Research Focus
My lab utilises state-of-art multi-omics methodologies to study how protein synthesis is dysregulated in cancer cells, and how this dysregulation contributes to various stages of cancer progression.
Key Publications
Methods for monitoring and measurement of protein translation in time and space. Mol Biosyst (2017) 13(12):2477-2488. PMID: 29051942
Global Analysis of mRNA, Translation, and Protein Localization: Local Translation Is a Key Regulator of Cell Protrusions. Dev Cell (2015) 35(3):344-5. PMID: 26555054
Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) function is essential for cell cycle progression, senescence and tumorigenesis. Elife (2016) 5:e12994. PMID: 26765561
Proteomics profiling of interactome dynamics by colocalisation analysis (COLA). Mol Biosyst (2016) 13(1):92-105. PMID: 27824369
Major Funding
- 2017-2022- Medical Research Council Career Development Award, The role of RNA Binding Proteins (RBPs) in breast cancer progression and metastasis, £1,218,815
- 2017-2020- Barts Charity Grant, £370,603.63 (joint application with Dr Pedro Cutillas)
Other Activities
Member of:
- British Society of Cell Biology (BSCB)
- Biochemical Society
Research
Each cell in our body contains the same genetic information, yet this information is read out in diverse manners, allowing different cell types to acquire distinct characteristics.
Importantly, the decoding of genetic information can be corrupted in diseases such as cancer, resulting in undesired characteristics, such as unrestricted proliferation and invasion of malignant cells into other tissues and organs.
The decoding of genetic information occurs sequentially from DNA, via messenger-RNA (mRNA), to proteins, the final and functional products of most genes. My lab is particularly interested in understanding how synthesis of cellular proteins from mRNA (i.e. protein translation) is dysregulated in cancer cells.
Using cutting-edge quantitative proteomics, RNA-seq, and bioinformatics methodologies, along with a variety of cell based and biochemical assays, we study how protein translation is controlled in time and space, and how this regulation is altered during cancer progression.
Currently, the lab is focused on four projects:
- The role of localised translation at the leading edge in controlling cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastasis.
- The role of mRNA localisation in controlling protein translation in normal and malignant cells.
- How oncogenes trigger malignancy by dysregulating gene expression at the level of protein translation.
- How dysregulated protein translation, processing, and turnover affects the immune profile of cancer cells.
Ultimately, our goal is to understand how various aspects of cancer progression are mediated by spatial and temporal dysregulation of protein synthesis, in hope of revealing novel therapeutic targets that can be exploited to tackle malignancy.
If you are interested in working/studying in our lab, please e-mail me.
Other Activities
Member of:
- British Society of Cell Biology (BSCB)
- Biochemical Society
Major Funding
- 2017-2022- Medical Research Council Career Development Award, The role of RNA Binding Proteins (RBPs) in breast cancer progression and metastasis, £1,218,815
- 2017-2020- Barts Charity Grant, £370,603.63 (joint application with Dr Pedro Cutillas)
Recent Publications
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For additional publications, please click here
Team
Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr Maria Dermit
Research Technician
Mr Martin Dodel
PhD Students
Mr Muhammad Syahmi Bin Azman, Mr Elliott Whittaker
Biography
- 2017: Group leader at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
- 2010-2016: Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Professor Christopher J. Marshall’s laboratory, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK. (Regulation of polarity during cell migration via RNA localisation and local translation)
- 2006-2010: PhD in Biology – Professor John K. Heath’s laboratory, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. (Feedback regulation of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase signalling by Sprouty and Spred)
- 2004-2006: BSc with Honours Class I in Biochemistry – University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.