Personal Statement
The Metabolomics facility at Liverpool is the first dedicated multi-institute metabolomics facility in the north of England. I was appointed at its inception to manage and develop the metabolomics capabilities at Liverpool and have subsequently developed over 40 research projects including training and support for over 300 researchers (BSc, MSc, PhD, Post-doctoral associates, academics and clinicians). I am passionate about the FAIR usage of data and multi-disciplinary access to NMR as such actively develop researchers in multiple fields including biomedical, bio-veterinary, biology, biotechnology, biochemistry and analytical chemistry supporting them with expertise, training and method development. I also pioneered sharing of best practice in the technique via annual outreach programmes (statistical, computational and symposia) to serve and develop the metabolomics community. In 2014 I co-founded the ResoN8 facility managers group which coordinates research training and early career researcher events in the biochemistry and biophysics communities. I organised and ran the first Biochemistry and Biophysics N8 symposium with funds awarded from both the Biochemistry Society and the British Biophysical Societies. These activities contributed to capabilities grants awarded in 2014 to Prof Andy Jones (BB/M020282/1), in 2015 to Sir Munir Pirmohamed: https://mrc.ukri.org/research/initiatives/clinical-research-capabilities-and-technologies-initiative and in 2018 to Dr F Blanc: (EP/S013393/1). I design, deliver lectures and assessments in metabolomics to Masters students in Liverpool (LIFE754) and Newcastle University (MMB8053) and am a Fellow of the Higher Education Authority. I support the adherence and reporting of best practice in metabolite discovery as a member of metabolite Quality Assurance and Quality Control Consortium (mQACC.org) and actively support the development of software for analysis of NMR metabolomics dataset with the Collaborative Computre Project for NMR (www.ccpn.ac.uk).

Please feel free to contact via email regarding high-field NMR applications (Metabolomics, Protein Characterisation and Biochemistry), collaborations and research.

Youtube:LiverpoolNMR

Research Overview
NMR Metabolomics
Metabolomics investigations aim to determine biological and diagnostic information from changes in metabolite profiles of biofluids or materials from patient groups. As metabolic profiles are influenced by environment and genetic factors they are an attractive target for biomarker discovery particularly in diseases where lifestyle and environment have a large contribution to disease prevalence, progression alongside genetic predispositions. However, metabolomics investigations are also extremely sensitive to study design and as such this relatively new technique has yet to fully realise its potential. I am acitively involved in development of best practise in the field and support clinical, cellular and microorganism studies.

Public EBI MetaboLights Datasets:
MTBLS455, MTBLS541, MTBLS543, MTBLS563, MTBLS564, MTBLS658, MTBLS1357, MTBLS1435, MTBLS1495, MTBLS1645, MTBLS1990, MTBLS2040, MTBLS2396, MTBLS2967, MTBLS4591, MTBLS4766, MTBLS4854, MTBLS6050, MTBLS6051, MTBLS6052, MTBLS6053, MTBLS6055, MTBLS6212, MTBLS6213, MTBLS6215, MTBLS6219, MTBLS6220, MTBLS6259, MTBLS6260, MTBLS6262, MTBLS6263.


Protein NMR
NMR is an atmomic-resolution tool for biophysical studies of proteins and their interactions. I have iinvestigated protein structure and interactions with small molecules, nucleic acids, proteins, or lipid membranes. I have used NMR in combination with molecular dynamics structural modelling in order to determine the structure and interactions between a protein and RNA fragments, mouse urinary proteins and small molecules as well as membrane-tethered multi-domain proteins and their protein binding partners.

Public PDB Protein structures: 2WCY, 2L9C, 2LB6, 4AR0, 4AZQ

Public BMRB Protein assignments: 16444, 16840, 17445, 17446, 17447, 18419, 18428, 18459


Chemistry and Biotechnology
NMR is a core component of de novo small molcule assignment and dynamics. I have categorised the interactions of three components of a stereospecific catalytic assembly by NMR and implemented methodologies for development of drug design for specific protein domains by a combination of NMR and computational docking approaches.