ISTM

Employment History

Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine (Faculty of Health), Keele University (2011- )

• Full Member, Cellular and Neural Engineering Group, Institute for Science & Technology in Medicine
• Lead for Medical Intercalated Degrees
• Co-Lead- INSPIRE medical research programme (supported by Academy of Medical Sciences and Wellcome Trust)
• Scientific Lead for Neuroscience/Neurology unit of undergraduate medical curriculum

Lecturer, School of Medicine (Faculty of Health), Keele University (2007-11).

• Full Research member, Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University.

Junior Fellow-Multiple Sclerosis Society, UK, Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair and Veterinary Medicine, Cambridge University (2003-07)

Research Associate, Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair and Veterinary Medicine, Cambridge University (Wellcome Trust funded) (2000-03)

Education

D.Phil “Cell Genesis in Hamster Cortex”, Oxford University, Wadham College, 2000, funded by an international scholarship.

MSc Medical Physiology All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, First Class, 1996

BSc (Hons) in Human Biology (Physiology) AIIMS, New Delhi, First Class, 1994

Research interests:

1. Use of novel biomedical engineering strategies such as magnetic nanoparticles, nanopatterned surfaces and neural cell seeded polymer scaffolds to promote neural regeneration;

2. Development of ex vivo tissue engineering models to evaluate the regeneration promoting effects of cell replacement;

3. Investigation of the molecular effects of immunotherapies on developmental myelin genesis and remyelination

We collaborate widely and currently use a combination of methods for these studies including:

• Isolated neural cell culture (primary cultures of neural stem cells, oligodendrocyte precursor cells, olfactory ensheathing cells, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes and neuronal cell lines)
• Microarray, proteomic and bioinformatics analysis of drug and magnetic nanoparticle treated neural cells for safety testing (with Dr Richard Emes, Director Advanced Data Analysis centre, Nottingham University;  Dr Sarah Hart, Keele University.)
• Evaluating effects of nanoscale topography on neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation (with Dr Matt Dalby and Dr Nikolaaj Gaadegard, Glasgow University Centre for Cell Engineering).
• Development of in vitro neurological injury models in organotypic slice cultures, with electrophysiological recordings from regenerating nerve fibres (with Dr Michael Evans and Dr Stanislaw Glazewski, Keele University)
• TEM to monitor intracellular nanoparticle fate, and development of novel, high throughput and high resolution SEM methods to examine stem cell-nanomaterial interactions (with Dr David Furness, Director, Keele University Electron Microscopy Unit)
• Testing and characterising novel nanoparticles for labelling and gene delivery in stem cell transplant populations (with Dr Boris Polyak, Drexel University; Dr Humphrey Yiu, Heriot Watt University and Dr Vladimir Zholobenko, Keele University) used with state of the art static and oscillating field ‘magnetofection’ techniques
• Mathematical modelling of the handling of synthetic materials by neural cell populations (with Dr Theocharis Kyriacou, School of Computing Science and Mathematics, Keele University).
• In vivo models of CNS injury in the adult and neonatal brain and spinal cord (demyelination and transection) with cell transplantation

MNP labelled, transplanted astrocytes integrated into organotypic cerebellar slice circuitry (image features as cover of Jan2011 issue – Tissue Engineering C).	Magnetofected neural stem cells expressing stem cell marker SOX2. Transfected, mitotic profiles are frequently seen (arrow) indicating ‘stem-ness’.
Scanning electron micrograph of a microglial cell following ‘activation’ by nanoparticles.	Purified oligodendrocytes used for magnetic nanoparticle based transfection (image features as cover of June 2013  issue of nanoLife).
Inheritance of nanoparticles by neuronal progeny of ‘magnetolabelled’ neural stem cells.	Extensive uptake and degradation of magnetic particles in microglial cells.
Alignment of astrocytes along PLA nanofibres implanted over a 3D spinal cord slice lesion.	Scanning electron micrograph of  a dividing oligodendrocyte precursor cell

• Weightman AP, Pickard MR, Jenkins SI, Chari DM*,Yang YY. Alignment of Multiple Glial Cell Populations in 3D Nanofibre Scaffolds: Towards Development of Multicellular Implantable Scaffolds for Repair of Neural Injury. 2013. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, Medicine. In Press (*Joint senior author) 
• Adams CF, Pickard MR, Chari DM. 2013. Magnetic nanoparticle mediated transfection of neural stem cell suspension cultures is enhanced by applied oscillating magnetic fields. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine. In Press.
• SI Jenkins, MR Pickard, DM Chari. 2013. Magnetic nanoparticle mediated gene delivery in oligodendroglial cells: A comparison of differentiated cells versus precursor forms. Nano LIFE, invited paper for special issue on Nanotechnology and Neuroengineering, Edited by Erkin Seker, UC Davies USA. In press.
• Chari DM. Transcriptional effects of corticosteroid therapy on myelin genesis and neuronal health. Midlands Medicine. Vol 26 (3). April 2011
• Putting the Nanoscience in Neuroscience: Magnetic attraction (Feature on research in the Chari laboratory). 2012. British Neuroscience Association Bulletin. Issue no 66, p12. http://www.bna.org.uk/about/bna-bulletin.html

Funding

2013 PhD studentship "Evaluating the effects of immunotherapies on precursor/stem cells of the central nervous system" Primary supervisor

2013 Clinical MPhil "Tracking nanoparticle inheritance in the progeny of labelled neural stem cell transplant populations for neuroimaging applications" Primary Supervisor

2012 PhD studentship "Evaluation of astrocyte interactions with nanomaterials" Primary supervisor

2012 EPSRC 3ME Initiative- Bridging the Gaps “Mathematical modelling of magnetic particle uptake in neural cell populations: Can we predict modes of particle handling in complex cell systems?” Principal Investigator

2012 BBSRC Project Grant “Magnetic nanoparticle mediated delivery of neurotherapeutic genes to multipotent neural stem cell transplant populations” Principal Investigator

2012 EPSRC E-TERM Landscape Fellowship "Magnetic nanoparticle based transfection of oligodendrocyte precursor cells for transplantation into a 'living brain' reductionist demyelination model", (www.regener8.ac.uk/)

2012 ISTM capital bid funding to purchase (1) Stereomicroscope with imaging system, (with ISTM neuroscience theme research scientists) ; and (2) Electrophysiology rig for electrical recordings from acute brain slices and organotypic slice culture injury models (with Dr David Mazzocchi Jones and Dr Mike Evans).

2011 MMed. Ed. project " A survey of intercalation at UK medical schools" Co-supervisor

2011 EPSRC Doctoral Training Centre PhD studentship “Strategies to enhance magnetic nanoparticle mediated delivery of therapeutic biomolecules to neural transplant populations ” Primary Supervisor

2010 North Staffordshire Medical Institute grant “Transcriptional effects of corticosteroid (CS) therapy on myelin genesis and neuronal health” Principal Investigator

2010 EPSRC Doctoral Training Centre PhD studentship “Development of Novel Tissue Engineering Strategies for Spinal Cord Repair” Primary Supervisor

2009 Royal Society UK research grant “Magnetic nanoparticle MNP mediated gene transfer to oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) derived for transplantation” Principal Investigator

2008 United States National Multiple Sclerosis Society Pilot Award “Can magnetic nanoparticles be used to modulate gene expression in demyelinated areas?” Principal Investigator

2008 BBSRC New Investigator Award “Development of magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) based delivery system for gene transfer to multipotent neural precursor cells (NPCs)” Principal Investigator

2007 British Neuropathological Society Small Grant “Effects of corticosteroid (CS) administration on myelination in the developing central nervous system (CNS)” Principal Investigator

2007 Keele School of Medicine startup fund &PhD studentship “Applications of magnetic nanoparticles for oligodendrocyte precursor cell transplantation strategies” Primary Supervisor

2003 UK Multiple Sclerosis Society, Junior Research Fellowship (four-year) “Effects of corticosteroid administration on oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and remyelination”

1996 Felix Scholarship to undertake DPhil studies at Oxford University

ISTM research themes: 1. Bioengineering & Therapeutics 2. Neuroscience & Human Metabolism