We study and aim to further understand diseases which become rapidly more frequent with ageing. Our expertise lie with cancer and neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease.

For more information, visit the Neurodegenerative Disease and Ageing Research Centre, Haematology Research Group, and Dementia Research Group websites.

Our researchers

Dr Leandro Castellano

Leandro Castellano’s lab aims to understand the role of short and long non-coding RNAs in epithelial cancer initiation and progression.  The laboratory performs different type of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) applications including small RNA-seq, CLIP-seq, RIP-seq and ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) as well as CRISPR genome editing technologies and bioinformatic analyses of big data.  

For more information, visit Dr Castellano's profile.

Professor Georgios Giamas

Our translational research laboratory combines a variety of molecular, cellular and biochemical techniques along with established in vitro/in vivo models and patients' specimens to study relevant pathways in cancer.

For more information visit the Giamas Lab website.

Dr Erika Mancini

Our research aims to determine the structural basis underlying the interplay between chromatin remodelling factors, transcription factors and DNA, a crucial requirement for the precise regulation of eukaryotic gene expression.

For more information visit the Mancini Lab website

Dr Rhys Morgan

My research aims to understand the role of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway in normal haematopoiesis, and how these processes are disrupted during the development of leukaemia.

For more information, visit the Morgan Lab website.

Professor Simon Morley

We are investigating the signalling pathways regulating mRNA utilisation in eukaryotic cells during proliferation and differentiation. Our main focus is on the initiation factor complex, eIF4F, and its regulated assembly during different phases of the cell cycle. We are also developing tools to investigate localised protein synthesis in cells maintained in 2D and 3D culture. Although the regulation of protein synthesis is fundamental to cell growth and survival, relatively little is actually known about the role of phosphorylation of translation initiation factors in modulating this process.

For more information visit the Morley Lab website.

Dr Frances Pearl

The bioinformatics lab provides collaborative bioinformatics support to researchers within Life Sciences and in particular the Translational Drug Discovery Group, as well as pursuing independant research.

For more information visit the Bioinformatics Lab website.

Dr Chrisostomos Prodromou

I am a senior lecturer working on molecular chaperones, especially Hsp90. I seek to understand the structural basis for the maturation and activation of Hsp90 client proteins and the interplay with its associated complexes. I use structural, biochemical and genetic techniques to achieve my aims. I have a number of collaborations with staff across the university in helping them understand the molecular basis of interactions within their systems.

I am also actively engaged in programs aimed at the discovery and development of novel small-molecule inhibitors with application as drugs for the treatment of cancer, infectious disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Professor Louise Serpell

The Serpell Group work on the structure and function of amyloidogenic proteins using a range of biophysical and imaging techniques

For more information visit the Serpell Lab website.

Professor Alison Sinclair

Cancer virus interactions with host cells. Epstein Barr virus (EBV)

EBV is the causative agent of Burkitt's Lymphoma, Hodgkin's Disease, Nasopharyngeal Carcimoma and Lymphoproliferative diseases in immunocompromised people. By adulthood, most people are infected with EBV and the virus persists in the body for life.

Dr Sinclair's research research group investigate the interactions between EBV and host cells that direct whether the virus establishes latency and promotes cancer development or undergoes lytic replication - destroying the cell. Members of the group can be found under the "people" section.

For more information visit the Sinclair Lab website.

Professor Michelle West

The research in our laboratory is focussed on deciphering the mechanisms involved in B-cell transformation by the cancer-associated herpesvirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

For more information visit the West Lab website