Personal Statement
I completed my doctorate in neuropharmacology in the Neurosciences Group, University of Oxford. Since then I have specialised in machine learning approaches to cardiovascular physiology, electrophysiology and ion channel function in humans and non-human animals. My research focuses on both experimental and mathematical modelling approaches to understand diseases associated with ageing, especially diseases associated with cardiovascular control. I have particular expertise in autonomic control and heart rate variability (HRV). I now teach these subjects to undergraduate and post-graduate students and conduct research with my active research group. I am on the BBSRC Committee A panel , an Elected Fellow of the British Pharmacology Society, Physiological Society and Senior Tutor in the Veterinary School. Personal Chair in Neuropharmacology 2019.

Personal Statement
My research concentrates on the functional anatomy of terrestrial vertebrates, with particular focus on the locomotor system. My goal is to understand the links between morphology (both hard and soft tissues) and limb biomechanics in order to better characterise how animals achieve their full range of behavioural activities and interact with their environments. I am particularly interested in the functional consequences of changing morphology through deep time and evaluating how elements of the locomotor system have evolved to allow animals to radiate into a variety of ecological niches. This has led
 me to study a range of living tetrapods from primates (particularly humans and other Great Apes) to archosaurs (birds and crocodilians) in order to further our understanding of major evolutionary transitions in locomotor biomechanics. I routinely use a range of theoretical and experimental techniques to study locomotion, ranging from motion analysis, force and pressure platforms to 3D static 
and dynamic computer simulations. In addition to research into evolutionary biomechanics I am also actively involved in a number of clinical and veterinary projects, including work on ageing human knees, dysfunction and disease in the canine locomotor system, and monitoring age-related limb degeneration in domestic dogs using gait analysis and plantar pressure data.

Personal Statement
The societal and human burden of chronic pain is enormous. There is a desperate need for clinical academics to drive forward knowledge in this complex field of pain medicine, and to forge new targeted and disease modifying therapies for these conditions. I firmly believe that research is the cornerstone to the development of tomorrow's therapies through a deep understanding of pathophysiology.

As a clinician, and academic I am passionate to be at the heart of this and desperate to see better treatment options for my patients. I am passionate to see the field advance, reaching our patients in new and impactful ways. I wish to take an active and strategic part of the future of Pain Medicine and using novel technology I am developing new ways to enhance our understanding.

Research Overview
As a clinical and basic science researcher, my research activities revolve around investigating the mechanisms and development of pain, with the goal of finding targeted treatments.
Housed in the lab of Professor Goebel, my research spans both clinical research into widespread pain and wet lab-based investigations using a translational approach.

A significant focus of my current Versus Arthritis funded PhD work is the exploration of autoimmune aspects in widespread pain disorders. To this end, my current project is employing advanced techniques to interrogate the peripheral neuroinflammatory changes occurring in the peripheral nervous system, specifically the dorsal root ganglion. Specifically, I am utilising cutting-edge technologies such as mass cytometry (CyTOF) and the PLAYR (Proximity Ligation Assay for RNA) assay. Mass cytometry allows for the simultaneous analysis of a vast number of cellular parameters, providing a comprehensive view of the immune cell landscape in my samples. The PLAYR assay, on the other hand, enables the detection and quantification of specific RNA transcripts, shedding light on the gene expression profiles of the cells under investigation. Through these powerful tools, I am meticulously mapping the peripheral neuroinflammatory changes that may underlie the development and persistence of widespread pain disorders. By examining the interplay between the nervous system and the immune system, I hope to uncover novel targets for therapeutic interventions.

My clinical research efforts complement my wet lab investigations, as I work to translate my findings from the bench to the bedside. I collaborate closely with clinicians to gather data from patients suffering from widespread pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia and Long COVID Syndrome. These clinical studies provide valuable insights into the real-world manifestations of the disease processes I am studying in the lab.

The integration of my clinical and basic science research allows me to take a comprehensive approach to understanding the pathophysiology of widespread pain disorders. By bridging the manifest gap between bench and bedside, I aim to identify novel biomarkers and develop targeted treatment strategies that can alleviate the burden of these debilitating conditions.

My work in the lab of Professor Goebel is marked by a deep commitment to scientific rigor and a passion for advancing the field of pain research. I look to use innovative and cutting-edge technologies through my collaborative efforts with academics and clinicians, to work towards the understanding and managing pain disorders I see in clinic, ultimately improving the quality of life for patients suffering from these complex and often-misunderstood conditions.

My long term goals are to understand the development of widespread pain from other preceding pain conditions in a hope to interrupt this process.

Personal Statement
Group Website

Professor George Bou-Gharios was appointed in 2013 at the Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool. He brought with him transgenic expertise and animal models of connective tissue disease. George had a PhD at Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School (Imperial College London) and trained in molecular genetics and the generation of animal model at MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Texas, USA, under Benoit de Crombrugghe where he discovered a fibroblasts-specific enhancer in collagen 1a2 gene and used it to identify cells that are producing excessive matrix in fibrotic diseases such as Scleroderma in Dame Carol Black Lab.
He spent eight years at the MRC Clinical Science Centre, Hammersmith Hospital with Prof Terence Partridge before moving to Renal Medicine with Prof Patrick Maxwell. In 2008 he moved to the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology prior to its relocation to Oxford.
In Liverpool, my group focuses on the regulation of matrix molecules that maintain connective tissue homeostasis. By investigating key enhancer sequences that regulate the developmental and adult expression of matrix proteins, we are able to use such sequences to target connective tissues in vivo, in a cell-specific manner. The ability to use pre-clinical models for gain and loss of functions of certain genes allow us to understand the mechanism(s) that underlie some of the connective tissue pathologies.

Research Overview
https://spark.adobe.com/page/FVoDi7bsWDe4c/

Personal Statement
Sibel earned her bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Istanbul University, Turkey. During her Ph.D. studies at Koç University, Turkey, under the mentorship of Professor Dr. Halil Kavaklı, she investigated the molecular interactions between circadian rhythms and liver metabolism. She further advanced her expertise in circadian biology during her postdoctoral research at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Ohio, US where she worked with Professor John B. Hogenesch for nearly four years, focusing on post-translational regulation of circadian rhythms. Currently, she works with Dr. Vanja Pekovic-Vaughan at the University of Liverpool exploring circadian regulation and chrono-therapeutic approaches to Systemic Scleroderma Disease.

Sibel also values the importance of public engagement and currently organizing workshops for shift workers to increase awareness on body clock and improve shift work related health conditions with her public engagement grant.

You can see her blog post about Pint of Science experience here.

Personal Statement
I am a biomechanist using innovative 3D visualisation and animal models to study musculoskeletal mechanics at the interface between the head and body: the neck.

I completed my BSc in Marine Biology with a minor in technical theatre at Hofstra University (US), and my MSc and PhD at Brown University (US). My PhD developed new ways to see and measure muscle motion and 3D shape change in living animals with x-ray video. I discovered fish power feeding not with head muscles as expected, but almost entirely with the swimming muscles of the body. As a postdoctoral researcher at Brown, I co-led (as Co-PI) a US NSF grant building a new framework for studying the anatomy, mechanics and evolution of fish body muscles as dual-function motors powering swimming and feeding.

I joined the University of Liverpool in 2018 on a BBSRC Discovery Fellowship, during which overturned the idea that fish bodies only bend in 2D. I showed fish move the backbone three-dimensionally and have a functional neck. In 2022 I became a Tenure Track Fellow in the Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, where I continue to use fish models to investigate spinal biomechanics, dynamic muscle deformation, and bio-inspired robotic devices.

Research Overview
I am part of the Evolutionary Morphology and Biomechanics Group, where I use fish as models to investigate:
1) the motion and functional morphology of the neck and spine
2) the 3D architecture and deformation of muscles during contraction
My research includes in vivo data collection with x-ray video, ex vivo anatomical studies (MRI, CT, etc.) and 3D digital animations.

Personal Statement
Emily obtained a first class BSc Bioveterinary Science at the University of Chester prior to completing a Master of Research at the University of Liverpool exploring prospective metabolomic biomarkers of equine osteoarthritis using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy metabolomics. In October 2020 Emily started a PhD supervised by Professor Mandy Peffers investigating the role of extracellular vesicles in equine musculoskeletal pathologies and associated regenerative therapies. During this time Emily gained experience in a range of omic techniques including mass spectrometry proteomics, and gained experience in a number of laboratories including the Wauben Lab at Utrecht University, and has also visited the Microsystems Orthopaedic group at the Medical University of Vienna ( Dr Mario Rothbauer), as well as Prof. Tim Welting's lab at Maastricht University. Emily has a keen interest in cell-free regenerative therapeutics and one medicine approaches to research. Now, as a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the University of Liverpool Emily is focussing on the development of suitable in vitro models for veterinary orthopaedic research, by incorporating bioengineering approaches, supported by the Horserace Betting Levy Board and Petplan charitable trust. Emily is passionate about including public engagement and actively organises the University of Liverpool Companion Animal Involvement panel.

Personal Statement
Peter Clegg is Professor of Musculoskeletal Biology at the University of Liverpool, and Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. Peter graduated with a BA (Medical Sciences) and Vet MB (Veterinary Medicine) from the University of Cambridge and spent 5 years in veterinary practice before undertaking a period of advanced clinical training in equine surgery and then a PhD in cartilage biochemistry at the University of Liverpool. Since 1997 he has had a number of academic posts at the University of Liverpool. Between 2002-2006 he undertook a Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Leave Fellowship at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research at the University of Manchester. He is a RCVS recognised Specialist in Equine Surgery and is a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons.

His research group investigates aspects of the cell and matrix biology of cartilage and tendons in health, disease and in ageing. He has particular interest in the relationship between the structure and composition of musculoskeletal tissues and their biomechanical properties; specifically, how these relationships alter during healthy ageing. His research group has been funded in by BBSRC, MRC, Versus Arthritis, Dunhill Trust, Wellcome Trust, the Horserace Betting Levy Board and industry. He has extensive experience of PGR supervision and has successfully supervised over 50 PhD students through to graduation.

Personal Statement
I am a veterinary clinician-scientist committed to improving the welfare of my patients by participating in and by the teaching of evidence-based medicine and surgery. I am also extremely interested in the ageing of musculoskeletal system in particular the knee, its ligaments and all other associated soft tissues.

Personal Statement
I'm a biomechanist with a zoology background (Antwerp University, Belgium), and with a long standing interest in human locomotion. I work in the Evolutionary Morphology & Biomechanics Group of the Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences of the University of Liverpool. I am equally interested in ultimate questions (how did walking on two legs evolve?) and in proximate questions (how do things work here-and-now). My work focuses on the function of the human foot and how it interacts with footwear and with the terrain to produce efficient gait. I am passionate about representing human diversity in biomechanics, so my lab work is complemented by field work in the UK but also with various indigenous populations in Asia and Africa. I have a great interest in how gait is affected during healthy ageing as well as in disease.
I strongly believe research and teaching go hand in hand and therefore I have established a new MSc programme in Musculoskeletal Biomechanics, where we are training the future generation of biomechanists. I am the Sustainability lead of my Institute and member of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity panel.

Research Overview
My main research interest is in the biomechanics of the human foot. More specifically, I am interested in the complex interaction between the foot, footwear and the substrate. Whereas most research has focussed on sports and clinical cases, my focus is on a fundamental understanding of the foot during walking. I have a major interest in healthy ageing and in human variation - I work not just in the lab but also outside of the lab, in Europe, India and Africa. Lab work guarantees access to state-of-the-art techniques. Field work adds ecological relevance and allows to work with under-studied and under-involved (in the scientific process) populations.

Mechanically, the foot is one of the least understood structures in our body. Improving our insight will help us select the best footwear and interventions to conserve our locomotor autonomy, a major factor for quality of life.

My work has been supported by UK-based and international funders, including Innovate UK, the Medical Research Council, the Research Council of Norway, industrial partner vivobarefoot ltd. and though PhD funding from the Engineering and Physics Research Council, the University of Liverpool and the Future Footwear Foundation.

In addition to my foot(wear) biomechanics work, I have a very broad interest ranging from fundamental evolutionary biology (e.g. how did we become bipedal apes?) to clinical applications (e.g. how can we better track gait in Parkinson's patients?)

Personal Statement
Dr Ersoy obtained a first-class BSc in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation from Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, before moving to the University of Liverpool to complete a Master of Research. He continued his academic journey at Liverpool with a PhD supervised by Dr Aphrodite Vasilaki and Professor Malcolm Jackson, focusing on skeletal muscle physiology, redox biology, and molecular mechanisms of muscle ageing.

His research bridges fundamental muscle molecular biology with translational physiology, integrating exercise physiology, redox-regulated signalling, mitochondrial biology, advanced proteomics, and AI-enabled structural and network modelling. He is particularly interested in how redox-regulated protein networks, proteostasis, and mitochondrial signalling contribute to skeletal muscle ageing, motor unit remodelling, and neuromuscular junction stability.

Dr Ersoy is currently a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Liverpool on a BBSRC-funded project investigating the role of SERPINA3 during chondrogenesis. Alongside this, he is developing an independent research programme focused on skeletal muscle ageing, redox biology, proteasome function, and translational strategies to preserve muscle mass, strength, and function across the lifespan.

As an HCPC-registered Physiotherapist and skeletal muscle physiologist, he aims to combine molecular biology, advanced proteomics, AI-guided target prioritisation, and exercise-based interventions to develop strategies that support healthy ageing, rehabilitation, and musculoskeletal health.