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Research

Our research addresses the safety, efficacy and mechanisms of action of cell-based regenerative medicine therapies for the treatment of renal and neurological diseases. We develop non-invasive imaging strategies to assess the behaviour of administered cells and their effects on organ function in vivo, and use advanced microscopy and histological techniques to assess cell fate and the host tissue response. We also investigate the role of biomaterials in the regulation of stem cell behaviour.

Stem cells and regenerative medicine

Our research addresses the safety, efficacy and mechanisms of action of cell-based regenerative medicine therapies for the treatment of renal and neurological diseases. We develop non-invasive imaging strategies to assess the behaviour of administered cells and their effects on organ function in vivo, and use advanced microscopy and histological techniques to assess cell fate and the host tissue response. We also investigate the role of biomaterials in the regulation of stem cell behaviour.

Research integrity

I am interested in scientific integrity and oppose the inappropriate use of cell therapies in patients. My concerns regarding some high profile cases have been reported in Science, the BMJ, BBC, the Telegraph, Private Eye and the For Better Science blog.

Research grants

Assessing the therapeutic effects of renal regenerative medicine therapies using a suite of in vitro assays

CHILDRENS RESEARCH FUND (UK)

February 2021 - October 2021

Utilising point-of-care technology in cardiovascular surgery for the identification of pathologic haemolysis implicated in Acute Kidney Injury (AKI).

KIDNEY RESEARCH UK (UK)

October 2022 - September 2024

Automated high-resolution microscope platform with robotics to study pharmacodynamics in 3D cell cultures

MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

November 2022 - March 2023

Characterisation and Assessment of Adipose Derived Regenerative Cells for the Treatment of Ischaemic Reperfusion Injury in Kidney Transplantation

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF EDINBURGH

October 2023 - September 2024

Investigating the effects of radiation therapy on the behaviour of neural stem cells and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells of human origin.

ALDER HEY CHILDREN'S CHARITY (UK)

October 2021 - January 2022

Developing a human kidney cell model of vancomycin-induced kidney injury to support translational research

KIDNEY RESEARCH NORTHWEST (UK)

November 2021 - July 2024

Bench fees for Fatimah Aljassim (201523695)

ROYAL EMBASSY OF SAUDI ARABIA CULTURAL BUREAU IN LONDON (UK)

January 2021 - January 2025

Assessing the potential of near infrared conjugated polymer nano-particles (CPNTM) for fluorescence and optoacoustic imaging

ROYAL MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY - RMS (UK)

November 2021 - April 2022

Bioengineered substrates for human pluripotent stem cell culture

WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

November 2016 - October 2018

Modelling cell therapies for Hirschsprung’s patients

BOWEL AND CANCER RESEARCH (UK)

September 2018 - March 2021

Investigating the potential of cell-based regenerative medicine therapies to ameliorate acute kidney injury and prevent progression to chronic disease

KIDNEY RESEARCH UK (UK)

April 2018 - July 2019

Exploring how cell therapies ameliorate renal damage

MERSEY KIDNEY FIRST (UK)

October 2018 - September 2021

Novel MRI based measurements of tissue electromagnetic properties and pH for regenerative medicine therapies

MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

May 2017 - May 2019

A multimodal imaging platform with real-time super-resolution for research across the life sciences

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

May 2018 - April 2019

Multimodal preclinical imaging probes to evaluate the safety and efficacy of regenerative medicine therapies

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

August 2016 - July 2018

Wellcome Trust Four-year PhD Studentship 2016

WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

October 2016 - April 2021

Multi-modal high resolution preclinical PET+SPECT+CT scanner

WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

July 2018 - June 2024

Expediting the clinical translation of a stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease. Vacation scholarship for Miss Kerry Braithwaite

WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

July 2017 - August 2017

Developing novel tools and technologies to assess the safety and efficacy of cell-based regenerative medicine therapies, focusing on kidney disease RenalToolBox

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

November 2018 - April 2023

Investigating the efficacy, safety and mechanisms of action of regenerative medicine therapies in Ischaemia Reperfusion Injury of the Mouse Kidney: KRUK Training Fellowship for Rachel Harwood

KIDNEY RESEARCH UK (UK)

August 2018 - January 2022

Investigating how cell based regenerative medicine therapies modulate T-cells and macrophages to ameliorate acute kidney injury

KIDNEY RESEARCH UK (UK)

November 2018 - September 2021

Mechanisms of cavitation during tissue development.

ROYAL SOCIETY

October 2002 - September 2006

Investigating the ability of embroyonic stem cell derivatives to improve renal function in a murine model of kidney disease - KidRegen - Marie Curie

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

September 2010 - August 2012

In vivo imaging technologies to assess the efficacy and safety of RMTs

MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

October 2013 - March 2015

Value in People Award 2005.

WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

October 2005 - September 2009

How does DNA fingerprinting work

EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY ORGANISATION (GERMANY)

May 2005 - September 2005

Investigating the ability of embroyonic stem cell derivatives to improve renal function in a murine model of kidney disease

ALDER HEY CHILDREN'S KIDNEY FUND (UK)

May 2010 - April 2012

Is the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells irreversible?

WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

June 2003 - August 2003

Stem cell therapy for reflux nephropathy.

ALDER HEY CHILDREN'S KIDNEY FUND (UK)

September 2005 - September 2009

Generation of a sub-clone of the human embryonic stem cell line HES-3 expressing an Oct-4- destabalised GFP reporter

WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

June 2006 - August 2006

Mechanisms of cavitation.

ROYAL SOCIETY (CHARITABLE)

August 2003 - February 2004

StemTrack: Engineering multifunctional superparamagnetic nanoparticles for long-term stem cell tracking (Dr Arthur Taylor ERG)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

March 2011 - February 2014

Developing a stem cell based therapy to replace nephrons lost through reflux nephropathy - RENALSTEM

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

August 2008 - January 2011

To investigate the diagnostic and prognostic utility of MIPs in endometrial cancer

THE HIGHER COMMITTEE FOR EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT IN IRAQ (HCED) (IRAQ)

September 2012 - September 2016

The efficacy and safety of stem cell therapies in mouse models of kidney disease

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS (UK)

January 2015 - January 2016

Developing a stem cell based therapy to replace nephrons lost through reflux nephropathy. EU - PROPOSAL NUMBER 036097-2 KIDSTEM

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

September 2006 - August 2010

Regenerative Medicine Platform in Stem Cell Safety Science

MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

June 2013 - March 2018

Design of synthetic substrates for the differentiation of kidney stem cells.

ROYAL SOCIETY (CHARITABLE)

April 2007 - March 2010

Dealkylation of plant sterols during utilization in invertebrates

LEVERHULME TRUST (UK)

May 2007 - May 2009

CASE studentship: Controlling stem cells with heparan sulfate analogues and polymer scaffolds

SPHERITECH LTD (UK)

September 2009 - September 2012

The design and analysis of synthetic substrates for embryonic stem cell culture.

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

July 2006 - December 2009

Phenotypic transitions in environmental stress tolerance: opening the black box.

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL

May 2005 - April 2010

BBSRC Research Experience Placement for Lauren Scarfe

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL, BRITISH PHARMACOLOGICAL SOCIETY (UK)

July 2012 - September 2012

Investigating the potential of mouse kidney-derived stem cells to integrate and improve renal function in a murine model of chronic kidney disease

ALDER HEY CHILDREN'S KIDNEY FUND (UK)

October 2010 - September 2012

Ultrastable targeted multifunctional hybrid nanomaterials for long-term stem cell tracking

ENGINEERING & PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL

September 2010 - October 2014

Molecular function in post-genome biology (MOLFUN).

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

October 2006 - September 2010

Enhancing the propagation of ES cells by regulation of visceral endoderm differentiation.

MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

September 2004 - September 2007

University of Liverpool Institutional Discipline Bridging.

MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

October 2003 - October 2006

Liverpool 3View: a national hub for 3D-EM bioscience research

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

January 2014 - December 2014

    Research collaborations

    Rafael Levy

    Novel SPIONs for stem cell tracking

    Kevin Park

    Establishing kidney-derived stem cell lines for toxicology screens

    Matt Rosseinsky

    Novel SPIONs for stem cell tracking

    Rachel Williams

    Synthetic substrates for stem cell propagation and isolation.

    Bettina Wilm

    Development of stem cell therapies for the treatment of kidney disease.

    Haifei Zhang

    Synthetic substrates for stem cell propagation and isolation; Development of stem cell therapies for the treatment of kidney disease.

    Simon Kenny

    Development of stem cell therapies for kidney didease.

    David Edgar

    Collaborator on the following projects:- (i) Mechanisms regulating endoderm differentiation in the mouse embryo; (ii) Role of cell shape in regulating stem cell self-renewal; (iii)development of synthetic substrates for human embryonic stem cell propagation and isolation; (iv) Developing stem cell therapies for kidney regeneration; (v) Role of chaperones in the regulation of STAT3 in mouse embryonic stem cells.