publications:Lees-Murdock DJ, Lau H
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11. SYSTEMS BIOLOGY RESEARCH GROUPT
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Kravtsov V, Swain M, Schuster A, Du
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Dr Daniel BerrarLecturer in Biomedi
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Zhang et al; Incorporating Feature
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Bala P, Baldridge K, Benfenati E, C
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In addition there is a growing them
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Clinical work involves development
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In 2009 he was appointed Chairman o
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Stevenson TR, Goodall EA and Moore
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Dr Raymond BeirneLecturer in Optome
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Dr Julie McClellandLecturer in Opto
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Graham JE, Moore JE, Moore JE, McCl
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Research Staff:Dr David OrrSenior R
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Dr Victoria McGilliganResearch Asso
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13. Externally Funded Projects duri
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Grant Holder Anderson, Prof RSFundi
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Funding Body Royal Irish AcademyAmo
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14. BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH IN
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Student: Simon GenglerTitle: Effect
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Student: Anisha MazumdarTitle: Anal
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Student: Clare RyanTitle: How does
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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING PO
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