Dr Andrew Durham, PhD, FHEA

Profile

Dr Durham graduated from the University of Nottingham with a BSc in Genetics.  He continued his studies at Imperial College London where he obtained an MSc in the Molecular Biology and Pathology of Viruses and subsequently a PhD in Microbiology.

Dr Durham undertook several post-doc posts both at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College and the British Heart Foundation centre of excellence at King’s College London. Dr Durham’s research is focussed on the epigenetic regulation of cell fate and remodelling in diseases such as asthma, COPD, lung fibrosis and vascular calcification. His research includes how environmental factors such as cigarette smoking, inflammation and aging drive these epigenetic changes.

Dr Durham’s teaching is focussed on Biochemistry and problem-based learning and project supervision at the undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Dr Durham joined the Blizard Institute as a lecturer in Biomedical Science in 2018.

Teaching

Module Lead:

Biomolecules of Life (BMD123)

Case-Based Biomedical Sciences (BMD202)

Biomedical Science Case approach to Problem Solving (BMD301)

Engaging the public in science (BMD606)

Lecturer:

Basic Biochemistry (BIO161)

Essential skills for biomedical scientists (BMD100)

Project Skills in the Life Sciences (BIO603)

Other:

Undergraduate medical education

Research

Research Interests:

Dr Durham’s research is focused on the role epigenetic mechanisms play in controlling cell fate in response to environmental factors such as cigarette smoking, inflammation and aging. In particular his research investigates the role of the bromodomain family of proteins in recognizing changes to histone acetylation, in both pulmonary and cardiovascular disease. Dr Durham’s research includes both the mechanisms through which the bromodomain proteins regulate gene expression and determining whether targeting the bromodomain families may be a potential novel therapeutic strategy to prevent or cure currently untreatable conditions, such as vascular calcification or lung fibrosis.    

Publications

  Durham AL, Al Jaaly E, Graham R, Brook PO, Bae JH, Heesom KJ, Postle AD, Lavender P et al. (2020).  International Journal of Cardiology vol. 309, 40-47.

BET proteins are a key component of immunoglobulin gene expression. Shim JM, Lee JS, Russell KE, Wiegman CH, Barnes PJ, Fear D, Adcock IM, Durham AL.

1. Epigenomics. 2017 Apr;9(4):393-406. doi: 10.2217/epi-2016-0147. Epub 2017 Mar 21.
2. Chest. 2016 Jan;149(1):62-73. doi: 10.1378/chest.14-2637. Epub 2016 Jan 6.

Corticosteroid modulation of immunoglobulin expression and B-cell function in COPD. Lee J, Machin M, Russell KE, Pavlidis S, Zhu J, Barnes PJ, Chung KF, Adcock IM, Durham AL. FASEB J. 2016 May;30(5):2014-26. doi: 10.1096/fj.201500135. Epub 2016 Feb 17.

Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress and Histone Deacetylase-2 Activity in Exacerbations of COPD. Footitt J, Mallia P, Durham AL, Ho WE, Trujillo-Torralbo MB, Telcian AG, Del Rosario A, Chang C, Peh HY, Kebadze T, Aniscenko J, Stanciu L, Essilfie-Quaye S, Ito K, Barnes PJ, Elkin SL, Kon OM, Wong WS, Adcock IM, Johnston SL.

Regulation of Wnt4 in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Durham AL, McLaren A, Hayes BP, Caramori G, Clayton CL, Barnes PJ, Chung KF, Adcock IM. FASEB J. 2013 Jun;27(6):2367-81. doi: 10.1096/fj.12-217083. Epub 2013 Mar 5.

View Andrew Durham's Research Publications at http://www.researchpublications.qmul.ac.uk