Research interests
Cancer can arise from the normal self-renewing stem cell that drives epithelial tissue morphogenesis and homeostasis. Our laboratory aims to understand oriented cell division (OCD) in the normal mammary epithelium to discover cell division defects that are unique to breast cancer cells. We are particularly interested in how regulation of OCD in the developing mammary gland influences epithelial differentiation and architecture, with a focus on addressing questions of 1) how mitotic spindle dynamics and orientation, cell polarity and chromosome segregation are controlled in the mammary epithelium; 2) how these mechanisms act together to influence cell fate and behaviour; 3) and how their dysregulation leads to malignant transformation.
We take a range of approaches including single-cell genetic lineage tracing in genetically engineered mice in conjunction with high-resolution 3D imaging and mathematical/computational modelling; mammary organoids; biochemistry and live cell imaging; proteomics; and next generation sequencing.
We also collaborate with breast cancer scientists to use primary human tissue samples from patients in order to validate our findings and investigate potential therapeutic targets to reduce the incidence or pathogenicity of breast cancer.
Lab Members
Farahnaz Golestan Hashemi - Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Mohammed Mansour - Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Maria Fankhaenel - PhD Student
Manal Mosa Hosawi - PhD Student
Camilla Nightingale - PhD Student
William Clarke - MSc Student
Catrin Owen - MSc Student
Funding
Medical Research Council
Wellcome Trust
The Royal Society
The Gerald Kerkut Charitable Trust
Institute for Life Sciences
PhD supervision
Maria Fankhaenel: The genetics and developmental biology of cell division in mammary stem cells, Gerald Kerkut Charitable Trust and Biological Sciences funding.
Manal Mosa Hosawi: Investigating novel mechanisms bridging cell polarity, spindle orientation and chromosome dynamics in mitotic mammary epithelial cells, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Education
Camilla Nightingale: Mathematical/computational modelling of breast stem cell lineage data: exploring the dynamic contribution of asymmetric cell divisions to the identity of mammary stem cell progeny, Institute for Life Sciences & School of Mathematics.
Research group
Developmental Biology
Affiliate research groups
Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, Institute for Life Sciences (IfLS), Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration
Research project(s)
Dr Salah EliasSchool of Biological Sciences
Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences
Life Sciences Building 85
University of Southampton
Highfield Campus
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
Room Number: 85/6059
