Research Areas

Specific projects are grouped by research area. Please click on individual project titles for further information.

Androgens and men’s health

• The role of androgens in osteoblast development and bone metabolism
• Anabolic actions of androgens in skeletal muscle
• Androgens and erythropoiesis
• Androgens and cardiac hypertrophy
• Non-genomic actions of androgens
• Androgen regulation of fat mass, metabolism and obesity in males
• Androgen deficiency in men with obesity and/or type 2 diabetes

Bone disease

• The role of androgens in osteoblast development and bone metabolism
• The physiological role of calcitonin and its receptor in bone cell metabolism
• Fish parathyroid hormone peptides as anabolic bone agents
• Structure, architecture and exercise in bone geometry
• Calcium and protein nutrition in health
• Effect of exercise during growth to build stronger bones
• Effect of cortisone use in asthma and joint disease on bone structure
• Studies of bone structure

Cardiovascular endocrinology

• The renin angiotensin system in cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes and the heart
• Cytokines and fibrosis of the heart
• Androgens and cardiac hypertrophy
• Androgen deficiency in men with obesity and/or type 2 diabetes

Cardiovascular pharmacology

• Neurocircuitry of a gastrointestinal-circulatory reflex

Diabetes and its complications

• Investigating the cause of the metabolic syndrome in phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase overexpressing transgenic rats
• The role of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) in liver and pancreatic islet cells
• Generation and characterisation of transgenic and knock-out mice to facilitate studies on diabetes and obesity
• Diabetes and the heart
• The role of ATIP in the regulation of growth factor-induced cell proliferation
• Androgen regulation of fat mass, metabolism and obesity in males
• Androgen deficiency in men with obesity and/or type 2 diabetes

Epilepsy

• Clinical genetics of epilepsy syndromes
• Complex genetics in the epilepsies
• Epilepsy in twins
• Molecular genetics of epilepsy

Genetics of kidney disease

• The genetics of inherited kidney disease
• Development of a novel mutation detection method for inherited kidney disease

Growth factors and cancer

• The role of ATIP in the regulation of growth factor-induced cell proliferation
• Mutations that cause acute promyelocytic leukemia
• Androgens and the erythropoietic system

Heart failure

• The role of ATIP in the regulation of growth factor-induced cell proliferation
• Androgen deficiency in men with obesity and/or type 2 diabetes
• Androgens and cardiac hypertrophy

Liver disease

Muscle

• Anabolic actions of androgens in skeletal muscle

Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration

• Modification of macrophage phenotype
• Neuroprotection after stroke
• Axonal injury and recovery after stroke
• Neurons with a dopaminergic phenotype in the striatum
• Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and the development of dopaminergic phenotype in the substantia nigra
• Using stem cells and growth factors to improve outcomes of spinal cord injury
• Neuroprotection of the injured spinal cord
• Supporting regeneration of nerve cells after spinal cord injury

Neurophysiology

• Neurocircuitry of a gastrointestinal-circulatory reflex
• Vagal control of pancreatic endocrine and exocrine function

Obesity

• Generation and characterisation of transgenic and knock-out mice to facilitate studies on diabetes and obesity
• The investigation of weight loss therapies in the treatment of overweight and obesity
• Androgen regulation of fat mass, metabolism and obesity in males
• Androgen deficiency in men with obesity and/or type 2 diabetes

Prostate diseases

• The role of  CD151 in the progression of prostate cancer
• The role of ATIP in the regulation of growth factor-induced cell proliferation

Stroke

• Modification of macrophage phenotype
• Neuroprotection after stroke
• Axonal injury and recovery after stroke
• Development of seizures after ischemic stroke

Thyroid diseases

• Is the TSH receptor the target autoantigen of Graves’ ophthalmopathy?

BSc(Hons) Projects

BSc(Hons) projects available in all the research groups in our department are listed annually in the BSc(Hons) booklet, available Sept-Oct each year. For further information, see our BSc(Hons) page.