MRC Human Genetics Unit
Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit

Luke Boulter Research Group

Signalling in Tissue Repair and Cancer

Luke Boulter
Dr Luke Boulter - IGC Chancellor's Fellow

Section: Disease Models

Research in a Nutshell 

During tissue homeostasis and regeneration epithelial cells must balance proliferation, cell death and differentiation to maintain a functional organ. In the liver, this regulation requires the constant integration of signals by epithelial cells from non-epithelial, niche cells, which includes inflammatory cells and fibroblasts. In cancer, these interactions become deregulated and epithelial cells can either be regulated independent of their microenvironment or the niche becomes permissive to tumour formation. 

Our lab is interested in how the signals, which come from the regenerative microenvironment drive tissue repair following injury and how these signals are co-opted by the tumour to support cancer growth. We are particularly interested in the role of the Wnt pathway in these processes and are currently working on both canonical and non-canonical Wnt signalling to define how these pathways regulate tissue architecture, using the adult liver and cancers of the adult liver as a models for these studies.

 

Research Programme

Luke Boulter group

People

 
Luke Boulter Reader and Cancer Research UK Fellow
Edward Jarman CRUK Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Anabel Martinez-Lyons CRUK Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Scott Waddell

CSO Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Alex Walker

Edinburgh Clinical Academic Track (ECAT) Fellow

Paula Olaizola Marie Curie Skłodowska Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Michaela Raab PhD Student

Ersi Christodoulou

PhD Student

Sara Teles

PhD Student

Elizabeth Carmichael

PhD Student (with Martin Taylor)

Caitlin McCaffrey

PhD Student (with Rachel Guest)

Kyle Davies

Technical Officer

Andreea Gradinaru Research Technician
Aleksandra Rozyczko Research Assistant

Contact

 Luke.Boulter@ed.ac.uk

Scientific Themes

Cholangiocarcinoma, liver, intestine, Wnt signalling

Technology Expertise

Cancer Models, Organoids, Quantitative Imaging, Pathologist