Dr Tilman Sanchez-Elsner PhD
Associate Professor in Biomedicine
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Dr Tilman Sanchez-Elsner is an Associate Professor in Biomedicine within Medicine at the University of Southampton.
I am a molecular biologist with an interest in gene expression. This encompasses, control of epigenetics, transcription and microRNA regulation of genes. As an Associate Professor in Biomedicine, I combine my training with the unique environment offered by the Faculty of Medicine in Southampton, which gives access to clinical samples and expertise. I am thus involved in finding the molecular signatures of several diseases such as asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and cancer.
Tilman Sanchez-Elsner studied Biology at the Universidad Complutense of Madrid, Spain, pursuing the PhD in the same University at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (June 2002). The actual research thesis work was carried out under the supervision of Dr Carmelo Bernabeu and Luisa M. Botella, in the Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas (Madrid), belonging to the Spanish Research Council. During his PhD, Tilman focused on the transcriptional control of angiogenesis and repair in human, describing the co-operation between two transcription factors, HIF-1a (Hypoxia Inducible Factor) and Smad3 (which mediates TGF-a inducible responses).
After his PhD, and being interested in a more global kind of regulation of transcription, he then moved into the field of epigenetics. He was a postdoctoral fellow (2002-2006) at the University of California at Riverside, working with Dr Frank Sauer. Here, he described a novel non-coding RNA, crucial for the epigenetic control of the fruit fly development. As a result of the work with non-coding RNAs and the contact with expert groups in the field (Dr. Sowei Ding, Dr Juan Diaz-Pendon), he became interested in the field of MicroRNAs.
He was then interested in applying the acquired knowledge to the human model, and more specifically, to work in Immunology and hematopoietic development. He started working in the field of microRNAs since 2006, in the lab of Dr A.L. Corbi, as a senior postdoc. In this lab, he acquired expertise in the immunological techniques, as well as in the field of MicroRNAs.
Finally, he decided to develop his own independent research. His goal was to liaise to the clinical world, in order to apply the acquired knowledge to understand the molecular basis of clinical issues. For this reason, he joined the University of Southampton, as a Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences of the Division of Infection, Inflammation and Repair (School of Medicine) in August 2007. He is currently engaged in several projects related to microRNA expression and function.