Professional Qualifications and professional memberships

MBChBEd, MSc.(Psych), Ph.D, M.A.Ed, MRCS(Ed), MRCS(Eng), MRCS(Glasg)

Research interests

• Wound Healing
• Skin Cancer – Melanoma
• Sarcoma
• Head & Neck Cancer and Reconstruction

Career summary

I successfully completed a Ph.D at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, UCL, London and the Institute for Cancer Research, Sutton in 2004. I gained a NTN in Plastic Surgery in Eastern Deanery in 2007.

After obtaining a National Training Number in the Eastern Deanery, I have decided to pursue my interests in research and now have converted to an academic clinician scientist.

I am actively seeking and open to supervise MD/Ph.D student projects.

Fax Number: 01603591750 

Telephone Number: 01603593222 

Location: BMRC

My Ph.D was on the Development of a fully “humanised” in vivo breast cancer model

Post-doctoral research, Manchester University, Faculty of Life Sciences

“Does desmosomal adhesion inhibit metastasis in a malignant melanoma mouse model

Current Research The db/db mouse model of impaired wound healing and HGF/SF therapy of chronic skin ulcers

Objective

The goal of this proposal is to study in detail the molecular components that determine the status of the HGF/SF-Met signalling pathway in the db/db mouse model of impaired wound healing in comparison to human chronic ulcers, acute wounds and normal skin, as a basis for evaluating optimal manipulation of the pathway to enhance wound repair in the clinic. Understanding this system in the db/db mouse model and human chronic ulcers could have valuable consequences, including firstly, the ability to identify patients more likely to respond to HGF/SF therapy, and secondly, the development of strategies to augment HGF/SF bioactivity, potentially via selective inhibition of Met sheddases.

Dysregulation of MMP in melanoma

The incidence of cutaneous melanoma is increasing faster than any other cancer in the western world. Melanoma has a high tendency to metastasize which is invariably fatal when it does so. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been shown to have an integral role in promoting invasion and subsequent metastasis of melanoma. We have over 25 years of melanoma tissue at our disposal in the histopathological diagnostic archive. This project sets out to develop and validate a method of retrieving mRNA from archival Formalin fixed paraffin embedded melanoma tissue to allow MMP expression profiling. Once established the aim is to evaluate the prognostic significance of a selection of MMPs by undertaking a comprehensive study of the MMP profile in a large defined series of patients with known pathological and clinical data. Histopathological markers such as tumour thickness, ulceration, mitotic rate etc. are well established prognostic markers, however the MMP profile could serve as a more accurate and reliable diagnostic, predictive and prognostic indicator, as well as a follow-up marker for the early detection of metastasis and efficacy of therapy. This information will then be used to tailor individual treatment. This work will commence the academic research collaboration in skin cancer between Plastic surgery, Dermatology, Histopathology and Biological sciences at the UEA.