Dr Grant Wheeler
| Job Title | Contact | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Lecturer |
Grant dot Wheeler at uea dot ac dot uk
Tel: 3988/3245 |
Biology 0.13 |
Career
- Senior Lecturer in Cell & Developmental Biology 2010-Present
- Lecturer in Cell and Developmental Biology at University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, 2001-2009
- Postdoctoral Research Associate and Honorary Lecturer in the lab of Dr Stefan Hoppler, University of Dundee. Studying Wnt signalling in Xenopus development. 1996-1998.
- Postdoctoral Research Assistant in the lab of Prof. Birgitte Lane, University of Dundee. Looking at the biology of plectin, a component of hemidesmosomes. 1996-1998.
- Postdoctoral research with Prof. Richard Hynes at the MIT, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A. Studying cytoskeletal interactions of integrins. 1992-1996
- Postgraduate studies at the N.I.M.R. in Mill Hill, London, U.K. with Dr. Tony Magee on the cell and molecular biology of desmosomes. 1988-1991
- Undergraduate studies in Biochemistry at King's College, University of London, including a sandwich year at the Advanced Drug Delivery Research Unit, Ciba Geigy, Horsham. 1984-1988
ResearcherID
http://www.researcherid.com/rid/D-3023-2009Key Research Interests
My group works on the molecular events that govern the origin and migration of different cell types within the developing embryo. The model organism we use is the amphibian Xenopus laevis.
Current Research Projects
- The role of micro RNAs in Xenopus development
- The effects of Wnt signalling on early development and later organogenesis. In particular we are studying the function of frizzleds in neural crest, neural and heart development
- The role of the cell adhesion/migration in development. We are currently focused on matrix metalloproteinases and their roles in early development including during neural crest and embryonic macrophage cell migration
- Chemical genetic screens to identify small molecules that affect aspects of development focussing on cell migration and movement
Life in our research group
We are a dynamic group using the amphibian Xenopus laevis as a model organism to study aspects of cell and developmental biology in a whole animal situation. We use modern methods of embryology and molecular biology in the lab. We have our own lab meetings as well as joint lab meeting with other groups working on developmental biology including the Munsterberg and Hajihosseini labs. We also encourage attendance at seminars in BIO and beyond. Recently Students and Postdocs in the lab have participated in courses and conferences in Europe and the USA.PhD Positions
Please email me to discuss PhD opportunities and projects within the School of Biological SciencesPostdocs & Fellows
I am always happy to discuss possibilities for postdoctoral work and collaborations. Possible funding routes include applying for fellowships, e.g. EMBO or EU Marie Curie fellowships, with me acting as sponsor, or grant applications with you as a named postdoc.Teaching Activities
- Lectures and seminars on aspects of Cell and Developmental Biology in 1st, 2nd and 3rd year modules
Article
Wheeler, GN and Liu, KJ (2012) Xenopus: An ideal system for chemical genetics. genesis, 50 (3). pp. 207-218. ISSN 1526954X
White, RM, Cech, J, Ratanasirintrawoot, S, Lin, CY, Rahl, PB, Burke, CJ, Langdon, E, Tomlinson, ML, Mosher, J, Kaufman, C, Chen, F, Long, HK, Kramer, M, Datta, S, Neuberg, D, Granter, S, Young, RA, Morrison, S, Wheeler, GN and Zon, LI (2011) DHODH modulates transcriptional elongation in the neural crest and melanoma. Nature, 471 (7339). pp. 518-522. ISSN 0028-0836
Garcia-Morales, C., Liu, C-H., Abu-Elmagd, M., Hajihosseini, M.K. and Wheeler, G.N. (2009) Frizzled-10 promotes sensory neuron development in Xenopus embryos. Developmental Biology, 335(1). pp. 143-155.
Tomlinsn, M.L., Guan, P., Morris, R.J., Fidock, M., Rejzek, M., Garcia-Morales, C., Field, R.A. and Wheeler, G.N. (2009) A chemical genomic approach identifies matrix metalloptroteinases as playing an essential and specific role in Xenopus melanophore migration. Chemistry and Biology, 16 (1). pp. 93-104.
Tomlinson, M.L., Rejzek, M., Fidock, M., Field, R.A. and Wheeler, G.N. (2009) Chemical genomics identifies compounds affecting Xenopus laevis pigment cell development. Molecular BioSystems, 4. pp. 376-384.
Wheeler, G.N. and Brandli, A.W. (2009) Simple vertebrate models for chemical genetics and drug discovery screens: Lessons from zebrafish and Xenopus. Developmental Dynamics, 238(6). pp. 1287-1308.
Lavery, D.L., Davenport, I.R., Wheeler, G.N. and Hoppler, S. (2008) Wnt6 expression in epidermis and epithelial tissues during Xenopus organogenesis. Developmental Dynamics, 237. pp. 768-779.
Tomlinson, M, Abu-Elmagd, M, Garcia-Morales, C and Wheeler, GN (2008) Three matrix metalloproteinases are required in vivo for macrophage migration during embryonic development. Mechanism of Development, 125. pp. 1059-1070.
Tomlinson, M.L., Garcia-Morales, C., Abu-Elmagd, M. and Wheeler, G.N. (2008) Three matrix metalloproteinases are requred in vivo for macrophage migration during embryonic development. Mechanisms of Development, 25. pp. 1059-1070.
Wheeler, G.N., Lavery, D. and Hoppler, S. (2008) Inducible gene expression in transient transgenic Xenopus embryos. Methods Mol Biol, 469. pp. 431-449.
Grocott, T, Frost, V, Maillard, M, Johansen, T, Wheeler, GN, Dawes, LJ, Wormstone, IM and Chantry, A (2007) The MH1 domain of Smad3 interacts with Pax6 and represses autoregulation of the Pax6 P1 promoter. Nucleic Acids Research, 35 (3). pp. 890-901. ISSN 0305-1048
Abu-Elmagd, M., Garcia-Morales, C and Wheeler, G.N. (2006) Frizzled7 mediates canonical Wnt signaling in neural crest induction. Developmental Biology, 298 (1). pp. 285-298. ISSN 0012-1606
Sweetman, D., Rathjen, T., Jefferson, M., Wheeler, G., Smith, T.G., Wheeler, G.N., Munsterberg, A. and Dalmay, T. (2006) FGF-4 signalling is involved in mir-206 expression in developing somites of chicken embryos. Developmental Dynamics, 235. pp. 2185-2191.
Tomlinson, M., Field, R.A. and Wheeler, G.N. (2005) Xenopus as a model organism in Developmental chemical genetic screens. Molecular Biosystems, 1 (3). pp. 223-228. ISSN 1742-206X
Harrison, M., Abu-Elmagd, M., Grocott, T., Yates, C., Gavrilovic, J. and Wheeler, G.N. (2004) Matrix metalloproteinase genes in Xenopus development. Developmental Dynamics, 231 (2). pp. 214-220. ISSN 1058-8388
Munsterburg, A., Yue, Q., Abu-Elmagd, M., Wagstaff, L. and Wheeler, G.N (2004) The molecular mechanisms controlling cardiac precursor cell specification and movements. The BSCR Bulletin, 17. pp. 5-10.
Hamilton, F.S., Wheeler, G.N. and Hoppler, S. (2001) Difference in XTcf-3 dependency accounts for change in response to b-catenin-mediated Wnt signalling in Xenopus blastula. Development, 128. pp. 2063-2073.
Wheeler, G.N. and Hynes, R.O. (2001) The cloning, genomic organization and expression of the focal contact protein paxillin in Drosophila. Gene, 262 (1-2). pp. 291-299. ISSN 0378-1119
Book Section
Wheeler, GN, Field, RA and Tomlinson, ML (2012) Phenotypic screens with model organisms. In: Chemical Genomics. Cambridge University Press, New York, pp. 121-136. ISBN 978-0521889483
Munsterberg, A. and Wheeler, G.N (2005) Cell movements during early vertebrate morphogenesis. In: Cell Signalling and Growth Factors in Development. Wiley-VCH, pp. 107-140. ISBN 3-527-31034-7
Monograph
Abou-Elhamd, A, Cooper, O, Garcia-Morales, C, Wheeler, G and Munsterberg, A (2009) Klhl31 is regulated by myogenic signals in developing somites and modulates Wnt signaling in vitro and in vivo. Meeting Abstract. UNSPECIFIED.
External Activities and Indicators of Esteem
- Member of the committee of the British Society for Cell Biology (BSCB)
- Muscular Dystrophy Association, MDA Postdoctoral Fellow 1994-1996
- Anna Fuller Fund Postdoctoral Fellow, 1992-1994
Administrative Posts/Responsibilities
- Senior Adviser for the School of Biological Sciences
- Module organiser of Molecular and Cellular Principles of Development (BIO-3C39)
