Summary of Research
I have a background in neuroscience research investigating the contribution of major myelin proteins to the development and maintenance of myelin in the central nervous system and in the emerging roles of these proteins in axoglial interactions in a series of models of human disease. Since taking up the clinical post as senior lecturer in Companion Animal Soft Tissue Surgery at R(D)SVS, my research focus has changed to investigating the mechanisms of cancer development and progression in veterinary species and I have joined Professor Argyle’s Comparative Oncology and Stem Cell Research Group. This area of research compliments my areas of clinical expertise.
Currently, I am investigating the roles of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) in the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma in the cat. In man, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is a major cause of disease and dysregulation of EGFR, a member of the tyrosine kinase family of signalling molecules, has been identified as a key oncogenic driver and a major therapeutic target. Oral squamous cell carcinoma is also a common and debilitating disease in cats and current therapeutic strategies are often ineffective at treating the disease. We have used a range of techniques including RNA interference and small molecule inhibitors of EGFR to investigate the role of this receptor in a model of disease in cats. Our findings support a similar role for EGFR in the pathogenesis of feline oral squamous cell carcinoma and we aim to evaluate EGFR as a potential novel therapeutic target to compliment traditional therapies for this disease in cats. Additionally, we are interested in the role of cancer stem cells and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the progression of disease in cats and the influence of EGFR-mediated signalling on these mechanisms.