Co-Director of Advanced Materials in Medicine (Jan 2020 - present)

Committee member and student liaison for CDT in Advanced Biomedical Materials (2019 - present)

Programme Director of the MRes in Tissue Engineering for Regenerative Medicine (2016 - 2021)

Versus Arthritis Musculoskeletal Research Advisory Group member (2019 - present)

Senior PGR Tutor for the Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine (2016 - 2018)

Treasurer and committee member for the Tissue and Cell Engineering Society (TCES) (2014 - present).

Programme Chair for the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) EU 2023 conference in Manchester (rearranged from 2020).

Primary supervisor for 6 PhD students and co-supervisor for 5 PhD students.

MRes in Tissue Engineering for Regenerative Medicine: Programme Director (2016-2021)

Ex-programme co-director of the intercalated BSc (HONS) Pathology

External examiner for MSc in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at Cardiff University (2020 - 2023)

My research encompasses four themes:

1. Characterisation of phenotypic and functional changes in cell sub-populations during human intervertebral disc development, homeostasis and degeneration.

2. Modelling intervertebral disc development using iPSCs and developing stem cell-based regenerative therapies for intervertebral disc degeneration.

3. Integrating biomaterial, biofabrication and bioreactor technologies to create biomimetic tissue analogues to model tissue development and disease processes, and to develop novel therapeutics.

4. Stem cell biology and application in musculoskeletal tissue engineering/regenerative medicine therapies, primarily for meniscus and intervertebral disc.

We use a range of -omics technologies, including bulk and single-cell RNASeq, mass spectrometry proteomics, and mass spec imaging to characterise human cells and tissues, along with CRISPR-based tools to investigate the function of identified genes in cell fate decisions and healthy/degenerate cell state transitions. This work is combined with biomaterials, biofabrication and bioreactor studies aimed at developing physiologically relevant tissue analogues to study tissue development and understand the mechanisms of disease, primarily those affecting cartilaginous tissues such as meniscus and intervertebral disc.

Member of the "Clinical medicine" evaluation panel for the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT), the Portuguese public funding agency for R&D (2021 - present).

Versus Arthritis Musculoskeletal Research Advisory Group member (2019 - present)

Tissue and Cell Engineering Society (TCES) - Treasurer and Committee Member

Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) - Programme Chair for the TERMIS EU 2023 conference in Manchester (rearranged from 2020)

British Society for Matrix Biology (BSMB) - member

Orthoaepdic Research Society (ORS) (USA) - member

ORS Spine Section (USA) - member

2016: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

2002: PhD, University of Liverpool

1998: BSc (HONS) Biotechnology, Liverpool John Moores University

2017: ORS Spine Section Member Best Podium Award at ORS 2017, San Diego, California

2009: Tissue and Cell Engineering Society annual ‘Early Stage Investigator Award’

2006: Northwest Regional Development Agency/BioNow ‘Northwest Young Biotechnologist of the Year Award’

2021 - Grant reviewer for the FCT funding programme in Portugal.

2020 - 2023: External examiner for MSc in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at Cardiff University

2019 - present: Committee member and student liaison for CDT in Advanced Biomedical Materials

2019 - present: Versus Arthritis Musculoskeletal Research Advisory Group

2018-2023: Programme Chair and lead organiser for the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) EU 2023 conference in Manchester (rearranged from 2020)

2015: Organiser 9^th UK Mesenchymal Stem Cell Conference, Manchester Conference Centre

2010: Represented the University of Manchester in the Royal Society MP-Scientist Pairing Scheme at the House of Commons, London (Paired with Dr Brian Iddon, MP for Bolton South East).

2005:  Invitation to SET for Britain Annual Parliamentary Reception for Britain’s Top Younger Researchers in Science, Engineering, Medicine and Technology at the House of Commons, London.

Post-doctoral staff:

Dr Samuel Moxon:  Integrating the 5Bs (bioimaging, biomechanics, biomaterials, biofabrication and bioreactors) to develop biomimetic tissue analogues to understand cell-microenvironment interactions and develop novel regenerative therapies. (WT ISSF) (Sept 2020 - Dec 2022)

PhD students:

Grace McDermott: 3D bioprinting of tissue engineered meniscal constructs. (CDT in Advanced Biomedical Materials) Co-I's: Dr Marco Domingos and Mr Bilal Barkatali

Andra-Maria Ionescu: Stratification of nucleus pulposus cell sub-populations during intervertebral development, ageing and degeneration disc (BBSRC DTP). Co-I: Prof Judith Hoyland 

Matthew Kibble: Bioprinting whole intervertebral discs to understand development and inform regenerative therapies (CDT in Regenerative Medicine) Co-I's: Dr Marco Domingos and Prof Judith Hoyland.

Scott Higgins: Omic investigation of chondrocytes response to varying mechanical load – assessment of ageing and impact stress. (BBSRC iCASE). PI: Prof Paul Townsend. Collaborator: Waters

Charlie Wood: Tissue Engineering the Intervertebral Disc. PI: Prof Julie Gough

Mattia Vitale: Customized collagen-hydrogel matrices for osteoclast differentiation and culture. (MRC CASE). PI: Dr Jordi Bella.

Melissa Kidd: Are the pathways that protect tissues from mechanical stress lost in ageing? (BBSRC DTP) PI: Dr Joe Swift.

Ian Smith: Jellyfish-collagen hydrogels as substrates for culture and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells for cartilage regeneration. (BBSRC CASE). PI: Dr Jordi Bella. Collaborator: Jellagen.

Fraser Shields: Development of an advanced biofabrication platform for cartilaginous tissue regeneration. (CDT in Advanced Biomedical Materials). Co-I's: Dr Marco Domingos and Mr Bilal Barkatali; Prof Andrew Dove (University of Birmingham)

Zihan Wu: Role of EVC1 in intervertebral disc development and degeneration. (Self-funded) Co-I: Prof Judith Hoyland

Yusuf Hakan Usta: Effects of active and passive mechanical stimuli on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell scaffold under different microenvironment factors for IVD tissue engineering. (Self-funded) Co-I: Prof Judith Hoyland, Dr Hamish Gilbert, Dr Marco Domingos

Alumi:

Dr Hamish Gilbert; Dr Zara Smith; Dr Lizzy Ward; Dr Tom Hodgkinson; Dr Frankie Wignall; Dr Matthew Humphreys; Dr Rebecca Jones; Dr Joshua Shaw; Dr Alyah Shamsah; Dr Julen Zalaba; Dr Louise Clarke; Dr Simon Wan; Dr Christopher Smith; Dr Ricardo Rodrigues-Pinto; Dr Francesca Ludwinski; Dr Kimberley Burrow; Dr Shahnaz Khan; Dr Fang Zong; Dr Sarah Rathbone.

I graduated with a BSc (HONS) in Biotechnology from Liverpool John Moores University in 1998 and was awarded my PhD in 2002 from the University of Liverpool on my research into the control of chondrocyte behaviour. I then moved to The University of Manchester where I worked as part of the UK Centre for Tissue Engineering and subsequently UK Centre for Tissue Regeneration developing mesenchymal stem cell-based therapies for intervertebral disc degeneration. In 2008 I was awarded a 5-year Research Councils UK (RCUK) Academic Fellowship to extend my studies and investigate the impact of ageing on the regenerative potential of bone marrow and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. I was appointed lecturer in 2013 and senior lecturer in 2017. 

My research encompasses four core themes:

1. Characterisation of phenotypic and functional changes in cell sub-populations during human intervertebral disc development, homeostasis and degeneration.

2. Modelling intervertebral disc development using iPSCs and developing stem cell-based regenerative therapies for intervertebral disc degeneration.

3. Integrating biomaterial, biofabrication and bioreactor technologies to create biomimetic tissue analogues to model tissue development and disease processes, and to develop novel therapeutics.

4. Stem cell biology and application in musculoskeletal tissue engineering/regenerative medicine therapies, primarily for meniscus and intervertebral disc.

We use a range of -omic technologies, including bulk and single-cell RNASeq, mass spectrometry proteomics, and mass spec imaging to characterise human cells and tissues, along with CRISPR-based tools to investigate the function of identified genes in cell fate decisions and healthy/degenerate cell state transitions. This work is combined with biomaterials, biofabrication and bioreactor studies aimed at developing physiologically relevant tissue analogues to study tissue development and understand the mechanisms of disease, primarily those affecting cartilaginous tissues such as meniscus and intervertebral disc.

I am involved in a wide range of public engagement activities, including:

• Development and management of a public website on stem cells and regenerative medicine (www.re-gen-x.com). Includes both Facebook (www.facebook.com/RegenxMcr) and Twitter (@RegenX1).
• Development and delivery of an A-level student day on stem cell science and tissue engineering, entitled 'The Hard Cell: Considerations for Stem Cell Research’.
• The Body Experience at Manchester Museum (http://www.ls.manchester.ac.uk/schoolsandcommunity/communityeventhighlights/bodyexperience/)
• Experience of communicating science to lay audiences of all ages, through a variety of mediums, including television, radio, public speaking and other public activities.