Research overview

My laboratory uses human cell and tissue culture models to advance scientific understanding of the healthy and pathological eye, with a particular interest in the lens.

Biosketch

I was awarded my BSc (Pharmacology) in 1993 from the University of Portsmouth and in 1997 my PhD in Ocular Cell Biology from the University of East Anglia (UEA). I continued my postdoctoral training in the School of Biological Sciences at UEA and in 2002 was made a permanent member of UEA faculty. This was initially as a Lecturer (Assistant Professor), which was followed by promotions in 2008 to Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) and Full Professor in 2018. In November 2023, I joined Nottingham Ningbo China Beacons of Excellence Research and Innovation Institute at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China as Professor of Life Sciences and Healthcare. My research to date has concentrated on the development of human cell and tissue culture models to investigate biological mechanisms within the eye and, in particular, the lens and develop strategies to manage or prevent disease formation and progression. Specific research areas of interest include growth factor function, calcium signaling, stress in the endoplasmic reticulum, matrix metalloproteinases, fibrosis, differentiation and ageing, intraocular device testing. I have published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles in premier journals such as Nature Medicine, Aging Cell, Drug Discovery Today and Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (IOVS). I have also served as a consultant for and collaborated with companies ranging from small biotechnology enterprises to major pharmaceuticals. I am widely regarded as a world leader in my field and my reputation is further evidenced through the following accolades: Election to a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (London) in 2008 ; Honorary Chair from Harbin Medical University (2009); invitation to the Editorial Board of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (IOVS) journal (2015); awarded the prestigious 2015 National Foundation for Eye Research Cataract Research Award; made a Silver Fellow of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) (2016) for services to the field; UEA Innovation and Impact award winner – Consultancy Project of the Year (2018 and 2020); Stanford World’s top 2% scientist listing (since 2020); Speciality Chief Editor – Lens and Cataract section of Frontiers in Ophthalmology (2022); Gold Fellow of ARVO (2023); Emeritus Professor at the University of East Anglia (2023).