James Weatherill

Thesis title: Estrogenic Profiling in Lung in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension by Mass Spectrometry Imaging

MRC Precision Medicine

Year of study: 3

  • Centre for Cardiovascular Science
  • College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

Contact details

PhD supervisors:

Address

Street

Centre for Cardiovascular Science
The Queen's Medical Research Institute
University of Edinburgh
47 Little France Crescent

City
Edinburgh
Post code
EH16 4TJ

Biography

Qualifications

2014-2019: Chemistry with a Year Abroad, MChem (Hons); University of Edinburgh

Research summary

The primary aims of James' PhD research include:

  • In-depth examination of estrogen metabolism in human primary cell models of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to allow for a comparative study off the effects on the sexes, as well as an assesment of the similarities and differences between the various forms of the disease (genetic, idiopathic) using LC-MS/MS.

  • Regional surface profiling of estrogens in cross-sectional lung tissue samples from rodent models of PAH using MS imaging, coupled with the development of a protocol for the derivatisaiton and chemical tagging of estrogenic metabolites on the tissue surface.

  • Further development of MS imaging to provide an insight into wider lipidomic changes in lung tissue affected by PAH, such as oxidative stress. The use of spatial lipidomics, will allow for the evaluation and assessment of changes in rodent model lung .

Current research interests

James' current research focuses on development of bio-analytical MS procedures coupled with the handling of large 3D data-sets for use in conjunction with other imaging modalities (e.g. histology). There is also interests in the development of molecular biological and protein chemistry techniques and procedures for application in chromatographic and MS based research, as well as the integration of laboratory-based and in vivo skills and bioinformatic databases, involving programming and multivariate analysis, for the development of better diagnostic and analytical techniques.
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