Karin Purshouse

NES/CSO Postdoctoral Clinical Lecturer

Biography

Background

I am a NES/CSO Postdoctoral Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Specialty Registrar in Medical Oncology.

My PhD examined the role of extra-chromosomal DNA (ecDNA) in glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). Specifically, I explored the spatial organisation and transcriptional regulation of ecDNA, and the response of ecDNA to DNA damage.  My postdoctoral work focuses on DNA damage in GSCs and the impact on gene regulation and ecDNA.  

Qualifications

MBBS (Hons) - University of Newcastle upon Tyne, BSC (Hons) - Imperial College London, MSc - University of Edinburgh, PGCert Health Research - Oxford University, MRCP (Med Onc), FRSA, PhD - University of Edinburgh

Responsibilities & affiliations

Honorary Specialty Registrar in Medical Oncology, NHS Lothian

Research summary

- Glioblastoma 

- Extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA)

- Gene regulation 

- Imaging, particularly super-resolution imaging, of ecDNA

Current research interests

I am interested in the spatial regulation of gene expression and how this affects initiation and propagation of glioblastoma stem cells, having previously worked in the areas of DNA damage and hypoxia in cancer. My current work focusses on the impact of DNA damage on these processes. Other work: - Co-Principal Investigator Scottish COVID CAncer iMmunity Prevalence (SCCAMP) study: https://cancer-data.ecrc.ed.ac.uk/sccamp/ - Chair for National Oncology Trainees Collaborative for Healthcare Research (NOTCH) 2024

Past research interests

PhD labs: Prof Wendy Bickmore - University of Edinburgh: https://www.ed.ac.uk/mrc-human-genetics-unit/research/bickmore-group Prof Steven Pollard - University of Edinburgh: https://www.ed.ac.uk/profile/steve-pollard Previous labs: Prof Adrian Harris - Oxford University - https://www.oncology.ox.ac.uk/team/adrian-harris Prof Ester Hammond - Oxford University - https://www.oncology.ox.ac.uk/team/ester-hammond Prof Ranjit Bindra - Yale University - https://bindralab.org/

Knowledge exchange

Publications available at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=purshouse+k

 

Current project grants

Wellcome Trust PhD Fellowship

Past project grants

NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow (Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
Fulbright Postgraduate Award

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