Tom Keeley

Tom Keeley is an Associate Professor at the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (DPAG) at the University of Oxford, where he leads his own research group funded by a BHF Intermediate Basic Sciences Research Fellowship and Wellcome Discovery Award. He is also a BHF Intermediate Research Fellow and maintains collaborations with Professor Sir Peter Ratcliffe and Associate Professor Tammie Bishop.

Education:

• B.Sc. in Physiology from King's College London
• Ph.D. in vascular physiology from King's College London, researching responses to low oxygen conditions in endothelial cells

Dr. Keeley's research focuses on understanding how multicellular organisms sense and respond to changes in oxygenation across various time scales, from seconds to thousands of years. His work primarily investigates immediate and short-term oxygen homeostasis through two key mechanisms: non-transcriptional oxygen sensing coordinated by 2-aminoethanethiol dioxygenase (ADO) and rapid electrophysiological responses in specialized oxygen sensing cell types. His laboratory employs a wide range of biochemical, molecular, and physiological techniques to study these processes from cultured cells to whole animals.

His publication record demonstrates a consistent trajectory of research excellence in oxygen sensing mechanisms. Recent publications (2023-2025) focus on N-terminal cysteine modifications, ADO-dependent proteolysis, and cross-species conservation of oxygen sensing pathways. Earlier work (2016-2022) established foundational knowledge about physiological normoxia, calcium homeostasis under different oxygen conditions, and the role of Nrf2 pathway in endothelial cells.

Scientific Recognition:

• BHF Intermediate Research Fellow
• Junior Research Fellowship in medical sciences at St. Catherine's College
• BHF Intermediate Basic Sciences Research Fellowship
• Wellcome Discovery Award

Dr. Keeley's research is supported by prestigious funding from the British Heart Foundation and Wellcome Trust. His work bridges multiple disciplines including molecular biology, physiology, and biochemistry. He collaborates extensively with other research groups at Oxford, particularly the Paterson Group, and maintains a productive partnership with Associate Professor Tammie Bishop on electrophysiological aspects of oxygen sensing. His laboratory (Keeley Group) continues to explore novel mechanisms of cellular oxygen homeostasis with potential implications for understanding various pathophysiological conditions related to oxygen deprivation.