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Academic

Dr Barbara Jennings

Barbara Jennings

Senior Lecturer in Molecular Medicine

Job Title Contact Location
Senior Lecturer 
in Molecular Medicine		 B dot Jennings at uea dot ac dot uk
Tel: +44 (0)1603 59 1167   		Medical School 2.06A 
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Career

Professional Qualifications and professional memberships

PhD in Cancer Genetics (1994)
B.Sc. (hons) in Biological Sciences (1988)
Postgraduate Certificate of Higher Education (2004)

Research interests 
  • Genetic Epidemiology
  • Folate Metabolism
  • Pharmacogenetics
  • Cancer Genetics

Career summary

In my early postdoctoral career I gained research and clinical experience in molecular diagnostics. From 1994, I was a state registered clinical scientist within a pathology department and my research included the translation of informative genetic markers into useful diagnostic tests. From 1997, I published a series of papers about the penetrance of the common mutations associated with hereditary haemochromatosis, and contributed to best practice guidelines for the genetic diagnosis of this disease. I also contributed to a pan-European study of the molecular diagnosis of haematological malignancies.
In 2002, I joined the faculty of the new medical school at UEA, teaching genetics to MB/BS students and contributing to curriculum design and development. My recent research has been in the field of genetic epidemiology which has led to the establishment of local research networks and participation in national studies.



Key Research Interests

My research focuses on functionally important genetic variation, with a particular emphasis on folate metabolism. 
  • Study designs include genetic disease association studies, pharmacogenetic studies and systematic reviews. 
  • My aims include the translation of research findings into strategies for the diagnosis of, or screening for, diseases with a genetic component.

The role of dietary folate in disease prevention and the importance of anti-folates in the treatment of cancers and common inflammatory disorders mark this out as an important area of applied research. I work in collaboration with colleagues at the Institute of Food Research, Norwich; and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. We have shown, in a British population based study, that the enzymes of intracellular folate metabolism are remarkably polymorphic (see figure 1 and table 1). Our local research network has recently completed a randomised controlled trial of folate supplementation, FOLCLAUD; and established a pharmacogenetic study of anti-folate chemotherapy, AFCAP.

Figure 1. A diagram illustrating the enzymes MTHFR, TYMS, DHFR, MTHFD1, SLC19A1, MTR, and SHMT 1, GGH, GART and MTRR in intracellular folate metabolism. 

Figure1

The diagram illustrates the folate metabolites. Each enzyme in this study is shown in a grey shaded box. Deoxythymidine monophosphate (dTMP); Deoxyuridine Monophosphate (dUMP); S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH); S-adenosylmethionine (SAM); tetrahydrofolate (THF). The gene GART encodes a multifunctional enzyme that has the following activities phosphoribosylglycinamide formyltransferase (10-formyltetrahydrofolate to tetrahydrofolate); phosphoribosylglycinamide synthetase; and phosphoribosylaminoimidazole synthetase. 

Table 1. The allele frequencies for the polymorphic loci encoding the enzymes shown in figure 1 for a population of 459 healthy volunteers from Norfolk, U.K.

Table1

Collaboration and Public Engagement


  • Genetic and molecular epidemiologists must participate in research networks to achieve significant study sizes; since 2006 I have contributed to the People of the British Isles study as the East Anglian lead. The project is examining the pattern of differences in polymorphisms in 3500 individuals from populations across the UK; it will provide data and resources for future genetic disease association and pharmacogenetic studies.
  • In 2009 I contributed to Photo-ID, an exhibition funded by the Wellcome Trust that was produced by scientists, photographers and artists. The curator, Professor Keith Roberts, edited a book to accompany the project. In this chapter I present my research in its social context; Genetics and Identity; exploring our history, defining our futures?

Selected publications

Jennings BA, Willis GA, Skinner J, Relton CL. Genetic selection? A study of individual variation in the enzymes of folate metabolism. BMC Med Genet;11(1):18 [Download PD 251KB].

Khandanpour N, Willis G, Meyer FJ, Armon MP, Loke YK, Wright AJ, Finglas PM, Jennings BA: Peripheral arterial disease and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T mutations: A case-control study and meta-analysis. J Vasc Surg 2009;49(3):711-718.

Khandanpour N, Armon M, Jennings B, Clark A, Willis G, Finglas P, Meyer F Folate Supplementation Improves Arterial Function in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease. A Randomised Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial. British Journal of Surgery 2009 (in press).

Khandanpour N, Loke YK, Meyer FJ, Jennings BA, Armon MP, Homocysteine and
peripheral arterial disease: systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery 2009 (in press).

Khandanpour N, Armon M, Jennings B, Clark A, Meyer F: The Association Between Ankle Brachial Pressure Index and Pulse Wave Velocity: Clinical Implication of Pulse Wave Velocity. Angiology 2008 PMID: 19098010.

Gukas ID, Girling AC, Mandong BM, Prime W, Jennings BA, Leinster S. A comparison of clinicopathological features and molecular markers in British and Nigerian women with breast cancer. Clinical Medicine: Oncology 2008;2:347-351.

Gukas ID, Jennings BA, Mandong BM, Manasseh AN, Harvey I, Leinster S. A comparison of the pattern of occurrence of breast cancer in Nigerian and British women. The Breast 2006;15:90-95

Willis G, Bardsley V, Fellows IW, Lonsdale R, Wimperis JZ, Jennings BA. Hepatocellular carcinoma and the penetrance of HFE C282Y mutations: a cross sectional study. BMC Gastroenterol. 2005;5(1):17.

Willis G., Wimperis J.Z., Fellows I., Smith K., Jennings B.A. HFE mutations in the elderly. B.A. Blood Cells, Molecules and Diseases 2003; 31/32: 240-246.

Wijers-Koster P, Droese J, Delabesse E, Spaargaren M, Hermosin L, Diss TC, MiIls KI, Jennings BA, Milner BJ, Bloxham D, AI Saati TM, Salles G, Kluin P, Schuuring E 2003. t(11;14) with BCL1- IGH rearrangement. Leukemia 2003;17:2296-2298.

Evans PAS, Bastard C, Delabesse E, Macintyre EA, Wijers-Koster P, Schuuring E, Moreau E, González D, Mills KI, Jennings BA, Milner BJ, Bloxham D, Starostik P, Delfau-Larue MH, Salles G, Morgan GJ, 2003. t(14;18) with BCL2-IGH rearrangement. Leukemia 2003;17:2298-2301.


Teaching Interests

Undergraduate
 
  • Theme Lead for Genetics in UEA MB/BS curriculum
  • Deputy Course Director for UEA MB/BS medical degree
  • Problem based learning tutor
  • Contributor to the national list of genetics learning outcomes for UK undergraduate medical students defined by the National Genetics and Education Centre.

Postgraduate
  • 2002 – 2009 Supervision of two PhD students and one MD student through their degrees.


Jump to: Article | Book Section | Conference or Workshop Item
Number of items: 33.

Article

Khandanpour, Nader, Jennings, Barbara, Armon, Matthew P, Wright, Anthony, Willis, Gavin, Clark, Allan and Meyer, F (2011) Do novel risk biomarkers reflect the severity of peripheral arterial disease? Angiology, 62 (2). pp. 126-33. ISSN 1940-1574

Winney, Bruce, Abdelhamid, Boumertit, Day, Tammy, Davison, Dan, Echeta, Chikodi, Evseeva, Irina, Hutnik, Katarzyna, Leslie, Stephen, Nicodemus, Kristin, Royrvik, Ellen C, Tonks, Susan, Yang, Xiaofeng, Cheshire, James, Longley, Paul, Mateos, Pablo, Groom, Alexandra, Relton, Caroline, Bishop, D. Tim, Black, Kathryn, Northwood, Emma, Parkinson, Louise, Frayling, Timothy M, Steele, Anna, Sampson, Julian R, King, Turi, Dixon, Ron, Middleton, Derek, Jennings, Barbara, Bowden, Rory, Donnelly, Peter and Bodmer, Walter (2011) People of the British Isles: preliminary analysis of genotypes and surnames in a UK control population. European Journal of Human Genetics. ISSN 1018-4813 (In Press)

Jennings, BA, Willis, G, Skinner, J and Relton, C (2010) Genetic selection? A study of individual variation in the enzymes of folate metabolism. BMC Medical Genetics, 11 (1). p. 18.

Khandanpour, Nader, Armon, Matthew P, Jennings, Barbara, Clark, Allan and Meyer, F (2010) The association between ankle brachial pressure index and pulse wave velocity: clinical implication of pulse wave velocity. Angiology, 60 (6). pp. 732-738. ISSN 1940-1574

Khandanpour, N, Loke, YK, Meyer, F, Jennings, BA and Armon, MP (2009) Homocysteine and peripheral arterial disease: systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, 38 (3). pp. 316-322.

Khandanpour, N, Armon, MP, Jennings, BA, Clark, A and Meyer, F (2009) Photoplethysmography, an easy and accurate method for measuring ankle brachial pressure index: Can photoplethysmography replace doppler. European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, 43 (6). pp. 578-582.

Khandanpour, N, Armon, MP, Jennings, BA, Clark, A, Willis, G and Meyer, F (2009) Folate Supplementation Improves Arterial Function in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease. A Randomised Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial. British Journal of Surgery, 96. pp. 990-998.

Khandanpour, N, Armon, MP, Jennings, BA, Finglas, P, Willis, G, Clark, AB and Meyer, F (2009) Randomised clinical trial of folate supplementation in patients with peripheral arterial disease. British Journal of Surgery, 96 (9). pp. 990-998.

Khandanpour, N, Willis, G, Meyer, F, Armon, MP, Loke, YK, Wright, A, Finglas, P and Jennings, BA (2009) Peripheral arterial disease and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHRFR) C677T mutations: A case-control study and meta-analysis. Journal of Vascular Surgery, 49 (3). pp. 711-718.

Khandanpour, Nader, Armon, Matthew P, Jennings, Barbara, Clark, Allan and Meyer, F (2009) Photoplethysmography, an easy and accurate method for measuring ankle brachial pressure index: can photoplethysmography replace Doppler? Vascular and endovascular surgery, 43 (6). pp. 578-82. ISSN 1938-9116

Gukas, IGD, Jennings, BA, Mandong, BM, Prime, W, Girling, AC and Leinster, SJ (2008) A comparison of clinicopathological features and molecular markers in British and Nigerian women with breast cancer. Clinical Medicine: Oncology, 2. pp. 347-351.

Khandanpour, N, Armon, MP, Jennings, BA, Clark, AB and Meyer, F (2008) The association between Ankle Brachial Pressure Index and Pulse Wave Velocity. Angiology.

Gukas, IGD, Jennings, BA, Mandong, BM, Manasseh, AN, Harvey, IM and Leinster, SJ (2006) A comparison of the pattern of occurrence of breast cancer in Nigerian and British women. The Breast, 15 (1). pp. 90-95.

Jennings, BA (2006) A balanced perspective of psychiatric genetics and genomics. European Journal of Human Genetics, 14 (10). pp. 1145-1146.

Gukas, IGD, Jennings, BA, Leinster, SJ and Harvey, IM (2005) A theme issue by, for, and about Africa: Collaborative work between Nigeria and UK on breast cancer has been successful. British Medical Journal, 331 (7519). p. 779.

Gukas, IGD, Jennings, BA, Mandong, BM, Igun, GO, Girling, AC, Manasseh, AN, Ugwu, BT and Leinster, SJ (2005) Clinicopathological features and molecular markers of breast cancer in Jos, Nigeria. West African Journal of Medicine, 24 (3). pp. 209-213.

Jennings, BA, Bardsley, V, Lonsdale, R, Fellows, I, Wimperis, J, Willis, G, Bingham, SA, Bingham, S, Khaw, KT and Khaw, K-T (2005) The penetrance of HFE C282Y mutations with respect to hepatocellular carcinoma is low in a UK population. American Journal of Ooentgenology American Journal of Roentgenology, 131. p. 342.

Willis, G, Bardsley, V, Fellows, I, Lonsdale, R, Wimperis, J and Jennings, BA (2005) Hepatocellular carcinoma and the penetrance of HFE C282Y mutations: a cross sectional study. BMC Gastroenterology, 5 (1). p. 17.

Willis, G, Uddin, M, Finglas, P, Wright, A, Clarke, S, Smilth, K, Heron, D and Jennings, BA (2005) A study of multiple polymorphisms of folate-dependent one-carbon metabolism in a northern European population. European Journal of Human Genetics, 13 (1). p. 348.

Gukas, IGD, Jennings, BA, Mandong, BM, Girling, A, Igun, G, Prime, W and Leinster, SJ (2004) A comparison of clinicopathological features and molecular markers in British and Nigerian women with breast cancer. EJC supplements, 2. pp. 129-130.

Gukas, IGD, Jennings, BA, Mandong, BM, Manasseh, AN, Harvey, IM and Leinster, SJ (2004) The age specific Incidence rate for breast cancer is not higher in young Nigerian women compared to young British women. EJSO, 30 (9). p. 1040.

Evans, PAS, Bastard, C, Delabesse, E, Macintyre, EA, Wijers-Koster, P, Schuuring, E, Moreau, E, González, D, Mills, KI, Jennings, BA, Milner, BJ, Bloxham, D, Starostik, P, Delfau-Larue, M-H, Salles, G, Morgan, GJ and Ott, M (2003) t(14;18) with BCL2-IGH rearrangement. Leukemia, 17 (12). pp. 2298-2301.

Jennings, BA, Wimperis, J, Tickner, T, Khaw, KT, Naidu, R, Khaw, K-T, Bingham, SA, Willis, G and Bingham, S (2003) MTHFR 677 polymorphism in an elderly patient cohort. European Journal of Human Genetics, 11. p. 249.

Lavender, FL, Hodges, E, Mills, KI, White, HE, Flohr, T, Nakao, M, Langerak, AW, Groenen, PJTA, Villuendas, EA, Jennings, BA, Milner, BJ, Bloxham, D, Droese, J, Macintyre, EA, Beldjord, K, Davi, F and Smith, JL (2003) TCRD gene rearrangements:V -D -J , D -D , V -D , and D -J F.L. Leukemia, 17 (12). pp. 2292-2296.

Wijers-Koster, P, Droese, J, Delabesse, E, Spaargaren, M, Hermosin, L, Diss, DC, Mills, KI, Jennings, BA, Milner, BJ, Bloxham, D, Al Saati, TM, Salles, G, Kluin, P and Schuuring, E (2003) t(11;14) with BCL1-IGH rearrangement. Leukemia, 17. pp. 2296-2298.

Willis, G, Walker, R and Jennings, BA (2003) Survival of C28Y homozygotes does not preclude screening for HFE mutations. BMJ.com.

Willis, G, Walker, R and Jennings, BA (2003) Genetic equilibrium suggests no link between MTHFR and ischaemic heart disease. BMJ.com.

Willis, G, Wimperis, JZ, Smith, K, Fellows, IW and Jennings, BA (2003) HFE mutations in the elderly. Blood Cells Mol Dis, 31 (2). pp. 240-246.

Willis, G, Scott, DGI, Jennings, BA, Smith, K, Bukhari, M and Wimperis, JZ (2002) HFE mutations in an inflammatory arthritis population. Rheumatology (Oxford), 41 (2). pp. 176-179.

Book Section

Jennings, BA and Papageorgiou, A (2011) The holistic curriculum: balancing basic and social sciences with clinical practice. In: The Changing Face of Medical Education. Radcliffe Publishing.

Conference or Workshop Item

Jennings, BA, Wimperis, JZ, Tickner, T, Naidu, R and Willis, G (2003) MTHFR 677 polymorphism in an elderly patient cohort. In: British Society of Human Genetics, Birmingham, European Journal of Human Genetics.

Willis, G and Jennings, BA (2003) KLOTHO F352v polymorphism in an elderly population. In: British Society of Human Genetics, Birmingham, European Journal of Human Genetics.

Jennings, BA, Willis, G, Wimperis, JZ, Smith, K and Lillington, D (2002) Microarray detection of genomic imbalances at 25 onogene loci in the progression of chronic myeloid lukaemia. In: British Society of Haematology, Brighton, British journal of Haematology.

This list was generated on Sat May 18 09:25:09 2013 BST.

External Activities and Indicators of Esteem

  • East Anglian lead for the People of the British Isles Study (www.peopleofthebritishisles.org)
  • Contributor to Wellcome Trust Funded exhibition, Photo-ID: photographers and scientists explore identity.
  • Member of European Society for Human Genetics
  • Expert reviewer  for the Health Technology Assessment (HTA - NETSCC) panel.

Key Responsibilities

  • Deputy Director of the MB/BS curriculum and theme lead for the genetics curriculum of the MB/BS course.
  • Chairperson for Folate Interest Group for Norwich Research Park
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