Current Postdoc Profiles
Name: Dr. Paul Canning
Email: p.canning@qub.ac.uk
Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Supervisor: Professor. Alan W. Stitt
Funding: GlaxoSmithKline
Education: BSc (Hons), PhD
Current Project: Prevention of vasopermeability in experimental diabetic retinopathy
Objectives: Dysfunction of the retinal vasculature and breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier are significant pathophysiological hallmarks of diabetic retinopathy, although to date, the mechanisms whereby these pathological processes occur have not been fully elucidated. In current studies we are investigating the efficacy of novel compounds as preventative agents of blood retinal barrier breakdown during diabetes. Furthermore, we aim to investigate the contribution of specific subsets of retinal cell populations to the maintenance of the blood retinal barrier, through and immunostaining and microscopical analysis.
Key Piece of Equipment: The confocal microscope
My Perfect Day in the Lab: Collecting unambiguously stained z stacks of intact retinal tissue
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Name: Dr. Philip Earle
Email: j.a.p.earle@qub.ac.uk
Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Supervisor: Professor. Usha Chakravarthy
Funding: Guide Dogs for the Blind
Education: PhD
Current Project: Evaluation of Age-related Macular Degeneration Sub-type and Genotype with Clinical Response to anti – Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)
Name: Dr. Josephine Glenn
Email: j.v.glenn@qub.ac.uk
Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Supervisor: Professor. Alan W. Stitt
Funding: GlaxoSmithKline
Education: BSc (Hons), MMedSc, PhD
Current Project: Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) [Lp-PLA2] and prevention of vasopermeability in experimental diabetic retinopathy
Objectives:Breakdown of the inner blood retinal barrier (iBRB) is one of the most important pathophysiological changes in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy as well as of other ischaemic or inflammatory retinal diseases. Vasopermeability and overt iBRB dysfunction has been observed both in patients with diabetes and STZ-induced diabetic pre clinical models. The exact mechanisms underlying the breakdown of iBRB are largely unknown but lead to endothelial dysfunction and reduction in tight junction integrity.
The aim of this study is to utilise in vivo STZ-induced type-1 diabetic validated pre clinical models to test efficacy of Lp-PLA2 inhibitors (substituted pyrimidin-4-ones developed by GSK) as reversible inhibitors of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) [Lp-PLA(2)] in prevention of breakdown of the inner blood retinal barrier (iBRB). It is envisaged that this study will advance to clinical trials stage in the near future.
Key Piece of Equipment: Microscopes (confocal & dissecting) and the cryostat
My Perfect Day in the Lab: Peace and quiet at the cryostat (cutting well :-)) with the radio on!
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Name: Dr. Jasenka Guduric-Fuchs
Email: j.guduricfuchs@qub.ac.uk
Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. David Simpson
Funding: BBSRC
Education: Degree in Molecular Biology and Physiology, PhD in Molecular Biology
Current Project: My research interest focuses on micro RNAs (miRNAs) and their role in cell-cell communication and angiogenesis. MiRNAs are class of small RNA molecules involved in regulation of gene expression. miRNAs can be exported extracellularly, either encapsulated within microvesicles or associated with proteins and lipids. I am investigating mechanisms behind the extracellular export of miRNAs and their contribution to intercellular communication in general and modulation of angiogenesis in particular.
Key Piece of Equipment: Light Cycler, Confocal Microscope
My Perfect Day in the Lab: Does not include long meetings...
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Name: Dr. Michelle Hookham
Email: m.hookham@qub.ac.uk
Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Derek P. Brazil
Funding: Action Medical Research
Education: BMedSc, MMedSc, PhD
Current Project: The aim of my current project is to investigate endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and their potential role as a cell based therapy to treat Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). We are using umbilical cord-derived late endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to examine the effects of hypoxia on EPC gene expression and function, and have identified novel genes and signalling changes in these cells.
Key Piece of Equipment: The lab radio! The confocal is a close second.
My Perfect Day in the Lab: Would include a lunch break, I would have more cells than I need for my experiment and the day would end by developing a western with bands at the correct size showing the correct trend with no ambiguous random bands.
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Name: Dr. Arjun Krishnakumar
Email: a.krishnakumar@qub.ac.uk
Position: Research Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Derek Brazil
Funding: Diabetes UK
Education: MSc, PhD
Current Project: The Role of Grem1, a Bone morphogenetic antagonist, in diabetic nephropathy
Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) affects approximately one third of diabetic patients, and can lead to renal failure requiring dialysis and transplant. Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms driving DN is essential to identify novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers that may improve patient outcomes in DN. Gremlin (Grem1) is an antagonist of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family that is integral to limb and kidney formation during development and has been shown to be upregulated in a range of DN models. My aim is to identify the exact role of grem1 and its signalling pathways in DN.
Key Piece of Equipment: The coffee maker. Coffee, keeps you going on and on and on!
My Perfect Day in the Lab: Its Science! Every day is a perfect day!
Name: Dr. Mary McGahon
Email: m.mcgahon@qub.ac.uk
Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Anthony (Tony) Collins
Funding: British Heart Foundation
Education: BSc Physiology, PhD
Current Project: Investigation of the role of microRNA in the down-regulation of inward rectifier K+ current en route to heart failure
Key Piece of Equipment: A patch clamp amplifier even though I haven’t touched one in months – too much molecular stuff on going.
My Perfect Day in the Lab: One in which the bioanalyser actually works!
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Name: Dr. Carmel McVicar
Email: c.mcvicar@qub.ac.uk
Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Supervisor: Professor. Alan W. Stitt
Funding: Fight for Sight
Education: BSc, MMedSc, PhD
Current Project: Currently funded on a Fight for Sight grant looking at RAGE activation to assess an important pathogenic pathway that modulates inflammatory responses and associated lesion formation in the diabetic retina.
Key Piece of Equipment: The confocal microscope
My Perfect Day in the Lab: Nice data to put in a paper. No need to be repeated!
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Name: Dr. Christina L. O’Neill
Email: Christina.oneill@qub.ac.uk
Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Supervisor: Professor Alan W. Stitt
Funding: Medical Research Council
Education: BSc (Hons), PhD
Current Project: My work mainly focuses on isolating specialised vascular progenitor cells called endothelial progenitor cells from human peripheral and cord blood and examining their potential for vascular repair as well as their dysfunction in diabetes. The ultimate aim of my work is to develop new ways of repairing damaged blood vessels with a particular focus on the retina.
Key Piece of Equipment: The automated cell counter! A lot of my routine work involves cell culture assays so this piece of equipment is vital and frees up a lot of time.
My Perfect Day in the Lab: This would involve all my experiments going as planned and discovering lots of EPC colonies in my primary cultures- especially in the diabetic cells!
Name: Dr. Rosana Penalva
Email: r.penalva@qub.ac.uk
Position: Postdoctoral Research Assistant
Supervisor: Dr. Heping Xu
Funding: Fight for Sight (British Eye Research Foundation)
Education: MSc in Biology, PhD in Biological Science
Current Project: The general aim of my research project is to study the role of the immune system on the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In particular, we will like to bring insight on how the dysfunction of the immune system and environmental risk factors such as light and smoking contributes on the AMD pathology.
Key Piece of Equipment: The Confocal
My Perfect Day in the Lab: When I set up a new technique or method, manage to make it to work…and obtain the results expected!!
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Name: Dr. Emma Robinson
Email: e.robinson@qub.ac.uk
Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. David Grieve
Funding: British Heart Foundation
Education: MPharm, PhD, PGCHET
Current Project: The aim of my current project is to investigate the role of glucagon-like peptide- 1 (GLP-1) and its metabolically-inactive breakdown product, GLP-1(9-36) in adverse chronic ventricular remodelling. Through the use of appropriate, validated models we hope to establish whether exogenous GLP-1 treatment may hold potential for the prevention of progression to heart failure after MI, which is a particularly prominent feature of type 2 diabetes.
Key piece of equipment: Visual Sonic Echo system, each image tells a story
My perfect day in the lab: Would involve all my Western and PCR results being perfect and paper quality each and every time......one can dream!
Name: Dr. Jose M Romero
Email: j.romero@qub.ac.uk
Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Heping Xu
Funding: Diabetes UK
Education: BSc, PhD
Current Project: Cataract surgery increases the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy (DR) and accelerates the progression of pre-existing DR, although the underlying mechanism remains ill-defined. Inflammation is known to contribute to the development of diabetic retinopathy. Recent evidence suggests that cataract surgery elicits retinal immune activation. Thus, we investigate how cataract surgery promotes pro-inflammatory pathology at vascular, neural and glial components of the retina in DR models. This research may determine whether blocking specific inflammatory pathways prevents or reduces cataract surgery-mediated DR progression.
Key piece of equipment: Confocal microscope, cryostat and vibratome
My perfect day in the lab: An outstanding retinal immunostained sample calling for confocal!!
Access to Dr Jose Romero's Academic CV