Stuart Ralston Research Group
Pathogenesis and management of rheumatic and bone diseases
Section Head: Rheumatology & Bone Disease
Research in a Nutshell
The Ralston group research focuses on the pathogenesis and treatment of patients with bone and joint disease. Research projects are being undertaken with the aim to gain greater understanding of the genetic determinants of bone and joint disease with the aim of tailoring treatments more effectively to improve clinical outcome for patients.
Improving clinical outcome in Paget’s disease of bone by genetic testing and targeted intervention. The ZiPP trial is a ground-breaking study which seeks to determine if prophylactic treatment of patients genetically at high risk of developing Paget’s disease can alter the natural history of the disease and improve clinical outcome.
- ZiPP trial: http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN11616770
Predicting therapeutic response to teriparatide therapy in osteoporosis by genetic profiling. This project combines pharmacogenomics and personalised medicine, aiming to identify genetic markers for response to teriparatide by genome-wide association analysis. Genetic profiling could be of real clinical value in targeting treatment more effectively. Functional analysis of the identified markers would help to develop new strategies to improve bone formation in non-responder patients.
People |
|
| Professor Stuart Ralston | Professor of Rheumatology |
| Sachin Wani | PhD student/Research assistant |
| Omar Albagha | Reader |
| Philip Riches | Consultant rheumatologist |
| Ariane Willems | Postdoctoral research fellow |
| Nerea Alonso | Postdoctoral research fellow/Lab manager |
| Belinda Stephen | Professor Ralston’s personal assistant/Unit administrator |
| Micaela Rios | Research assistant |
| Asim Azfer | Postdoctoral research fellow |
| Maheva Vallet | PhD student |
| Beatriz Larraz Prieto | Research assistant |
| James Mckenzie | Research assistant |
Contact
Collaborations
- Professor Bente Langdahl, University of Aarhus
Partners and Funders
- Arthritis Research UK
- Efficacy and Mechanisms Evaluation
- Paget’s Association
Scientific Themes
Bone metabolism, human molecular genetics, bone disease, clinical trials.
Technology Expertise
Clinical trials, genetic association studies, bone cell biology.