Staff Profile

Career Summary

Qualifications

• PhD, University of Newcastle, 03/03/2000
• Bachelor of Science, University of Newcastle, 30/04/1993
• Bachelor of Science (Honours), University of Newcastle, 06/05/1994

Research

Research keywords

• Corticotropin releasing hormone
• FISH
• Intracellular signalling
• Placenta
• Placental cell culture
• Syncytiotrophoblast
• Transcription

Research expertise

During my PhD studies, completed jointly in the Mothers and Babies Research Centre and the Cell Signalling Unit, at the Children’s Medical Research I developed a strong interest in intracellular signalling mechanisms, with a particular emphasis on protein kinases and protein phosphorylation. My PhD thesis explored signalling through cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) in the pituitary. During this time I developed a particular interest in the actions of corticotrophin releasing hormone.

Following my PhD I gained some experience in the field of vascular biology where I developed an interest in apoptosis in particular, the role of apoptosis in tissue remodelling following vascular grafting.

Since returning to the Mothers and Babies Research Centre at the University of Newcastle, I have developed an interest in the syncytialisation of cytotrophoblast cells in the placenta. Fusion of cytotrophoblast cells to form the syncytiotrophoblast layer is a fundamental process in the formation and maintenance of the placenta. The dramatic changes in expression of genes that occurs as cells alter their phenotype from cytotrophoblast to syncytiotrophoblast make the placental trophoblast an ideal model in which to explore transcriptional organisation in the nucleus, in particular, the formation and function of transcription factories. I am also the Ethics Officer for the Mothers and Babies Research Centre and have gained extensive experience in the co-ordination of grant submissions.

Fields of Research