Dr Mark Williams
| Job Title | Contact | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Lecturer |
M dot R dot Williams at uea dot ac dot uk
Tel: +44 (0)1603 59 2244 |
Bio-Medical Research Centre (BMRC) 02.01B |
Career
- Senior Lecturer in Cell Biology (2004-present)
- Lecturer in Cell Biology, University of East Anglia (1995-2004)
- Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of East Anglia (1993-1995)
- Ph.D. – School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia (1993)
- B.Sc. - Biophysics, University of East Anglia (1989)
Key Research Interests
Current Research Projects
- Signalling self-renewal in the human intestinal epithelium ex vivo (Collaboration with Dr Munsterberg, BIO, UEA)
- Epigenetic modulation of Wnt signalling in the ageing human intestinal epithelium: consequences for tissue homeostasis (Collaboration with Dr Nigel Belshaw and Prof. Ian Johnson at the Institute of Food Research).
- Wnt signaling pathways in colon cancer initiation
- Molecular regulation of intestinal fluid secretion in health and disease.
- Inflammatory signals for Barrett’s oesophagus (Collaboration with Mike Lewis, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital)
Life in our research group
Bio-imaging and functional genomic approaches are applied to a3D ex vivo culture model of the human colonic epithelium, which was developed in collaboration with clinicians at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. The cellular and molecular mechanisms governing adult tissue homeostasis in health and disease are interrogated by utilising recombinant/pharmacological activators/inhibitors, RNAi and GFP transgenes, in combination with bright field / fluorescence time-lapse imaging and immunocytochemistry/in situ hyrbridisation. Regulation of stem cell-driven tissue renewal by Wnt signals and the mechanisms of fluid transport across the polarised intestinal epithelium are of particular interest. In a broader context, the cultured colonic crypt also serves as a model for other self-renewing tissues and polarised epithelia. Although laboratory life is somewhat crypt-centric, the resident cryptomaniacs are let out on occasion to partake in social activities such as sailing, ice-skating, dancing, BBQs and dining, a favourite restaurant being ... the Crypt!PhD Positions
Please email me to discuss PhD opportunities and projects within the School of Biological Sciences.Postdocs & Fellows
I am always happy to discuss possibilities for postdoctoral work and collaborations. Possible funding routes include applying for fellowships, e.g. EU Marie Curie fellowships, Royal Society and others, or grant applications with you as a named post-doc.Teaching Activities
- Maths and Stats (1A6/7Y)
- Introduction to Biomedicine (1A5Y)
- Human Physiology (2B05)
- Cell Biology (2B06)
- Clinical Genetics (2B19)
- Biomedicine (3C34)
- Human Nutrition, Diet and Health (3C37)
- Blood Biomedicine (3C53)
- I offer undergraduate student research projects (3C32)
Article
Belshaw, NJ, Pal, N, Tapp, HS, Dainty, JR, Lewis, MPN, Williams, MR, Lund, EK and Johnson, IT (2010) Patterns of DNA methylation in individual colonic crypts reveal aging and cancer-related field defects in the morphologically normal mucosa. Carcinogenesis, 31 (6). pp. 1158-1163. ISSN 0143-3334
Reynolds, Amy, Parris, Alyson, Evans, L, Lindqvist, Susanne, Sharp, P., Lewis, M., Tighe, R. and Williams, Mark (2007) Dynamic and differential regulation of NKCC1 by calcium and cAMPin the native human colonic epithelium. The Journal of Physiology, 582 (2). pp. 507-524. ISSN 0022-3751
Williams, MR, Spahos, T, Reynolds, A, Parris, A, Tighe, R, Speakman, C, Beales, ILP and Lewis, M (2007) Taurodeoxycholic acid induces calcium oscillations in isolated human colonic crypts. Gastroenterology, 132 (Suppl 2). p. 8.
Parris, Alyson, Reynolds, Amy, Spahos, A., Munsterberg, Andrea, Tighe, R., Lewis, M., Cook, J., Prior, A., Speakman, C., Stebbings,, Hernon, J., Beales, Ian, Ellamin, K. and Williams, Mark (2006) Human colonic crypt renewal ex vivo. Gastroenterology, 130 (Suppl 2). p. 1677.
Parris, A, Reynolds, A, Spahos, T and Williams, M (2005) Wnt signalling mobilises beta-catenin and stimulates cell proliferation in isolated human colonic crypts. Gastroenterology, 128 (4). p. 489.
Reynolds, Amy, Addison, S., Lindqvist, Susanne and Williams, Mark (2005) Propagating calcium signals along human colonic crypts dynamically regulate NKCC1 phosphorylation and activity. Gastroenterology, 128. pp. 357-358.
Parris, A, Reynolds, A, Addison, S, Lindqvist, S, Hernon, J, Spahos, T, Tighe, T, Lewis, M, Mackay, J, Westgarth, D, Fellows, F, Bell, D, Kapur, S, Prior, A and Williams, M (2004) Spatial correlation between acetylcholine-induced calcium signals and acetylcholine-induced cell proliferation along the isolated human colonic crypt axis. Gastroenterology, 126. p. 140.
Addison, S., Lindqvist, Susanne, Setchell, O., Hernon, J., Tighe, R., Rhodes, M., Stebbings, W. and Williams, Mark (2003) Top-down aberrant calcium signals in colonic crypts derived from the flat mucosa of polyp- and colorectal cancer-patients. Gastroenterology, 124 (4, Supplement 1). A282.
Addison, S., Lindqvist, Susanne, Setchell, O., Hernon, J., Tighe, R., Mackay, J., Rhodes, M., Stebbings, W. and Williams, Mark (2003) Prostaglandin E2 induces calcium signals in the proliferative zone of isolated human colonic crypts. Gastroenterology, 124 (4). A276-A276. ISSN 00165085
Hernon, JM, Lindqvist, SM, Prior, A and Williams, MR (2003) Carbachol induces ERK 1/2 activation and stimulates cell proliferation via a metalloproteinase- and TGFá dependent pathway. Gastroenterology, 124 (Suppl 1). p. 285.
Olano-Martin, Estibaliz, Williams, Mark, Gibson, Glenn R and Rastall, Robert A (2003) Pectins and pectic-oligosaccharides inhibit Escherichia coliO157:H7 Shiga toxin as directed towards the human colonic cell line HT29. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 218 (1). pp. 101-105. ISSN 03781097
Hernon, JM, Lindqvist, SM, Rhodes, M, Speakman, CTM, Stebbings, WSL and Williams, MR (2002) Acetylcholine stimulates Human Colonic epithelial cell growth via calcium dependent MAP Kinase activation. Colorectal Disease. pp. 4-41.
Hernon, JM, Lindqvist, SM, Rhodes, M, Speakman, CTM, Tighe, R, Murphy, G, Stebbings, WSL and Williams, MR (2002) Molecular mechanisms of acetylcholine-induced ERK1/2 activation in HT29 cells and isolated human colonic crypts. Gastroenterology, 122 (4). p. 991.
Hotchkiss, A.T., Olano-Martin, E., Williams, Mark, Grace, W.E., Gibson, G.R. and Rastall, R.A. (2002) Pectic oligosaccharides as prebiotics. Abstracts of papers of the American Chemical Society, 223. p. 34.
Lindqvist, SM, Hernon, J, Sharp, P, Johns, N, Addison, S, Watson, MJ, Tighe, R, Greer, S, Mackay, J, Rhodes, M, Lewis, M, Stebbings, W, Speakman, C, Evangelista, S, Johnson, I and Williams, MR (2002) The colon-selective spasmolytic otilonium bromide inhibits muscarinic M3 receptor-coupled calcium signals in isolated human colonic crypts. British Journal of Pharmacology, 137 (7). pp. 1134-1142.
Sharp, Paul, Tandy, Sarah, Yamaji, Sachie, Tennant, Jason, Williams, Mark and Singh Srai, Surjit Kaila (2002) Rapid regulation of divalent metal transporter (DMT1) protein but not mRNA expression by non-haem iron in human intestinal Caco-2 cells. FEBS Letters, 510 (1-2). pp. 71-76. ISSN 00145793
Tandy, S., Williams, Mark, Srai, S.K., Yamaji, S., Tennant, J. and Sharp, P. (2002) Reciprocal regulation of DMT1 and transferrin receptor expression during differentiation of Caco-2 cells in culture. Journal of Physiology, 533. p. 13.
Tennant, J., Sharp, P., Tandy, S., Williams, Mark, Yamaji, S. and Srai, S.K. (2002) Effects of dietary metals on the expression of DMT1 in human intestinal Caco-2 cell line. Journal of Physiology, 533. pp. 13-14.
Williams, M. R. and Sharp, P. (2002) Regulation of jejunal glucose transporter expression by forskolin. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes, 1559 (2). pp. 179-185. ISSN 0005-2736
Lindqvist, SM, Hernon, JM, Sharp, PA, Mackay, J, Tighe, R, Rhodes, M and Williams, MR (2001) Calcium-dependent stimulation of the p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway by acetylcholine in isolated human colonic crypts. Gastroenterology, 120 (Suppl 1). p. 700.
Williams, M. R., Riach, R.A., Collison, David and Duncan, G. (2001) Role of the endoplasmic reticulum in shaping calcium dynamics in human lens cells. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 42 (5). pp. 1009-1017. ISSN 0146-0404
Williams, MR, Lindqvist, SM and Evangelista, S (2001) The colon-selective muscarinic antagonist otilonium bromide inhibits M3 acetylcholine receptors in human colonic crypts. FASEB Journal, 15 (4). p. 558.
Williams, MR, Lindqvist, SM, Hernon, JM, Sharp, P and Johnson, IT (2001) Stimulation of acetylcholine muscarinic receptors activates MAP kinase-dependent cell proliferation in HT29 human colonic epithelial cells via the calcium signaling pathway. Gastroenterology, 120 (Suppl 1). p. 2527.
Yamaji, Sachie, Tennant, Jason, Tandy, Sarah, Williams, Mark, Singh Srai, Surjit Kaila and Sharp, Paul (2001) Zinc regulates the function and expression of the iron transporters DMT1 and IREG1 in human intestinal Caco-2 cells. FEBS Letters, 507 (2). pp. 137-141. ISSN 00145793
Conference or Workshop Item
Scobioala-Laker, N, Reynolds, A, Parris, A, Mitchell, EM, Lewis, M, Kennedy, HJ, Stebbings, W, Prior, A, Phillips, M, Beales, I and Williams, MR (2009) A Novel 3D Ex Vivo Model of Native Human Barrett's Oesophagus. In: Digestive Disease Week/110th Annual Meeting of the American-Gastroenterological-Association, May 30 - Jun 04 2009, Chicago, IL.
Other
Reynolds, A., Parris, A., Tighe, R., Lewis, M., Westgarth, D., Bell, D., Jamieson, C., Dearlymple, J., Southgate, J., Sargen, K. and Williams, Mark (2006) Acetylcholine stimulation of the NKCC1 transporter is calcium-dependent and is rapidly desensitised by endocytosis in human colonic crypts: major implications for intestinal fluid secretion. UNSPECIFIED.
External Activities and Indicators of Esteem
- PhD external examiner
- Reviewer for American Journal Physiology, Journal of Biological Chemistry, FASEB etc.
- Grant Reviewer for BBSRC, MRC etc.
- Invited speaker: Physiology 2010; Molecular Regulation of epithelial transport protein trafficking (Manchester, 2010)
- Invited Speaker: FASEB 2007 Summer Conference GI Tract XII: The molecular and integrative basis for GI homeostasis and disease (Colorado, 2007)
- Plenary session speaker: American Gastroenterological Association (San Diego) 2008
- Plenary session speaker: American Gastroenterological Association (Washington, DC) 2007
- Plenary session speaker: British Society of Gastroenterology (Birmingham) 2006
- Plenary session speaker: American Gastroenterological Association (Los Angeles) 2006
- Invited speaker 11th International Conference on Ulcer Research (Dubrovnik) 2003
- Invited speaker: XV International Symposium on Morphological Science (Kyoto) 2000
- Member of Physiological Society
Administrative Posts/Responsibilities
- Member of Food and Health Research Alliance steering group
- Module organiser for Introduction to Biomedicine (1A5Y), Clinical Genetics (2B19), Biomedicine (3C34), Blood Biomedicine (3C53)
- University Human Tissue Safety Officer


