ISTM

My clinical interests are in Nutrition and Inflammatory Bowel Disease; as a busy clinician I have only limited time for research and audit although data from recent student projects has been presented at national and local meetings. Currently I am involved in a collaboration with Gordon Dent who is working on interactions between eosinophils and colonic mucosa in inflammation.

During my Specialist Registrar training, I undertook a PhD with Wellcome Trust funding, which I completed at the University of Manchester supervised by Dr John McLaughlin. In GI Science. I undertook my research in the field of the effect of inflammation on enteroendocrine cell function, using infection as a model. This is the area I am hoping to continue.

ISTM Research theme: Infection, Inflamation & Immunity

Main current research interests:

• Nutrition and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

• Enteroendocrine cell function in Crohn’s Disease. A translational study that aims to gain a better understanding of the role of enteroendocrine cells (EEC) in GI inflammation and in particular, in Crohn’s disease. It is hoped that an improved understanding of the basic disease mechanisms involved in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may provide novel targets for clinical management strategies.

• Interactions between eosinophils and colonic mucosa in inflammation (collaboration led by Dr Gordon Dent).

• TARGET study, lead UHNS clinician in a multicentre pharmacogenetic study led by Manchester University.

Research track record:

• PhD 2004: 'The Effects of Infection and Inflammation on Enteroendocrine Cell Function and the Relationship to Gastrointestinal Symptoms' (supervised by Dr John McLaughlin, University of Manchester).

• Awarded Wellcome Trust Research Training Fellowship in 2000.

• Awarded Wellcome Trust Entry Level Training Fellowship in 1998.

Module Leader, Year 3 Nutrition, Metabolism and Excretion, Keele Medical School.