About
The biochemical and mechanical properties of the tumour microenvironment drive cancer invasion and metastasis. The major goals of my lab are to understand how tumour and stromal cells sense and interpret their extracellular microenvironment and how these mechanisms drive cancer progression and the response to targeted molecular therapeutics. We employ inter-disciplinary approaches incorporating proteomics, genomics, biophysical techniques and multi-modal live-cell imaging to dissect the impact of adhesion and growth factor receptor crosstalk mechanisms on cancer cell invasion, tumour-stromal interaction and drug resistance mechanisms.
We also have strong interests in how adhesion and growth factor receptor signalling networks and trafficking are dynamically integrated, spatially and temporally, to control mechanical force transmission, cell migration, wound healing and stem cell function and are dysregulated in fibrotic disease.
Prizes or Honours
- Full Faculty Member - Faculty Opinions / F1000 (Faculty Opinions, 2020)
- Gordon Research Conference Prize - Fibronectin, Integrins & Related Molecules (Gordon Research Conference, 2015)
- FLS Tissue Systems Prize (Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, 2013)
- North of England Cell Biology Investigator Award - First Prize (North of England Cell Biology Forum, 2011)
- Associate Member: Faculty of 1000 (Biology) (F1000 Biology, 2009)
- Winner Cell Slam 2006 - with Kirsty Roach (American Society for Cell Biology, 2006)
- Senior Hatton Award (International Association of Dental Research, 2003)
- Sylvia Lawler Prize (Scientific Division) (Royal Society of Medicine - Oncology Section, 2003)
- President's Prize (Royal Society of Medicine - Pathology Section, 2003)
- Senior Colgate Prize (Pan European Federation of the International Association of Dental Research, 2002)
- Hamilton-Fairley BACR Young Investigator Award (British Association of Cancer Research, 2001)