ISTM

I have worked as a postdoctoral researcher since 2005, based at the RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry, and became manager of the Keele University Proteomics Facility in 2006, as part of the research group led by Prof Glenn Morris.  In early 2011 I spent a few months as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard and Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, USA.

My PhD in Biochemistry was supported by an EPSRC Industrial CASE award at Glyndwr University in Wrexham, and my first degree was also in Wales: Biomolecular Science at University of Wales, Bangor. 

My postdoctoral research is carried out at the Wolfson Centre for Inherited Neuromuscular Disease, based at the RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry. Since January 2012, I have been investigating the protective role that polyphenol compounds have for neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases. The project relies heavily on applying a quantitative mass spectrometry technique (iTRAQ) to compare protein expression in cells treated with polyphenol compounds. Changes demonstrated by iTRAQ mass spectrometry have the potential to contribute to our understanding of the complex molecular mechanisms that could explain the protective roles of these compounds against oxidative stress.

Previous to this, my research involved proteomic studies of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Using a combination of biochemistry and proteomics techniques we investigated what proteins SMN interacts with, how lack of SMN affects the whole spectrum of protein activity in cells, and what effect drugs for SMA have on SMA cells. My PhD project (funded by an industrial EPSRC-CASE studentship), also involved the application of proteomics techniques, as well as protein purification, antibody characterisation and immunoassay development for the study of antigens in food. The immunoassays that were developed for the seafood allergen, tropomyosin, are now marketed commercially by Neogen.

The expertise I acquired in proteomics during my Ph.D. was instrumental in a successful bid for state-of-the-art mass spectrometers by Keele University and since 2006; I have been running the Keele Proteomics Facility at RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital. The day-to-day running of the facility involves advising researchers and clinicians about experimental design, preparing and analysing their samples by mass spectrometry, interpreting data, preparing data reports, and assisting with writing grant applications that included use of the facility.

ISTM research theme: Bioengineering & Therapeutics.

Fuller HR and Morris GE (2012) “Quantitative proteomics using iTRAQ labeling and mass spectrometry” Book chapter in Integrative Proteomics, InTech, ISBN: 978-953-51-0070-6.

Humphrey EH, Fuller HR, Morris GE (2011) Current research on SMN protein and treatment strategies for SMA. Neuromuscular Disorders.  22(2):193-7.

Comley LH†, Fuller HR†, Wishart TM, Mutsaers CA, Thomson D, Wright AK, Ribchester RR, Morris GE, Parson SH, Horsburgh K, Gillingwater TH (2011) ApoE isoform-specific regulation of regeneration in the peripheral nervous system. Hum Mol Genet. 2011(12):2406-2421.  († Denotes equal author contribution).

Fuller HR, Man NT, Lam Le T, Shamanin VA, Androphy EJ and Morris GE (2010a) Valproate and bone loss: iTRAQ proteomics show that valproate reduces collagens and osteonectin in SMA cells. J Proteome Res. 9 (8): 4228–4233.

Fuller HR, Man NT, Lam le T, Thanh le T, Keough RA, Asperger A, Gonda TJ, Morris GE (2010b) The SMN interactome includes Myb-binding protein 1a. J Proteome Res. 9(1):556-63.

Walter MN, Wright KT, Fuller HR, Macneil S, Johnson WE (2010) Mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium accelerates skin wound healing: An in vitro study of fibroblast and keratinocyte scratch assays. Exp Cell Res. 316(7):1271-81. 

Fuller HR, Marija B, Šimic Durdica S, Špeljko T, Morris GE, Šimic G (2010) Treatment strategies for spinal muscular atrophy. Translational Neuroscience. 1(4):308-321.

Fuller HR and Morris GE (2010) SMN complexes in the nucleus and cytoplasm as targets for SMA therapy: a proteomic study. Translational Neuroscience. 1(4): 261-267.

Fuller HR (2010) Immunoassay and mass spectrometry studies of antigens in food. Basics, concepts and methods. Lambert academic publishing ISBN: 978-3-8383-4385-3.

Nguyen thi Man, Humphrey E, Le Thanh Lam, Fuller HR, Lynch TA, Sewry CA, Goodwin PR, MacKenzie AE, and Morris GE (2008) A two-site ELISA can quantify up-regulation of SMN protein by drugs for spinal muscular atrophy. Neurology 71:1757-63.

Hao Le Thi, Fuller HR, Lam Thahn Le, Le TT, Burghes AHM, Morris GE (2007) Absence of gemin5 from SMN complexes in nuclear Cajal bodies. BMC Cell Biology 8:28.

Fuller HR, Goodwin PR, Morris GE (2006) An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the major crustacean allergen, tropomyosin, in food. Food and Agricultural Immunology 17: 43-52.

Schramm G, Gronow A, Knobloch J, Wippersteg V, Revelling CG, Gall J, Fuller H, Stanley RG, Chiodini PL, Haas H, Doenhoff MJ (2006) IPSE/alpha-1: A major immunogenic component secreted from Schistosoma mansoni eggs. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 147: 9-19.

M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering and Cell & Tissue Engineering, 2009 – present

Visiting Lecturer for the ‘Molecular Techniques: Applications in Tissue Engineering’ module.

This includes preparing and delivering lectures in biological mass spectrometry, and devising and marking exam questions.