Dr Charalampos (Babis) Rallis

Profile

Following his PhD studies on limb development with Prof Malcolm Logan at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Babis did postdoctoral research on single cell expression profiling of axial stem cells and integrin signalling during somitogenesis with Prof David Ish-Horowicz FRS at the CRUK Lincoln's Inn Fields Laboratories. This was followed by a Research Associate position with Prof Jurg Bahler at the UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing working on nutrient-responsive pathways, ageing mechanisms, quiescence and senescence. 

Babis moved to the University of Essex in 2020 where he established his own independent research group.  He joined the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences in September 2023. 

The Rallislab investigates gene and protein networks implicated in cellular fitness and metabolism, neurodegeneration, cancer and ageing with a focus on the nutrient-responsive signalling pathway mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR). The aim of the group is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms and principles behind senescence and lifespan and apply this knowledge for the amelioration, or even prevention, of age-related diseases. In addition, the group performs quantitative fitness profiling of microbial strains, microbiomes and mycobiomes and explore the effects of nutrition on biome physiology and subsequent effects on human healthy ageing. The group uses established and relevant cellular systems such as the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and mammalian 2D and 3D tissue culture systems such as fibroblasts, cancer cell lines, human dopaminergic and iPSC-derived motor neurons. Besides classical molecular biology, genetic, cell biology and microscopy approaches, the group utilises multi-omics (transcriptome, proteome, metabolome and phenome approaches) as well as related data integrations and network biology. 

Teaching

Essential Skills for Biomedical Scientists (BMD100)

Structured Research Project (BIO604)

Undergraduate research projects (BIO600/BMD600)

Research

Research Interests:

See Charalampos (Babis) Rallis’ research profile pages including details of research interests, publications, and live grants.

Examples of research funding:

The Rallis Lab is funded through:

-UKRI Medical Research Council

-UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

-The Royal Society

-Queen Mary University of London

Supervision

Olga Xintarakou-PhD student

Riaz Ali-Somji-PhD student

Dr John-Patrick Alao-Postdoc

Dr Juhi Kumar-Specialist technician

Dr Rowshan Islam-Specialist technician

Public Engagement

Articles in The Conversation:

-'Anti-ageing' protein shown to slow cell growth is key in longevity

-Why we age – new theories gaining ground

-TOR: an enzyme that could hold the secret to longevity and healthy ageing