Tag: Human Health and Disease

CBR researcher at European Neuroscience Forum

Author Prof Tony Killard | Posted on

Ms. Katie Turk recently presented her research at the FENS Forum 2026 in Barcelona. The FENS (Federation of European Neuroscience Societies) forum is the largest of its kind in Europe.

Katie’s research is investigating the impact that extracts from the fungus Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane) have on neurogenesis using a neuroblastoma model. Lion’s Mane has been used for centuries to manage cognitive decline. With her supervisor Dr. Tim Craig, Katie is investigating what impacts, if any, this may have on neuronal differentiation and marker expression.

Here is what Katie had to say about her time at the conference:

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2026, held in Barcelona from the 6th till the10th July. As Europe’s largest neuroscience conference, the Forum only takes place every two years, and this year’s event was the biggest yet, bringing together more than 8,000 neuroscientists from over 80 countries.

The conference opened with a vibrant ceremony celebrating Spanish culture through traditional dance, alongside inspiring speeches from the FENS leadership – with the important reminder to “ask questions to encourage, not to intimidate” fostering supportive scientific discussion.

With neurodegenerative disease representing one of the greatest global health challenges, and as someone working in this field, it was inspiring to see the scale, diversity and momentum of research taking place across the world. The programme was packed with outstanding talks spanning every discipline of neuroscience. Highlights included plenary lectures from Guillermina López-Bendito, Yukiko Goda and Holly Ingraham, among many others.

The poster sessions were equally memorable there was such a positive atmosphere, with researchers at every career stage sharing ideas, asking thoughtful questions and offering constructive feedback. Some of the most valuable moments of the week came from these conversations, which gave me new perspectives on my own work.

Beyond the science, the Forum also celebrated neuroscience’s rich history and its connection with the arts, an exhibition honouring Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Santiago Ramόn y Cajal, created in collaboration with the design studio La Casa de Carlota, combined art and science through interactive installations, including a collaborative brain network drawing activity and a gallery inspired by Cajal’s iconic illustrations.

Congratulations to Katie on her presentation and for discovering the immense social and cultural value of conference participation.

Centre for Biomedical Research Annual conference

Author Prof Tony Killard | Posted on

The UWE Centre for Biomedical Research (CBR) held its second annual conference on the 8th of September. A year after the establishment of the new centre, the theme of the meeting was to emphasise and build on our connections with our academic and industrial collaborators.

The one day event again served to highlight the world-leading and internationally excellent research taking place across our core themes of Human Health and Disease, Biosensing, Bioanalysis and Diagnostics and Workforce and Practice Development. It further highlighted both our industrial and academic linkages.

We were delighted to have Dr. Aoife Morrin from Dublin City University as our keynote speaker. Her talk entitled “From Diagnosis to Dialogue: Unravelling Skin Volatile Profiles for Health and Beyond” illustrated the many intersections with CBR research, such as volatilomics, bioanalysis and diagnosis of disease (along with sharing a few embarrassing old photos!). These intersections could be seen in the work of Dr. David Qualtrough’s team as presented by James Claar which is investigating volatile organic compound signatures in colorectal cancer.

The work of Dr. Qualtrough and Clarr is a part of the strong bioanalytical base within the centre, as well as the newly formed Forensics Group. Talks from Chelsey Jordan, Louise Mclachlan and Dr. Kevin Honeychurch focused on both the methodologies and applications of analysis across the field of drug and chemical detection and analysis. Our long-established and continuing strength in biosensing was also on show from Dr David Ferrier’s study on exploring emerging green synthetic methods.

Prof. Tony Killard’s research, while often relating to both sensors and volatile analysis in diagnostics, the topic of his talk was addressing issues of technology implementation and integration into healthcare systems. The topic of healthcare deployment was also explored by Prof. Richard Luxton, through his involvement in the new NHS England Centre of Digital Excellence (CoDE) and his investigation into the application of ambient voice technology in primary care; as well as by Prof. Aniko Varadi who has also been working with the NHS for many years to integrate genomics into clinical practice through nurse teaching practice.

Our links with the SWBio Doctoral Training Partnership were highlighted by Dr. Lucy Crompton. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, of Dr. Alex Greenhough’s student, Selina Diether, we were unable to showcase some of the excellent post-graduate research taking place within this programme at CBR. However, this was very much compensated by the excellent work presented by UWE Wallscourt Fellow Laura Perry on signalling mechanisms in colorectal cancer. Our expertise in genetics was also on show, both through Prof. Mike Ladomery’s exploration of the impact of ant-cancer drugs on RNA splicing; while Dr. Ruth Morse also presented some fascinating insights into the role of ring chromosomal DNA in human disease.

Interest in the role of the microbiome was also on display at both epidemiological and public health health perspectives, through the work of one of our guest speakers, Dr. Zheng Feei Ma of the UWE School of Health and Wellbeing and his study of the links between nutrition, gut microbiome and health; as well as in the work of Prof. Emmanuel Adukwu’s student Syed Ayaan studying the role played by hand drying technologies in the transmission of drug resistant microorganisms.

Our excellent research links with our industrial partners were demonstrated through the joint presentation given by Juliet Munns and Lance Hiley from Mass Spec Analytical on the development of the application of amino acid analysis in traumatic injury diagnosis. It was also wonderful to have the participation, support and presentations from our sponsors and exhibitors , Horiba, PCR Biosystems  and ProteinTech.

Congratulations also go to Juliet Munns and Sofia Meresentoglou as winners of the student talk and poster presentations, respectively.

Finally, big thanks to Dr. Lili Ordonez who was central to all the meeting organisation, and Eleri Heathcote for her assistance.

The centre looks forward to further growing its connections and collaborations over the coming year.

Centre for Biomedical Science research highlighted in Science Matters magazine

Author Prof Tony Killard | Posted on

Some of the world-leading research being conducted in the Centre for Biomedical Science has been highlighted alongside other research taking place with the School of Applied Science at UWE.

This edition of the Science Matters magazine has been created by UWE’s Science Communication students and is wonderfully professional and informative and can be accessed here.

Academy of Medical Sciences awards for our biomedical researchers

Author Prof Tony Killard | Posted on

Dr. Lucy Crompton and Dr. Dan Turnham awarded Academy of Medical Sciences Springboard funding

Sincere congratulations to Dr. Lucy Crompton and Dr. Dan Turnham who have both been awarded grants from the Academy of Medical Sciences through their Springboard scheme. The purpose of the Springboard programme is to offer support for biomedical researchers at the early stages of their independent careers.

Dr. Turnham’s research involves gaining an improved understanding of the changes that take place to cancer cells, particularly those involved in prostate cancer. Dr. Turnham is studying a protein called RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation endproducts) that occurs in particular on the surface of aggressive prostate cancer cells which makes them grow more quickly and increases their resistance to chemotherapy. The project will investigate why and how the change in expression of the RAGE protein comes about, with the potential of targeting it for chemotherapy. He will test a new anti-cancer agent that can bind to RAGE and kill the cancer cells, while leaving others unharmed. This could make a massive differences in those with aggressive forms of prostate cancer who currently lack effective treatment options.

Dr. Crompton’s work is focused on the mechanisms involved in Parkinson’s disease. Specifically, she is looking at the role of the protein alpha-Synuclein (aSyn) and how it is triggered to form the toxic aggregates that are symptomatic of Parkinson’s disease. She has been investigating the role that brain astrocytes play in promoting neuroinflammatory processes which lead to aSyn aggregation and how their pro-inflammatory behaviour is modulated through the autophagy lysosomal pathway. A clearer understanding of these mechanisms has far-reaching potential to develop new and effective treatments for this debilitating illness.

We wish Drs Turnham and Crompton the very best in their research endeavours.

Neuroscience research highlighted on BBC R4

Author Prof Tony Killard | Posted on

Dr. Tim Craig, Associate Professor of Neuroscience, talks to BBC Radio 4 Health and Science about the potential for Lion’s Mane extracts in the prevention or treatment of dementia

As part of an episode of Inside Health on BBC Radio 4, BBC Health and Science Correspondent James Gallagher interviewed Dr Tim Craig, Associate Professor of Neuroscience from the Centre for Biomedical Research (CBR), UWE, about his work looking at the potential neuroprotective effects of the Lion’s Mane mushroom. Dr Craig’s work on this project is funded by a Partnership PhD with the Bristol Fungarium, who specialise in functional mushroom extracts and tinctures. In the interview, Dr Craig discussed the purpose of the research project, which is to rigorously examine the potential of the extract of Lion’s Mane mushrooms to protect against neurotoxic damage in diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease. Dr Craig’s PhD student, Kaitlyn Turk, is using cellular models of neuronal damage to look at neuroprotective effects of these extracts, with the ultimate aim of identifying specific therapeutic compounds produced by these mushrooms. This research is highly topical due to the massive increase in interest in the medicinal properties of a variety of edible mushrooms, some of which have been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years.

The link to the interview can be found here.

Dr. Tim J. Craig

CBR academics receive Early Career Research awards

Author Prof Tony Killard | Posted on

Congratulations to (L-R): Dr. James Robson, Dr. Lili Ordonez, Dr. Piers Townsend and Dr. Liana Gynn.

Four academic members of the Centre for Research in Biosciences have been awarded the Vice Chancellor Early Career Research (VCECR) award.

Dr. James Robson‘s project is entitled “Investigating tumour associated microbial communities and their virulence genes in colonoscopy polyp samples“. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death with incidence predicted to rise, specifically in younger populations. CRC development and progression are heavily influenced by dietary and lifestyle factors, which alter the composition of the gut microbiota. Microbial species associated with CRC have been identified in previous studies, but it is unclear whether these species are causative or simply enriched in the tumour microenvironment. This is further confounded by the presence of distinct microbial communities at different stages of the adenoma-carcinoma sequence. The aim of this project is to compare the microbial communities present in precancerous colorectal adenomas (polyps) isolated from patients undergoing colonoscopy and matched healthy tissue. The composition of the microbial communities within these samples will be analysed, and the presence of CRC-promoting virulence genes will be determined. This data will be supplemented by in vitro co-culture models investigating the expression and effects of these virulence genes to determine whether microorganisms contribute to development and progression of colorectal polyps. This project is in collaboration with Dr David Qualtrough and Dr Alexander Greenhough (UWE), and Dr Lee Parry (Cardiff University).

Dr. Lili Ordonez‘s received her award for a project entitled “Investigating Acquisition of Mesenchymal Features as a Mechanism of Tumour Relapse in Breast Cancer“. During therapy, cancer cells adapt in order to survive. This plasticity results in resistance to cancer therapies and ultimately contributes to relapse of the primary tumour. This means that irrespective of therapy efficiency, we can never ensure patients will remain cancer-free. Patients experiencing tumour relapse currently have very limited therapeutic options; therefore, a new strategy to overcome or prevent therapy-resistance would provide a huge impact on patient survival. Dr. Ordonez’s previous work has shown a correlation between therapy-resistance and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in breast cancer. EMT is a process where an epithelial cell converts into a mesenchymal cell, resulting in a change in cell appearance, expression of proteins and cellular behaviour. However, whether EMT is a cause or consequence of therapy-resistance remains unclear. The aim of this project is to investigate if EMT is a mechanism of therapy-resistance in breast cancer. If a causative mechanism is confirmed then the development of therapies to inhibit this transition could prevent therapy-resistance, increase the efficiency of cancer therapy, and improve patient outcomes. This project is in collaboration with Dr Helen Quasnichka (UWE) and Dr Daniel Turnham (Cardiff University).

Dr. Piers Townsend‘s project is entitled “Unravelling the Mechanisms of Chemical Mutagenicity with Machine Learning (AI) and Computational Chemistry” Cancer continues to be a major public health issue, and its societal burden is set to spiral if we continue on our current trajectory. Chemical mutagenicity is known to be a good predictor of cancer-causing genetic changes, and DNA mutations have been known to occur due to the formation of a covalent bond between a DNA helix and a (potential) carcinogen; a so-called ‘molecular initiating event’. In this project, we’ll use computational chemistry to build molecular-scale models of cancer-causing molecular initiating events, and attempt to develop easy-to-use, mechanism-driven machine learning models for the prediction of chemical mutagenicity. I’m really excited to bring computational chemistry to SOAS, and I look forward to the prospect of collaborating with UWE experimentalists and external partners in the coming years.

Dr. Liana Gynn‘s research is on “Investigating the role of the secretome in the hypoxic leukaemia bone marrow microenvironment“. Leukaemia results from mutations in white blood stem cells, which accumulate in the bone marrow and blood, giving them an aggressive survival advantage contributing to therapy resistance. The bone marrow affords leukaemic cells structural support and regulation through secretion of protein signals, which leukaemic cells hijack alongside low oxygen (hypoxia) processes for a survival advantage; a phenomenon more understood in solid cancers. Dr. Gynn’s previous work has shown that when leukaemic and bone marrow cells are able to interact, DNA damage after chemotherapy is reduced in leukaemic cells, but increased in supportive bone marrow ‘stromal’ cells, accompanied by an altered secretome (all secreted proteins). This 2-year study will use SILAC-based proteomics and loss/gain of function assessments to identify mechanisms allowing leukaemic cells to thrive in the hypoxic bone marrow, and for bone marrow stromal cells to be adversely affected. This could identify targets for improved therapy outcomes with reduced collateral damage to the important microenvironment.

We wish them all well with their research projects.

CBR neuroscientist collaborates with Bristol Fungarium to identify new treatments for dementia

Author Prof Tony Killard | Posted on

Dr. Tim Craig, Associate Professor of Neuroscience in the Centre for Biomedical Research is studying the potentially beneficial effects of mushrooms in combatting neurodegeneration

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease are rapidly increasing in prevalence. This is partly due an ageing population in the UK, but also potentially due to several different lifestyle and environmental factors. Despite decades of research into these diseases, we have only two licenced treatments available worldwide. Both of these treatments are based on monoclonal antibodies, are extremely expensive and of only limited benefit.

Recently, there has been increased interest in the role of traditional medicines as an alternative/complementary treatment for long-term conditions, especially ones associated with ageing. Interest in this does not come any rejection of modern medicine – the reasoning is that if something has been used for centuries, there may well be some therapeutic benefit to be gained from it. After all, many traditional medicines have given rise to mainstream drug classes, e.g. aspirin, derived from willow bark, was the precursor for an entire family of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines.

Of particular interest to us in the field of neurodegeneration are traditional medicines used to treat cognitive decline in the elderly. One of these is a wild edible mushroom called Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus), and which has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine. Several recent, peer reviewed research studies in Life Sciences, International Journal of Molecular Sciences and the Journal of Biomedical Science have demonstrated that compounds from these mushrooms can protect neurones from damage. Coupled to this, compounds found in many edible mushrooms have been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory properties.

To further explore the beneficial potential of mushrooms on neuronal health, a research partnership has been established between CRIB and the Bristol Fungarium. Based in Barrow Gurney to the South West of Bristol, the Fungarium specialises in the growth of certified organic, native UK mushrooms in highly controlled environments. As well as providing edible mushrooms for the restaurant trade, it also manufactures extracts of several mushroom varieties. Dr. Craig began a collaboration with the Fungarium over two years ago, where he began investigating the effects of these extracts on our neuronal cellular model systems. This has led to the establishment of a Partnership PhD programme between Dr. Craig and the Fungarium. The research project, which commenced in April 2024, will be undertaken by Katie Turk, who will optimise the extraction process to increase the yield of therapeutic compounds in the resulting tinctures and use these to investigate the effects of several different mushroom extracts on the viability and signalling pathways in neuronal cells.

Dr. Craig said ‘The identification of novel therapeutic compounds is a potential game-changer in the fight against neurodegeneration, and will hopefully pave the way for new treatments for these devastating diseases”.

CBR research explores a new approach to reducing orthopaedic implant infection

Author Prof Tony Killard | Posted on

Picture: Dr. Jason Mansell holding an orthopaedic implant.

Research led by Dr. Jason Mansell, Associate Professor of Hard Tissue Biology at the Centre for Biomedical Research will investigate novel antibacterial titanium surface coatings to help combat the continuing problem of staphylococcal infection in joint replacements

Total Joint Replacement (TJR) is the replacement of joints such as knees and hips with an artificial implant. Titanium is used extensively in implant devices as it has many advantageous properties. While joint replacement is typically very effective, 1 in 250 of these will become infected, and so will need to be replaced. The repeated surgery is challenging for patients, as well as adding £1.5 bn to the NHS budget. The main sources of infection are from species of Staphylococcal bacteria.

A potential solution to this problem is to develop implant coatings that possess antibacterial properties. Ideally, the selected agent will have a natural and robust affinity for the surface which will withstand the rigours of surgery and continue to function after implantation.

Phosphomycin is a small, broad-spectrum antimicrobial that was discovered in 1969. While it is a somewhat forgotten molecule, it exhibits excellent activity against staphylococci, including MRSA. As a coating for titanium it is particularly attractive, as being a phosphonic acid species, it is predicted to have a strong binding affinity for this surface, while also being relatively simple to coat.

The twelve month research project is being funded by Bristol and Weston Hospitals Charity through their Orthopaedics Legacy programme, and is a collaboration with Mr. Niall Sullivan, an NHS Consultant in Trauma and Hip Surgery based at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust. It will explore the binding of phosphomycin to titanium, assess its antibacterial activity and also identify any potential impact on bone health.

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