Prof. Fiona Oakley

About

I have an academic background in Physiology and Biochemistry having trained at Southampton University in Biological Sciences (PhD) and as a Research Scientist (postdoc). I have held the position of Lecturer at the Institute of Cellular Medicine since 2006 and was made a Reader in 2012.

My primary research interests focus on understanding how NF-kappaB and serotonin signaling regulates liver inflammation, fibrosis, and regeneration. In some of my published literature, I have reported that the transcription factor NF-kappaB is persistently up-regulated in scar forming cells of the liver; the hepatic myofibroblasts (HM) in response to liver injury and that elevation in NF-kappaB activity promotes HM survival and perpetuation and the establishment of liver fibrosis. I have also provided published evidence that inhibition of NF-kappaB induced apoptosis of these cells both in vitro and in vivo. I have demonstrated that pharmacological blockade of NF-kappaB in vivo promoted deletion of HM and reversion of fibrosis, identifying NF-KappaB as a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of liver disease.

My other research projects include investigating the discrete biological functions of the individual NF-kB subunits (RelA, c-Rel, p50, etc) in heart and skin physiology and disease. I am presently heavily involved in the CRAFT (Creative Advances in Fibrosis Therapeutics) collaboration with pharmaceutical giant GSK involving collaborations with UCL, Royal Brompton, Nottingham University, Manchester University and McMaster University in Canada. This collaborative grant is aimed at investigating Liver, Kidney, and Lung fibrosis mechanisms and potential therapeutics.

I am the academic lead for the In Vivo Imaging System (IVIS). This piece of equipment enables bioluminescent and fluorescent in vivo imaging. My role involves providing academic support for a full-time imaging technician.

Education

• PhD Awarded - Southampton University (2000)
• BSc Physiology and Biochemistry - Southampton University (1997)

Previous Appointments

• MRC funded post-doctoral research scientist, University of Southampton - 01/07/00- 31/03/03.
• Wellcome Trust funded post-doctoral research scientist, University of Southampton - 02/04/03-30/08/05.
• School of Medicine, Career Track Award fellowship, University of Southampton - 1/10/05-31/08/06.

Memberships

• Member of the British Association for the Study of liver Disease and was a Basic Science committee member from 2007-2011.
• Member of the European Association for the Study of liver Disease 2010-2011.

Editorial Boards

• Journal of Hepatology
• International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology

Conferences

• British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL) Sept 2013 - Women in Hepatology & Liver Fibrosis Session.
• Uk NfkB meeting - Liverpool April 2013 - oral presentation
• European liver meeting - EASL April 2013 - Translational Potential in Fibrogenesis Workshop - Chair
• British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL) Sept 2012 - Co-organiser of Fibrosis Session & oral presentation
• European liver meeting - EASL April 2011 – oral presentation
• European Club of Liver Cell Biology (ECLCB) meeting Oct 2010. Session Chair.
• UK NF-kappaB meeting - June 2009 – oral presentation
• European liver meeting - EASL April 2008 – oral presentation
• American Liver meeting - AASLD Nov 2008 – oral presentation
• UKNF-kappaB meeting - June 2007 – invited speaker

Prizes

• September 2006 Dame Sheila Sherlock Young Investigator Research Medal Recipient.

Major Publications

• Chen J, Lobb IT, Morin P, Novo SM, Simpson J, Kennerknecht K, von Kriegsheim A, Batchelor EE, Oakley F, Stark LA - Identification of a novel TIF-IA-NF-κB nucleolar stress response pathway - Nucleic Acids Res. 2018 Jul 6;46(12):6188-6205. doi: 10.1093/nar/gky455.
• Wilson CL, Jurk D, Fullard N, Banks P, Page A, Luli S, Elsharkawy AM, Gieling RG, Chakraborty JB, Fox C, Richardson C, Callaghan K, Blair GE, Fox N, Lagnado A, Passos JF, Moore AJ, Smith GR, Tiniakos DG, Mann J, Oakley F, Mann DA - NFκB1 is a suppressor of neutrophil-driven hepatocellular carcinoma.
• Fullard N, Moles A, O'Reilly S, van Laar JM, Faini D, Diboll J, Reynolds NJ, Mann DA, Reichelt J, Oakley F. - The c-Rel subunit of NF-κB regulates epidermal homeostasis and promotes skin fibrosis in mice.
• Moles A, Sanchez AM, Banks PS, Murphy LB, Luli S, Borthwick L, Fisher A, van Laar JM, White SA, Perkins ND, Burt AD, Mann DA, Oakley F - Inhibition of RelA-Ser536 phosphorylation by a competing peptide reduces mouse liver fibrosis without blocking the innate immune response.
• Gaspar-Pereira S, Fullard N, Townsend PA, Banks PS, Ellis EL, Fox C, Maxwell AG, Murphy LB, Kirk A, Bauer R, Caamaño JH, Figg N, Foo RS, Mann J, Mann DA, Oakley F. - The NF-κB subunit c-Rel stimulates cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis.
• Zeybel M, Hardy T, Wong YK, Mathers JC, Fox CR, Gackowska A, Oakley F, Burt AD, Wilson CL, Anstee QM, Barter MJ, Masson S, Elsharkawy AM, Mann DA, Mann JJ - Multigenerational epigenetic adaptation of the hepatic wound-healing response.
• Ebrahimkhani MR, Oakley F, Murphy LB, Mann J, Moles A, Perugorria M, Ellis E, Lakey AF, Burt A, Douglass A, Wright MC, White SA, Jaffré F, Maroteaux L, Mann DA - Stimulating healthy tissue regeneration by targeting the 5-HT2B receptor in chronic liver disease.
• Oakley F, Teoh V, Ching-A-Sue G, Bataller R, Colmenero J, Jonsson JR, Eliopoulos AG, Watson MR, Manas D, Mann DA - Angiotensin II activates I kappaB kinase phosphorylation of RelA at Ser 536 to promote myofibroblast survival and liver fibrosis.
• Watson MR, Wallace K, Gieling RG, Manas DM, Jaffray E, Hay RT, Mann DA, Oakley F - NF-kappaB is a critical regulator of the survival of rodent and human hepatic myofibroblasts.
• Oakley F, Mann J, Nailard S, Smart DE, Mungalsingh N, Constandinou C, Ali S, Wilson SJ, Millward-Sadler H, Iredale JP, Mann DA - Nuclear factor-kappaB1 (p50) limits the inflammatory and fibrogenic responses to chronic injury.
• Oakley F, Meso M, Iredale JP, Green K, Marek CJ, Zhou X, May MJ, Millward-Sadler H, Wright MC, Mann DA - Inhibition of inhibitor of kappaB kinases stimulates hepatic stellate cell apoptosis and accelerated recovery from rat liver fibrosis.