School of Life Sciences

I undertook both my BSc (Physics and Maths) and PhD (Protein Crystallography) at Keele University. The latter involved the development of synchrotron x-ray Laue method for use with large macromolecules such as proteins and viruses. I revisited Keele as a postdoctoral worker and was appointed as a Lecturer at Keele University in September 1999. I have been a visiting scientist at Purdue University, USA and LMB Cambridge and I have undertaken postdoctoral work in structural biology at Keele University, University of Edinburgh and Purdue University, USA.

My research interests are in structural biology and in how the structure of biological macromolecules is related to their function. My research is focused on the structure and function of key molecules of the innate immune system. The innate immune response has non-variable components which respond in a fairly general, often rapid manner to threatening microorganisms and molecules of both internal and external origin. A major focus of my research is the definition of the three-dimensional structures of pentraxins and active fragments of collectins. I am part of the Structural Biology Research Group within the Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine (ISTM).

• LSC10030 Case Studies in Medicine

• LSC20015 Molecular, Cellular & Structural Immunology (Module manager)

• LSC30007 Biology dissertation

• LSC30008 /12 Experimental Research project

• LSC30014 Biochemistry Research project (Non-experimental)

• LSC30015 Biology of Disease (Module manager)

• LSC30016 Structural Biology & Macromolecular Function

• MTE40018 Physiology and Anatomy