Human Health and Disease research theme

A research cluster within the Centre for Biomedical Research (CBR).

Theme overview

The Human Health and Disease thematic cluster at the Centre for Biomedical Research (CBR) represents an integrated approach to deciphering the complex and dynamic processes that underpin health and the development of diseases.

Our interdisciplinary strategy is focused on translating fundamental biological and biomedical research into practical clinical applications, thereby accelerating improvements in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. We concentrate on major long-term health conditions such as cancer, neurodegeneration, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, urinary tract dysfunction, and chronic inflammation. In addition, our research tackles critical global health challenges, including viral taxonomy, mechanisms of genotoxicity, DNA damage and repair, and the escalating issue of antimicrobial resistance.

A key strength of our approach is a culture of collaboration, which involves working closely with a range of academic, industry, and commercial partners. This enhances our ability to drive interdisciplinary research to address a wide range of health and societal issues. By combining our world-leading expertise and state-of-the-art facilities, our goal is to make scientific discoveries that have a significant and lasting impact on human health and wellbeing.

Academic staff

Professor Emmanuel Adukwu

Professor of Plant Microbiology and Deputy Head of School of Applied Sciences

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Dr Elizabeth Anderson

Senior Lecturer in Haematology

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Dr Rachael Chidugu-Ogborigbo

Senior Lecturer in Biological Sciences

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Dr Tim Craig

Associate Professor of Neuroscience

Dr Tim Craig obtained his MBiochem from the University of Oxford (2000) and his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Liverpool (2004). He was the Wellcome Postdoctoral Training Fellow in Ion Channels/Diabetes at University of Oxford from 2004 to 2009 and was the Postdoctoral Research Associate in Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Transmission at University of Bristol from 2009 to 2015. He joined UWE Bristol as  Senior Lecturer in 2015, and is now an Associate Professor (2021 to present) in Neuroscience. His current research interests are in nutrition and neurodegeneration, and he is published widely in these areas.

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Dr Lucy Crompton

Senior Lecturer in Neuroscience

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Dr Victoria Davenport

Associate Head of School of School, Biological and Biomedical Sciences

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Dr Sarah Dean

Senior Lecturer in Healthcare/Biomedical Sciences

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Mrs Phillipa Dunbar

Lecturer in Healthcare

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Dr Alexander Greenhough

Associate Professor of Biomedical Science (Cancer Biology)

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Dr Liana Gynn

Lecturer in Biomedical Science

Dr Liana Gynn's research focuses on the leukaemia microenvironment. Her PhD showed bidirectional damage of mesenchymal stromal cells and protection of leukaemic cells in cell line/patient cell co-culture models. Post-doctoral projects involved understanding hypoxia microenvironment-driven pancreatic cancer, toxicity testing of electrochemically-activated solutions and Raman spectroscopy for leukaemia chemotherapy assessment. Her current research centres on the secretome of the hypoxic leukaemia microenvironment.

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Professor John Hancock

Professor of Cell Signalling

Professor John Hancock's research centres on cell signalling and small reactive molecules. This focuses on the production and role of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen gas. He has authored Cell Signalling (OUP), Why Elephants Cry (CRC Press), and (with Dr Tim Craig and Ros Rouse) Animal Welfare in a Pandemic (CRC Press). He is editor for several scientific journals and Editor-in-Chief for the journal Oxygen (MDPI). 

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Dr Jonathon Hull

Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry

Over the course of Dr Jonathon Hull's research, he has gained a working understanding of protein biochemistry, particularly associated with dementia and cancer pathology. He has  collaborated with key researchers in neurological disease such as Professor Seth Love and Professor Patrick Kehoe at the South West Dementia Brain Bank (University of Bristol); Dr Kathreena Kurian at the Department of Neuropathology (Southmead Hospital); and Dr Mehta at the Department of Haematology (University Hospital, Bristol).

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Professor Michael Ladomery

Professor of Genetics

Michael Ladomery is an RNA biologist, with a special interest in the therapeutic manipulation of alternative splicing in cancer. He obtained a BSc(Hons) in Genetics from the University of Melbourne; and a PhD from the University of St Andrews on stored Xenopus oocyte mRNPs. He worked as a Research Associate at the MRC Human Genetics unit in Edinburgh on the posttranscriptional roles of the Wilms tumour zinc finger protein WT1. He then moved to UWE Bristol where he is now a Professor of Genetics. 

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Dr Lynne Lawrance

Senior Lecturer in Medical Microbiology; Programme Leader for MSc Biomedical Science; and School of Applied Sciences PGR Tutor

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Dr Jason Mansell

Associate Professor of Biomedical Science (Bone Biology)

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Dr Jennifer May

Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences

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Ms Julie Molloy

Senior Lecturer in Transfusion and Transplantation

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Dr Chris Moore

Senior Lecturer in Anatomy and Physiology; Programme Leader for BSc(Hons) Biomedical Science

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Dr Ruth Morse

Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences (Human Genetics)

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Dr Shona Nelson

Senior Lecturer in Microbiology

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Dr Lili Ordonez

Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences

Dr Lili Ordonez's research focuses on cancer cell plasticity during therapy with the aim to discover new targets to treat/prevent tumour relapse. Previously, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Swansea, developing advanced therapeutics for ovarian cancer, and at Cardiff University, investigating genetic origins of breast cancer heterogeneity. She obtained her PhD from Cardiff University, in collaboration with AstraZeneca, investigating resistance to a targeted therapy for inherited breast cancer patients.

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Anastasia Plehun

Assistant Lecturer (Physiology)

Dr David Qualtrough

Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science

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Dr Helen Quasnichka

Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science (Biochemistry)

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Dr James Robson

Lecturer in Biomedical Science

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Miss Sarah Rushton

Senior Lecturer in Neurophysiology

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Dr Mo Salehan

Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences

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Dr Tim Satchwell

Senior Lecturer in Applied Biomedical Science

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Dr Adam Thomas

Senior Lecturer in Human Genetics and Genomics

Dr Adam Thomas is a genotoxicologist interested in the signalling process that dictates cell fate (survival or death) following exposure to a DNA-damaging chemical. This work has centred on the role of microRNAs in guiding the signalling process towards a particular outcome. Most recently, he has adapted his approach to research and is starting to tread very gingerly into the world of coding and bioinformatics to address some of the more fundamental questions in genetics and genome architecture.

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Dr Daniel Turnham

Wallscourt Senior Research Fellow 

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Dr Bahareh Vahabi

Senior Lecturer in Physiology

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Dr Trevor Whittall

Senior Lecturer in Immunology

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