Professor Gurå Therese Bergkvist (MRCVS)
Director Student Recruitment and Admissions & Professor of Veterinary Anatomy
Contact details
- The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
- Clinical Sciences
- Functional Genetics and Development
- The Roslin Institute
- Division of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences
Address
- Street
-
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute
Easter Bush Campus
Midlothian - City
- Post code
- EH25 9RG
Availability
Willingness to take Ph.D. students: Yes
Background
Originally from Norway, I graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at The University of Edinburgh in 2003, during which time I also did an intercalated honours degree. After four years in mixed and small animal practice in Scotland I returned to the R(D)SVS to do a PhD in molecular oncology. I am currently Professor of Veterinary Anatomy and I teach veterinary anatomy to first and second year students. My research interests are the underlying mechanisms involved in the development of resistance to targeted therapeutics in cancer and conditions where there are dysregulation of osteoclasts causing pathological bone and tooth resorption.
In my Director of Admissions and Recruitment role I am the academic lead for the vet UG recruitment and admissions process with a particular interst in widening access to the veterinary degree programme.
Qualifications
FHEA, BSc (Hons), BVM&S, PhD, MRCVS
Responsibilities & affiliations
School
- Student Recruitment and Admissions
- Deputy Head Division of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences
- BVM&S Programme Year 1 Director
- Member of AB1, AB3 and AB4 exam boards
- Animal Body 1 Course Organiser
- UG teaching staff
- PG teaching staff
- Student support
- Veterinary anatomy teaching
Undergraduate teaching
Year 1
The Animal Body 1
Year GEP
The Animal Body
Year 2
The Animal Body 3
The Animal Body 4
Year 3-5
Student Selected Component 2
Postgraduate teaching
Online Massive Open Online Courses
Edivet Have you got what it takes to be a veterinarian?
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes
Current PhD students supervised
Saaim Qaisar Tanveer PhD 2022-2025
The Networks Influencing Osteoclast Dysregulation Leading to Bone Invasion in Cancer
Chandrindu Abeykoon PhD 2022-2026
Overcoming limitations of canine somatic cell (im)mortality
Rachel Wade PhD 2023-2027
Assessing the impact of hormone deprivation on osteocyte function to better understand prostate cancer’s distinct tropism to the bone
Past PhD students supervised
Louise Adamson 2022-2023 MSc project supported by Every Cat Foundation: Creation of a Feline Living Bioarchive and Feline Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Use in Investigations into Feline Tooth Resorption & Other Feline Diseases
Brandon Shek MSc 2019-2021 MSc project supported by Waltham's Foundation: A cat and mouth game: Genetic influences on initiation and progression of feline tooth resorption
Dr Erika Abbondati MRCVS DVM, PhD project 2014-2022: Effect of microenvironment on osteoclast driven bone resorption
Dr Seungmee Lee 2013-2019, PhD: A study of odontoclast dysregulation in feline tooth resorption
Mr Stratos Rokkos MRCVS 2018, MSc project: Investigating the effect of a siRNA cocktail against EGFR & c-Src in a panel of feline oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines in vitro and in vivo
Julie Hamilton 2018, PhD project supported by Morris Animal Foundation: Targeting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in feline oral squamous cell carcinoma
Mr Andrew Bagnall 2016, MSc project: The Use of insect DNA in Detecting Elusive Mammals: A Case Study on the Indonesian Island of Seram
Dr Monoar Sayeed Pallab DVM 2014, MSc project: The Role of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and c-Src Co-targeting in Feline Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Dr Mark Gray* MRCVS 2013, MSc project: Investigations into an Optimal RNA Interference Approach for the Development of Therapeutic Strategies in Feline Squamous Cell Carcinomas
Dr Seungmee Lee* DVM 2013, MSc project: The development of EGFR siRNAs as a therapeutic strategy in feline oral squamous cell carcinoma
Undergraduate BVM&S student research projects/Student selected component projects supervised:
Miss Qian Ting Maybelle Loh 2012 Mr Matthew Erskine 2013 Miss Laura Coleman 2013 Miss Emma Cairney 2014 Miss Esther Henderson 2014 Miss Bettina Salmelin 2014 Miss Taryn Yezek 2014 Miss Ashleigh MacDowell 2015 Miss Olivia Grice 2015 Miss Skye Hartmann 2016 Miss Jaclyn Goldmacher 2016 Miss Mairead Currie 2016 Miss Abigail Mould 2017 Miss Nicola Mawson 2017 Miss Victoria McCulloch 2018 Miss Sarah Gordon 2018, Miss Emma Jones 2023, Mrs Nicky Shaw 2024
Research summary
My research interests are in molecular pathways that become dysregulated in cancer and dysregulation of osteoclasts in bone. I have a particluar interest in oral tumours in cats, and how they invade the bone of the mandible as well as feline tooth resorption. Osteoclasts are my favourite cell, so anything related to osteoclasts and I am interested!
Current research interests
Research Groups Within the R(D)SVS and The Roslin Institute I have collaborations with Prof Colin Farquharson (The Bone Group) and with Dr Tom Burdon and Dr Jeff Schoenebeck (Feline and Canine Stem Cells). I also collaborate with Dr Jennifer Fraser and Dr Lisa Pang (prostate cancer).Past research interests
In the past I have collaborated with Dr Luca Palozzi (ECA) using anatomy knowledge to analyse medival sculpture.Current project grants
The Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) PhD Studentship 2022-2026
Project Title: The Networks Influencing Osteoclast Dysregulation Leading to Bone Invasion in Cancer
Award: £140,000
R(D)SVS PhD studentship 2022
Project Title: Limitations of Canine Somatic Cell (Im)mortality
Award: £64,248
Past project grants
EveryCat Foundation 2022-2023 Project Title: Creation of a Feline Living Bioarchive and Feline Induced Pluripotent Stem cells for Use in Investigations into Feline Tooth resorption
Award: £22,213
Edinburgh Global PhD Fund 2014. PhD studentship Project Title: Genetic mutations responsible for odontoclast dysregulation in feline tooth resorption
Award: £18,000
BBSRC East BIO PhD studentships 2014
Project Title: Effect of microenvironment on osteoclast driven bone resorption. Award: £120,000
Morris Animal Foundation 2011 (£106,000), Pet Plan Charitable Foundation 2012 (£10,000), Fiona & Iain Russel Seed Corn Grants 2015, 2017, 2020 (£5,000 each) and Edinburgh Innovation Initiative Grant 2016 (£3,000), Edinburg Global 2013 (£18,000) & Roslin Institute Small Project Grant 2011 (£8,000).
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Transcriptomic profiling of feline teeth highlights the role of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) in tooth resorption
In:
Scientific Reports
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-75998-3
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Optimised isolation method for RNA extraction suitable for RNA sequencing from feline teeth collected in a clinical setting and at post mortem
(11 pages)
In:
Veterinary Research Communications, vol. 43, pp. 17-27
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-018-9739-8
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Correction to :: Optimised isolation method for RNA extraction suitable for RNA sequencing from feline teeth collected in a clinical setting and at post mortem
In:
Veterinary Research Communications
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-018-9740-2
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
A brief cross-disciplinary study of lion paw prints in Giovanni Pisano’s Pisa Pulpit (1302–10): On the seventh centenary of Giovanni Pisano’s death
(10 pages)
In:
Source, vol. 37, pp. 215-224
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/699963
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
'And the great lion walks through his innocent grove': A cross-disciplinary study of lion paw prints in Giovanni Pisano's Pisa pulpit
(1 page)
Research output: Contribution to Seminar › Abstract (Published) -
Dual targeting of EGFR and ERBB2 pathways produces a synergistic effect on cancer cell proliferation and migration in vitro
In:
Veterinary and Comparative Oncology, vol. 15, pp. 890-909
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/vco.12230
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Targeting multiple oncogenes simultaneously improves response to therapy and circumvents acquired resistance to single target tyrosine kinase inhibitors
(1 page)
Research output: Contribution to Conference › Abstract (Published) -
Computed tomography and positive contrast computed tomographic arthrography of the canine shoulder: Normal anatomy and effects of limb position on visibility of soft tissue structures
In:
Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound, vol. 54, pp. 470-477
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/vru.12054
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Identification of tumour initiating cells in feline head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and evidence for gefitinib induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition.
(7 pages)
In:
The Veterinary Journal, vol. 193, pp. 46-52
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.01.009
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Canine shoulder CT and CT arthrography
(1 page)
Research output: Contribution to Conference › Abstract (Published)