Dave joined the Geeves group in the School of Biosciences as a postdoctoral research associate in 1999. After obtaining his undergraduate degree from Leeds University and a spell working on rheumatoid arthritis at the University of Leicester he undertook an MSc in Biomolecular Technology at the National Centre for Macromolecular Hydrodynamics before his PhD in the School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University (in collaboration with SmithKline Beecham). In the lab, Dave is primarily responsible for the pressure jump apparatus which he has used to study the transient kinetics of Myosin/nucleotide interactions, protein folding, YFP photochemistry and Troponin/Calcium interactions. Within the department he runs lunchtime meetings for postdocs and is the postdoctoral representative on the School of Biosciences Health and Safety committee.
Dave joined the Geeves group in the School of Biosciences as a postdoctoral research associate in 1999. After obtaining his undergraduate degree from Leeds University and a spell working on rheumatoid arthritis at the University of Leicester he undertook an MSc in Biomolecular Technology at the National Centre for Macromolecular Hydrodynamics before his PhD in the School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University (in collaboration with SmithKline Beecham). In the lab, Dave is primarily responsible for the pressure jump apparatus which he has used to study the transient kinetics of Myosin/nucleotide interactions, protein folding, YFP photochemistry and Troponin/Calcium interactions. Within the department he runs lunchtime meetings for postdocs and is the postdoctoral representative on the School of Biosciences Health and Safety committee.
Dr Mike Romanov is a postdoctoral research associate in genetics who joined the School of Biosciences in 2013. He works on a project targeting comparative genomics of avian species, led by Professor Darren Griffin. He completed his tertiary education and Candidate of Biological Sciences (PhD) program at the Kharkov National University, Ukraine, and worked in the field of avian genetics/genomics research in the USA, UK, Germany and Ukraine.
Rosalyn is the Senior Laboratory Demonstrator in the School of Biosciences and the Centre Manager and Administrator for the Industrial Biotechnology Centre. Before this role she was the laboratory manager of the Centre for Molecular Processing and a post-doctoral scientist in the School of Biosciences. After a Molecular and Cellular Biology Degree at the University of Kent, she completed her MSc in collaboration with Pfizer at Sandwich in the UK. This was followed by a PhD in Biotechnology and then postdoctoral research at the University of Kent. Her research interest is focused around the bioprocessing area in improving recombinant protein production from in vitro cultured mammalian cells. Projects focused upon identifying the cellular limitations with regard to recombinant protein production and this covers a range of areas, skills and topics, and both genomic (proteomic) and more targeted molecular biology approaches are used to investigate and identify the key limitations upon productivity. The post-doctoral research involved identifying and manipulating key control points and participants of the recombinant protein synthesis and assembly pathway, particularly within the ER, within the context of limitations on recombinant protein productivity. During her PhD she investigated the effects of cold-shock on in vitro cultured mammalian cells and showed that sub-physiological temperature culturing cannot only improve recombinant protein yields but also facilitate improved protein folding and activity. Before this she completed her MSc in collaboration with Pfizer at Sandwich in the UK where she developed techniques (chiefly mass spectrometry) to dissect the phosphorylation of the protein PHAS-I.
In 2011 she completed the PGCHE and has achieved the status of Fellow of the Higher Education of Academy.
Dr Cat Hogwood obtained her degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Kent. She then completed her PhD at the University in 2009, investigating the global cellular responses of in vitro cultured human cells to the DNA damaging agent cisplatin with respect to p53 expression levels. She subsequently completed a postdoctoral research associate position on a Bioprocessing Research Industry Club (BRIC) BBSRC funded project investigating integrating upstream host cell line selection and development with improved downstream processing, which stimulated an interest in host cell proteins.
She is currently working on an ERA-IB funded project focusing on tailor-made expression hosts depleted in protease activity for recombinant protein production.
She is currently working on an ERA-IB funded project focusing on tailor-made expression hosts depleted in protease activity for recombinant protein production.
Dr Katie Fowler has been a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Kent since 2011. Previously to this she completed her undergraduate degree at Canterbury Christ Church University and commenced her Ph.D at the University of Kent in 2007.
Katie is a member of Professor Darren Griffin's Comparative and Functional Genomics Group, whose research interests relate to the study of chromosomes and allelic variation, principally in pigs. She is currently working on the development of pig in vitro fertilisation.
Dr Lis Curling joined the School of Biosciences in 1987. Her main teaching focus is immunology and human physiology and disease. She holds a teaching lectureship within the school.
She completed her PhD in London (1980-1983) and postdoctural research at Oxford (1983-1987 John Radcliffe Hospital) and in the University of Kent (1987-1992). She became a Teaching Lecturer in April 1995.
Dr Kay Foster joined the School of Biosciences in 1983 as a Post-Doc and in 1995 Kay become a Lecturer in Biochemistry.
Professor Mike Geeves joined the School of Biosciences in April 1999. He studied biochemistry as an undergraduate at the University of Birmingham then went on to the University of Bristol to work on a PhD with David Trentham. It was here that he first came to work on the myosin motor which has been the focus of his work ever since. In those early days it was muscle myosin - the only known form of myosin. After completing his PhD he spent 2 years at the University of California, Santa Cruz studying enzymology at sub-zero temperatures with Anthony Fink. He then return to spend 14 years at the University of Bristol working alongside Freddie Gutfreund, first as an SERC Junior Fellow then as a Royal Society University Fellow. At the end of the fellowship he moved to become a Group Leader in the new Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology that was being established in Dortmund by Roger Goody. He left there to take up the current position as Professor of Physical Biochemistry.
Mike is a member of the Mechanobiology group also known as MaDCaP.
Dr Campbell Gourlay joined the school in November 2006. He is a member of the Kent Fungal Group and the Yeast Molecular Biology Group.
Campbell Gourlay began his career at The John Innes Centre in 1996 where he studied the genetic control of leaf development. Following this he began to work with budding yeast as a model eukaryote in the lab of Kathryn Ayscough, where he investigated the role of actin in the process of endocytosis. During this time he discovered a link between actin, the regulation of mitochondrial function and the control of ageing and apoptosis. This led to his involvement in the emerging field of yeast apoptosis, which has popularised the novel concept that unicellular organisms possess the ability to undergo programmed cell death as an altruistic act for the betterment of a population.
In 2006 he was awarded a five year MRC Career Development Fellowship to establish his own lab within the Kent Fungal Group at the University of Kent where is now a Senior Lecturer in Cell Biology. The Gourlay lab maintains a strong interest in the role that actin plays in the control of homeostatic mechanisms that contribute to healthy ageing. Of particular interest are interactions between actin, mitochondria and signal transduction pathways that are crucial to cellular response to stress. The lab also uses yeast as a model eukaryote to study a number of aspects of cancer biology and the toxicity associated with protein aggregations linked to human disease.
Professor Darren Griffin joined the school in 2004 from Brunel University. His main interests are in the study of chromosomes, principally in humans (from spermatogenesis to preimplantation development) and birds. Other interests include allelic variation and its relationship to fatness and studies relating to eLearning. In 2007 he became a BBSRC Career Development Fellow with a remit to exploit microarray technology for studies of copy number variation in birds and humans.
Darren is a member of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Reproduction (CISoR)
He also regularly coordinates the International Chromosome Conferences.
The Pig Breeders Round Table this year will be held 22-23 April 2015 in Keynes College, University of Kent.
Research Career
2008 Doctor of Science, University of Manchester
2007 Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists
2007 BBSRC Career Development Fellow
2004 Vice President of the International Chromosome and Genome Society
2002 Postgraduate Certificate, Teaching and Learning in HE, Brunel University.
2002 Fellow of the Institute of Biology.
2001 Editorial Board 'Prenatal Diagnosis'.
1992 Doctor of Philosophy, Human Genetics, University College London.
1988 Bachelor of Science (with honours), Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Manchester.
Darren is a member of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Reproduction (CISoR)
He also regularly coordinates the International Chromosome Conferences.
The Pig Breeders Round Table this year will be held 22-23 April 2015 in Keynes College, University of Kent.
Research Career
2008 Doctor of Science, University of Manchester
2007 Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists
2007 BBSRC Career Development Fellow
2004 Vice President of the International Chromosome and Genome Society
2002 Postgraduate Certificate, Teaching and Learning in HE, Brunel University.
2002 Fellow of the Institute of Biology.
2001 Editorial Board ‘Prenatal Diagnosis’.
1992 Doctor of Philosophy, Human Genetics, University College London.
1988 Bachelor of Science (with honours), Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Manchester.