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 - February 2025
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.