School of Life Sciences

I was appointed as a Teaching Fellow in Biochemistry in the School of Life Sciences in 2010 where I am principally involved in laboratory practical and skills training. I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry with Biological Medicinal Chemistry from Keele in 2005 and returned in November of the same year to begin a PhD under the supervision of Dr Anne Loweth investigating mechanisms of pancreatic beta cell destruction induced by inflammatory cytokines and by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus, which I completed in 2009. During this time I worked as a GTA in the School of Medicine and more recently as a demonstrator in the School of Life Sciences, largely within the year 1 & 2 Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences degree course before subsequently being appointed to a permanent academic position.

My main research interests are in biochemical cell biology and cell signalling, focussing on the regulation of programmed cell death, apoptosis. My PhD research aimed at investigating some of the mechanisms contributing to pancreatic beta cell death and apoptosis in response to inflammatory cytokines and reactive nitrogen and oxygen species. This work focussed on the role of intracellular calcium movements and the activation of downstream endoplasmic reticulum stress signalling events. Targeted beta cell destruction precedes the development of long term complications including diabetic nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy, brought about in part by elevated levels of reactive oxygen intermediates, plasma free fatty acids and high peripheral glucose concentrations, together this may indicate common mechanisms of cellular dysfunction in diabetes and its associated complications.   More recently, I have also worked in the research group of Professor Gwyn Williams and Dr Mirna Mourtada-Maarabouni where investigations focus on defining the expression and function of novel apoptosis controlling genes in human cells and cancer.

• Watson, D. & Loweth, A.C (2010). Cytokine-induced beta cell apoptosis; iNOS expression, ER stress and pharmacological intervention. (in preparation).

• Watson, D. & Loweth, A.C (2009). Oxidative and nitrosative stress in beta cell apoptosis: their contribution to beta cell loss in type 1 diabetes mellitus. British Journal of Biomedical Sciences 66(4); 208-215. .

• Watson, D., Hosker, B.S., Hazelwood, S.A., Scarpello, J.H.B, Loweth, A.C., (2008) A Bioinformatics approach to assessing the structural and functional implications of protein S-nitrosylation in beta cell apoptosis. Diabetic Medicine, vol 25 (Suppl 1). P45

• Watson, D., Hazelwood, S.A., Scarpello, J.H.B., Loweth, A.C., (2007) A differential use of calcium stores in reactive oxygen species (ROS)- mediated beta cell death. Diabetologia, 50: S182-S182  (Suppl 1). 0425.

• Watson, D., Kinsey, E., Hosker, B.S., Hazelwood, S.A., Scarpello, J.H.B., Loweth, A.C., (2007) A role for mitochondrial calcium uptake in oxidant-induced beta cell death. Diabetic Medicine vol. 24, p. 34. (Suppl 1). P16.

• LSC 10027 Metabolism: Major Metabolic Pathways
• LSC 10034 Natures Tools: Proteins & Enzymes
• LSC 10036 Cells and Organelles: Biochemical Aspects of Cell Biology
• LSC 10038 Information and Inheritance
• LSC 20003 Gene and Protein Engineering
• LSC 20015 Molecular, Cellular and Structural immunology
• LSC 20016 Metabolism in Health and Disease
• LSC 30008/12 Research Project (Experimental)
• LSC 30010 Acquisition, Analysis and Communication of Information (Module Manager)
• LSC 30014 Research Project (Non-Experimental)
• LSC 30015 Biology of Disease