Research in our group aims to understand how cellular interactions with, and mechanoresponses to, the tumour microenvironment elicit signals at the nucleus that control fundamental aspects of cancer cell behaviour, including regulation of gene expression. We use systems-level approaches, integrating state-of-the-art proteomics, sequencing, bioinformatics, functional cell biology, super-resolution imaging and cancer models, to discover new properties of cancer cell adhesion networks. My teaching focusses on biochemistry and cancer biology.

Cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix is of fundamental importance to multicellular biology, with critical roles in cell migration, differentiation and survival. Dysregulation of cell adhesion can result in a wide range of pathological processes, such as fibrosis, inflammation and cancer invasion and metastasis. Adhesion involves cells binding to extracellular ligands and recruiting intracellular adhesion proteins to form membrane-bound signalling complexes. How these complexes interact with, and respond to, the cellular environment and become dysregulated in cancer is poorly understood. Moreover, it is unclear how various cellular processes control the intracellular trafficking of adhesion proteins to a range subcellular locations, which is critical for normal cellular functions.

It is becoming clear that interconnected networks of adhesion proteins and their regulators profoundly influence many aspects of cancer cell behaviour. Understanding how these networks operate in cancer will aid the identification of targetable subnetworks that could be therapeutically exploited.

I am a Lecturer in Bioscience in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Function in the School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, and a member of the Manchester Cell-Matrix Centre.

I studied Biochemistry at the University of Warwick and was selected to spend an Intercalated Year of my degree working at AstraZeneca. I received my PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Manchester, where I studied cell adhesion in the laboratory of Professor Martin Humphries, and where I stayed to undertake postdoctoral work. Here, I developed methodologies for the isolation and proteomic analysis of integrin adhesion complexes, which led to the description of the first experimentally defined integrin proteomes and insight into the complexity of the molecular machinery of cell adhesion. I then moved to the research group of Professor Margaret Frame at the University of Edinburgh, where I used integrative 'omic approaches to investigate the dysregulation of cell adhesion proteins in cancer. I later took up a Research Fellow position in the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, where my interdisciplinary research developed and implemented proteomic approaches to investigate mechanisms of cancer cell adhesion.

I received the 2009 Early Career Investigator Award from the British Society for Proteome Research and the 2010 Young Investigator Award from the British Society for Matrix Biology. In 2013, I was awarded Chartered Biologist status by the Royal Society of Biology and Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

Professional Experience

• 2022–present Lecturer in Bioscience, University of Manchester
• 2022–present Visiting Scientist, University of Edinburgh
• 2018–2022 Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh
• 2013–2018 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh
• 2016–2016 Visiting Research Fellow, University of Turku
• 2013–2014 Visiting Scientist, University of Mancheter
• 2008–2013 Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Manchester
• 2011–2011 Career Development Award Visitor, Karolinska Institute
• 2008–2008 Research Assistant, University of Manchester
• 2002–2003 Bioscientist, AstraZeneca

• PhD Biochemistry, University of Manchester (2004–2008)
• BSc (Hons) First Class Biochemistry with Intercalated Year, University of Warwick (2000–2004)

Professional qualifications

• CBiol Chartered Biologist, Royal Society of Biology (2013–present)

Teaching qualifications

• AFHEA Associate Fellow, Advance HE (2013)

• Biochemistry Emendation Panel (School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester)
• Protein and Metabolite Analysis Thematic Group (Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester)
• BBSRC DTP Interview Panel (Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester)
• Royal Society of Biology
• British Society for Proteome Research
• British Society for Matrix Biology
• British Society for Cell Biology
• Biochemical Society
• Advance HE (formerly Higher Education Academy)

• Dr Kyle Connolly, Research Technician
• Sylvia, Masters Student
• Jessica Osborn, Undergraduate Honours Student

• Dr Berni Carroll, University of Bristol
• Dr Joan Chang, University of Manchester
• Dr Leanne de Koning, Institut Curie
• Dr Katie Finegan, University of Manchester
• Professor Margaret Frame, University of Edinburgh
• Dr Tim Kendall, University of Edinburgh
• Professor Irene Leigh, Queen Mary University of London
• Dr Alan Serrels, University of Edinburgh
• Dr Annalisa Tirella, University of Manchester and University of Trento
• Dr Alex von Kriegsheim, University of Edinburgh
• Professor Roman Zubarev, Karolinska Institutet

PhD studentships

The role of nuclear localisation of adhesion proteins in tumour growth and invasion

- Self-funded PhD project

- Supervisors: Dr Adam Byron, Dr Katie Finegan, Dr Cathy Tournier

- For further details, and to apply, visit FindAPhD.com

Areas of interest for supervision include understanding nuclear mechanosensing and cell adhesion, the extracellular matrix and adhesion protein networks in disease systems, including cancer, using cell biological, biochemical, 'omic and systems-level approaches

Current PhD students supervised

• Aleksandra Slawinska PhD student (with Alan Serrels and Alex von Kriegsheim), University of Edinburgh
• Athanasia Yiapanas PhD student (with Alex von Kriegsheim and Margaret Frame), University of Edinburgh

Current undergraduate and masters students supervised

• Morgan Ward Integrated masters student
• Sylvia Masters student
• Jessica Osborn Undergraduate Honours student

Past PhD students supervised

• Alex Loftus PhD student (with Margaret Frame and Steve Pollard), University of Edinburgh (2017–2021)
• Rob Grecian Clinical PhD student (with Sarah Walmsley, Margaret Frame and Moira Whyte), University of Edinburgh (2017–2020)
• Helen Titmarsh PhD student (with Chris Gregory, Ahsan Akram, Margaret Frame, Mark Bradley, Kev Dhaliwal and Richard O'Connor), University of Edinburgh (2015–2020)
• Pilar Puerto Camacho Visiting PhD student (with Val Brunton), University of Edinburgh (2019)
• Natasha Tracey PhD student (with Val Brunton and Neil Carragher), University of Edinburgh (2015–2019)
• Frederic Li Mow Chee PhD student (with Margaret Frame and Douglas Armstrong), University of Edinburgh (2014–2018)
• Katy Teo Clinical PhD student (with Val Brunton and David Cameron), University of Edinburgh (2012–2016)
• Helen Creedon Clinical PhD student (with Val Brunton), University of Edinburgh (2010–2015)
• Ed Horton PhD rotation student (with Martin Humphries and Pedro Mendes), University of Manchester (2012)
• Marco Manca PhD rotation student (with Martin Humphries and Pedro Mendes), University of Manchester (2012)

Past undergraduate and masters students supervised

• Yue Li Masters student (2024)
• Isobel Gall Undergraduate Honours student (2024)
• Yanyi Li Masters student (2023)
• Omar Ahmid Masters student (2023)
• Aretia-Teodora Malacopol Undergraduate summer student (2023)
• Chantelle Sunley Undergraduate Honours student, University of Edinburgh (2021)
• Linda Kogerman Masters student, University of Edinburgh (2020–2021)
• Bruno Beenaert Dominguez Masters student (with Juan-Carlos Acosta), University of Edinburgh (2020)
• Aleksandra Slawinska Masters student (with Alan Serrels), University of Edinburgh (2020)
• Lu Xu Masters student, University of Edinburgh (2020)
• Katerina Petelova Undergraduate Honours student, University of Edinburgh (2020)
• Edward Agboraw Undergraduate Honours student, University of Edinburgh (2020)
• Bruno Beenaert Dominguez Masters student, University of Edinburgh (2019–2020)
• Emma Koeleman Visiting masters student, University of Edinburgh (2019)
• Aleks Poziemska Undergraduate Honours student (with Margaret Frame), University of Edinburgh (2019)
• Sahad Iqbal Undergraduate summer student (with Margaret Frame), University of Edinburgh (2018)
• Jocelyn Ward Undergraduate Honours student (with Val Brunton and Hitesh Patel), University of Edinburgh (2016)

• BIOL20000 Academic Tutorials Year 2
• BIOL21742 Introduction to Cancer
• BIOL30030 Projects (Undergraduate Research)
• BIOL33000 Literature Review and Research Proposal (MSci)
• BIOL40000 Placement Report
• BIOL66121 Research Project 1 (Precision Medicine)
• BIOL66132 Research Project 2 (Precision Medicine)
• Undergraduate Advisor (School of Biological Sciences)

• Manchester Access Programme Tutor
• Manchester Gold Mentor
• MCF Gig List Founder and Lead