Biography
After graduating in Physics at the University of Manchester, Neil moved to Loughborough University to complete a PhD on ‘spintronic’ magnetic multilayered films. Between 1998 and 2002 Neil worked as a post-doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Salford in the Institute for Materials, where he explored a variety of novel magnetic nanostructures. Following this he was awarded an in-house research scientist position at Daresbury Laboratory working with Prof Gerrit van der Laan in the Magnetic Spectroscopy group, applying synchrotron x-ray spectroscopy and scattering techniques to probe magnetic materials. After the closure of the Synchrotron Radiation Source at Daresbury Neil moved to the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences (SEAES), at the University of Manchester in the spring of 2008, where he now holds an honorary staff position. In October 2009 Neil took up the post of RCUK Academic Fellow in Biomagnetics within the ISTM at Keele University, where he now pursues research in magnetic nanostructures for biomedical applications, and the application of x-ray synchrotron techniques to probe biological materials. In January 2018 Neil was promoted to Professor of Biomedical NanoPhysics.
Research and scholarship
ISTM Research theme: Healthcare technologies
My current research focuses on two main themes:
• the fabrication, functionalisation, reactivity and application of magnetic nanostructures in the biomedical sciences
• investigations of biomineralised nanoscale minerals related to neurodegenerative disorders
A significant part of my research activities involves using synchrotron x-ray techniques to explore biomineralised iron deposits in biological tissue as well as in materials obtained in-vitro. In particular I have recently performed some of the first experiments to utilise soft x-ray spectromicroscopy to obtain iron speciation maps of tissue related to Alzheimer’s disease.
Over a period of many years I have established a track record in obtaining funding for synchrotron work and now regularly perform experiments at the Advanced Light Source, Berkeley Laboratory, USA, the Canadian Light Source, and the Diamond Light Source (UK).
Some of my external collaborators on current/recent projects are listed below:
Joanna Collingwood (University of Warwick)
Gerrit van der Laan (Diamond Light Source)
Jon Lloyd, Richard Pattrick, Vicky Coker (University of Manchester)
Adam Hitchcock (McMaster University, Canada)
Joe Gallagher (Caltech, USA)
Rob Hicken (University of Exeter)
Yves Huttel (ICCM, Madrid, Spain)
Elke Arenholz (Berkeley Laboratory, USA)
Teaching
Postgraduate teaching
I am the module leader for and teach the following courses on the Biomedical Engineering / Cell and Tissue Engineering MSc:
- Nanomagnetics in Nanomedicine
- Biomedical Signal Processing and Analysis
Undergraduate teaching
- School of Life Sciences - LSC-30028 Advances in Medicine
Selected Publications
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Nanoparticle-mediated magnetic hyperthermia is an effective method for killing the human-infective protozoan parasite Leishmania mexicana in vitro. Sci Rep, vol. 9(1), 1059. link> doi> full text>2019.
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High-Frequency Magnetic Response and Hyperthermia From Nanoparticles in Cellular Environments. In Nanomaterials for Magnetic and Optical Hyperthermia Applications. doi>2019.
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The potential of magnetic hyperthermia for triggering the differentiation of cancer cells. Nanoscale, vol. 10(44), 20519-20525. link> doi> full text>2018.
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Nanoscale synchrotron X-ray speciation of iron and calcium compounds in amyloid plaque cores from Alzheimer's disease subjects. Nanoscale, vol. 10(25), 11782-11796. link> doi> full text>2018.
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Dynamical Magnetic Response of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Inside Live Cells. ACS Nano, vol. 12(3), 2741-2752. link> doi> full text>2018.
Full Publications List show
Journal Articles
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Parallelized Manipulation of Adherent Living Cells by Magnetic Nanoparticles-Mediated Forces. Int J Mol Sci, vol. 21(18). link> doi> full text>2020.
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Cytotoxic effect of PEI-coated magnetic nanoparticles on the regulation of cellular focal adhesions and actin stress fibres. Materialia, vol. 13. doi> link> full text>2020.
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Controlling human platelet activation with calcium-binding nanoparticles. NANO RESEARCH, vol. 13(10), 2697-2705. link> doi> full text>2020.
- 2020.
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Iron stored in ferritin is chemically reduced in the presence of aggregating Aβ(1-42). Sci Rep, vol. 10(1), 10332. link> doi> full text>2020.
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Analysis of neuronal iron deposits in Parkinson's disease brain tissue by synchrotron x-ray spectromicroscopy. J Trace Elem Med Biol, vol. 62, 126555. link> doi> full text>2020.
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Label-Free Nanoimaging of Neuromelanin in the Brain by Soft X-ray Spectromicroscopy. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl, vol. 59(29), 11984-11991. link> doi> full text>2020.
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Broadband optical measurement of AC magnetic susceptibility of magnetite nanoparticles. APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, vol. 116(6), Article ARTN 062404. link> doi> full text>2020.
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Emerging Approaches to Investigate the Influence of Transition Metals in the Proteinopathies. Cells, vol. 8(10). link> doi> full text>2019.
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Magnetic Mechanoactivation of Wnt Signaling Augments Dopaminergic Differentiation of Neuronal Cells. Adv Biosyst, vol. 3(9), e1900091. link> doi> full text>2019.
- 2019.
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Metal Ion Binding to the Amyloid β Monomer Studied by Native Top-Down FTICR Mass Spectrometry. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom, vol. 30(10), 2123-2134. link> doi> full text>2019.
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Correlative Spectromicroscopy and Tomography for Biomedical Applications involving Electron, Ion, and Soft X-ray Microscopies. Microscopy Today, vol. 27(2). doi> link> full text>2019.
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Nanoparticle-mediated magnetic hyperthermia is an effective method for killing the human-infective protozoan parasite Leishmania mexicana in vitro. Sci Rep, vol. 9(1), 1059. link> doi> full text>2019.
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Alternating current (AC) susceptibility as a particle-focused probe of coating and clustering behaviour in magnetic nanoparticle suspensions. J Colloid Interface Sci, vol. 532, 536-545. link> doi> full text>2018.
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The potential of magnetic hyperthermia for triggering the differentiation of cancer cells. Nanoscale, vol. 10(44), 20519-20525. link> doi> full text>2018.
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Nanoscale synchrotron X-ray speciation of iron and calcium compounds in amyloid plaque cores from Alzheimer's disease subjects. Nanoscale, vol. 10(25), 11782-11796. link> doi> full text>2018.
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Dynamical Magnetic Response of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Inside Live Cells. ACS Nano, vol. 12(3), 2741-2752. link> doi> full text>2018.
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Translation of remote control regenerative technologies for bone repair. NPJ Regen Med, vol. 3, 9. link> doi> full text>2018.
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Iron Biochemistry is Correlated with Amyloid Plaque Morphology in an Established Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Cell Chem Biol, vol. 24(10), 1205-1215.e3. link> doi> full text>2017.
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Nanoscale correlation of iron biochemistry with amyloid plaque morphology in Alzheimer’s disease transgenic mouse cortex. Cell Chemical Biology, vol. 24(10), 1205-1215. doi> link> full text>2017.
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The cellular magnetic response and biocompatibility of biogenic zinc- and cobalt-doped magnetite nanoparticles. Sci Rep, vol. 7, 39922. link> doi> full text>2017.
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'Stealth' nanoparticles evade neural immune cells but also evade major brain cell populations: Implications for PEG-based neurotherapeutics. J Control Release, vol. 224, 136-145. link> doi> full text>2016.
- 2015.
- 2014.
- 2014.
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Evidence of redox-active iron formation following aggregation of ferrihydrite and the Alzheimer's disease peptide β-amyloid. Inorg Chem, vol. 53(6), 2803-2809. link> doi> full text>2014.
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Ferrous iron formation following the co-aggregation of ferric iron and the Alzheimer's disease peptide β-amyloid (1-42). J R Soc Interface, vol. 11(95), 20140165. link> doi> full text>2014.
- 2013.
- 2013.
- 2013.
- 2012.
- 2012.
- 2011.
- 2011.
- 2011.
- 2011.
- 2010.
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Fe site occupancy in magnetite-ulvöspinel solid solutions: A new approach using X-ray magnetic circular dichroism. American Mineralogist, vol. 95(4), 425-439. doi>2010.
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Microbial engineering of nano-heterostructures; 1 biological synthesis of a 2 magnetically-recoverable palladium nanocatalyst. ACS Nano, vol. 4(5), 2577-2584. doi>2010.
- 2010.
- 2009.
- 2009.
- 2009.
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Optimizing Cr(VI) bioremediation through nanoscale bionanomineral engineering. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, vol. 237. link>2009.
- 2009.
- 2008.
- 2008.
- 2008.
- 2008.
- 2008.
- 2008.
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Controlled cobalt doping of magnetosomes in vivo. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY, vol. 3(3), 158-162. doi>2008.
- 2008.
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Rapid magnetosome formation shown by real-time x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, vol. 104(49), 19524-19528. doi>2007.
- 2007.
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Solid-state biotechnology: Nanospinel synthesis from waste materials by Fe(III)-reducing bacteria. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, vol. 233, 462. link>2007.
- 2007.
- 2006.
- 2006.
- 2006.
- 2006.
- 2005.
- 2004.
- 2004.
- 2003.
- 2003.
- 2001.
- 2001.
- 1998.
- 1998.
- 1998.
- 1997.
- 1996.
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Nanoscale chemical speciation of β-amyloid/iron aggregates using soft x-ray spectromicroscopy. Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers. doi>
Chapters
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High-Frequency Magnetic Response and Hyperthermia From Nanoparticles in Cellular Environments. In Nanomaterials for Magnetic and Optical Hyperthermia Applications. doi>2019.
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Iron oxides in the human brain. In Iron oxides: from nature to applications. Wiley‐VCH.
Other
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Nanoscale Examination of Biological Tissues Using X-ray Spectromicroscopy. doi>
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ADVANCES IN X-RAY MICROSCOPY FOR THE ANALYSIS OF TRANSITION METALS IN THE BRAIN. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY (vol. 92, p. E277). link>2017.
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Remote Cell Activation for Bone Regeneration - a Pre Clinical Animal Study. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A (vol. 21, pp. S7-S8). link>2015.
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Magnetization relaxation of magnetic nanoparticles for hyperthermia in live cells: Noninvasive monitoring. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY (vol. 250). link>2015.
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Reductive microbial transformations of iron oxides; engineering biominerals for the remediation of metals and organics. GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA (vol. 73, p. A786). link>2009.
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Nano-spinel synthesis using Fe(III)-reducing bacteria. GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA (vol. 71, p. A180). link>2007.
- 2006.
- 2005.
- 2004.
- 2004.
- 2003.
- 2003.
- 2002.
- 2001.
- 2001.
- 2001.
- 1999.
- 1999.
- 1999.
- 1999.
- 1998.
- 1998.
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Microstructural modification in Co/Cu multilayers prepared under energetic ion-bombardment. ECASIA 97: 7TH EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON APPLICATIONS OF SURFACE AND INTERFACE ANALYSIS (pp. 1031-1034). link>1997.
- 1995.
- 1995.
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Dataset associated with the paper article "Nanoscale correlation of iron biochemistry with amyloid plaque morphology in Alzheimer’s disease transgenic mouse cortex" to be published in Cell Chemical Biology. full text>


