Dr J Turnbull : Biographical Sketch
MRC Senior Research Fellow / Reader in Biochemistry
Primary & Secondary education in Sydney & Brisbane in Australia (1965-1975),
followed by a year in Madrid, Spain (1976)
and then completion of A levels in West Yorkshire
(1977-1979).
Degrees:
1980-1983 University of Wales BSc (Hons)
Biochemistry
1985-1990 University of Manchester
PhD (Heparan
Sulphate structural analysis)
Previous employment and experience:
ICI Central Tox. Lab Biochem. Mech.
Pre-uni.
Res. Assistant 1979-1980
University of Wales Biochemistry Nuffield
Res. Assistant 1982
Christie Hospital (Manchester) Clin.
Research
Basic Grade Biochemist 1983-1988
University of Iowa Medicinal Chemistry
Visiting
Res. Scientist 1988
Christie Hospital (Manchester) Clin.
Research
Senior Grade Biochemist 1988-1990
Manchester University Medical Oncology
Postdoctoral
Res. Associate 1990-1993
University of Adelaide Chemical Pathology
Visiting Research Fellow 1994
University of Manchester Medical Oncology
Research Fellow 1994-1996
University of Birmingham (Biosciences) MRC
Senior Research Fellow 1996- present
University of Birmingham (Biosciences) Reader
2000- present
Honors:
1991 International Travel Fellowship
Royal
Society/ Australian Academy of Science
1994 International Travel Fellowship
Royal
Society/ Australian Academy of Science
1996 Senior Research Fellowship Medical
Research
Council (MRC)
1998 Member, MRC Advisory Board
1998 Proposer & Organiser, Human
Frontier
Science Program Workshop VI "Proteoglycans
in Development"
Professional experience and contributions
to heparan sulphate research:
The general area of my research interests
is the glycobiology of complex carbohydrates,
in particular the role of proteoglycans
and
glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in cell-cell/cell-matrix
interactions and growth factor signalling.
The major focus of my current research
is
investigation of the structure and
function
of the cell surface and matrix heparan
sulphate
proteoglycans (HSPGs), in particular
in the
nervous system. I currently have over
16
years research experience (10 years
postdoctoral)
in a variety of different environments.
My
research has resulted in a number of
important
contributions to the field of proteoglycan
research and include:
· development of novel approaches for
analysing
HS structure, including the first direct
sequencing method
· studies on the complexity and cell-type
specificity of HS structure
· demonstration of structural order
in HS
polysaccharides and proposal of a prototypic
model for HS structure.
· showing that alterations in fine
structure
of HS on syndecan-1 regulate cell behaviour
· isolation and structural characterisation
of specific sugar sequences in HS which
bind
to bFGF with high affinity
· demonstrating that specific HS saccharides
act as ligand and receptor specific
regulators
of FGF activity
Outside positions of responsibility:
MRC Advisory Panel (since 1998)
Editorial Advisor: Biochemical Journal
(since
1995)
Committee member: Biochemical Society
(Glycobiology
Group)
Journal Referee: for numerous biochemistry
and cell biology journals
Turnbull Lab Homepage
|
|