Anissa Chikh

Dr. Anissa Chikh serves as a Research Lecturer at the Neuroscience & Cell Biology Research Institute within City St George's, University of London (formed from the 2024 merger of St George's University of London and City, University of London). She joined St George's in April 2020 after previously holding positions at Queen Mary University of London.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Molecular/Cellular Biology and Biochemistry earned through an international thesis program supervised by Professor Paul Cohen (CNRS, University of Paris VI) and Professor Gerry Melino (University of Rome Tor Vergata). Her doctoral research focused on “Characterization of p63 target genes: IKK and GATA-3, their regulation during epidermal development.”

Dr. Chikh’s research centers on cellular mechanisms of homeostasis and disease pathogenesis, with specific expertise in keratinocyte biology, epidermal proliferation/differentiation signaling, and transcription factors involved in inflammation and cancer. Her work has established critical connections between p63, iASPP, and regulatory pathways in skin homeostasis, melanoma, and autophagy inhibition.

She has received significant recognition including the Blizard Award for Young Investigator of the Year (2016) and the British Society for Investigative Dermatology Young Investigator Award (2018). Dr. Chikh maintains active membership in the European Society for Dermatological Research and serves as a peer reviewer for academic journals and grant proposals.

Her collaborative network includes Prof. David P Kelsell (QMUL), Dr. Claudio Raimondi (QMUL), Dr. Jo Zhou (Radboud University), Prof. Dot Bennett (SGUL), and Dr. Elisabetta Groppelli (SGUL), focusing on molecular regulation of the iRHOM2/ADAM17 axis and associated signaling pathways.