Dr Rachel Oldershaw BSc, PhD

Personal Statement

My undergraduate degree was in Biochemistry with Industrial Experience BSc(Hons) at the University of Manchester and this included a year at Professor Renato Iozzo’s laboratory at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia studying the role of perlecan core protein in extracellular matrix homeostasis. I stayed in Manchester to begin my research career in the UK Centre for Tissue by undertaking a PhD under the supervision of Professor Tim Hardingham, investigating the mechanisms of Notch signalling regulation during the chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. My established techniques in working with stem cell cultures led to a post-doctoral research associate position at the North West Embryonic Stem Cell Centre, University of Manchester. During this time, I developed a chemically-defined protocol for the directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) to produce chondrogenic cell populations that could be used in the treatment of articular cartilage defects. In 2009 I moved to Newcastle University under a North East Stem Cell Initiative Fellowship to establish my independent research group focused on developing protocols for using adult and embryonic stem cell populations for therapeutic application in musculoskeletal disorders. In 2014 I moved to the University of Liverpool as a Wellcome Trust-funded Tenure-Track Fellow and was confirmed as Lecturer in 2017. My research group interests are focused on understanding how tissue-resident stem cells contribute to tissue dysfunction in ageing and disease and how both adult and pluripotent stem cells can be used therapeutically in musculoskeletal, cardiac and ocular conditions. I am also have an active clinical research programme in collaboration with Aintree Hospital, which is focused on improving diagnostic and rehabilitation pathways following lower limb injury.
I have diverse teaching, research and scholarship roles across the School of Medicine and School of Biosciences, including the Foundation System Block Lead on the MBChB Programme and Graduate Entry Medicine Programme. I am the primary and co-supervisor to seven PhD students and provide research supervision to MBChB Research and Scholarship, Masters level and International Summer Research Placement students.