معرفی
Dr. Helen Matthews is a Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield's School of Biosciences, holding the Wellcome Trust/Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellowship since 2021. Her research focuses on understanding cell division mechanics in normal tissues and cancer, combining cell biology, microscopy, and biophysical techniques. She investigates how oncogenic signals alter cell shape and mechanics during mitosis, particularly in pancreatic cancer and tumor microenvironments.
Matthews earned her MSci from Imperial College London (2000–2004) and a PhD from University College London (2004–2008), advised by Roberto Mayor. Postdoctoral work at the MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology (2009–2021) under Buzz Baum deepened her expertise in cell division mechanics. She also held visiting roles at Institut Curie (Paris) and the Francis Crick Institute.
Her lab employs biophysical tools to study how mechanical forces influence cell division, including microfabrication to mimic tumor stiffness. Key areas include Ras-driven oncogenesis, epithelial tissue mechanics, and mitotic rounding dynamics. Recent work highlights Ras's role in disrupting cell-substrate interactions during division, impacting tumor formation.
- Awards: Wellcome Trust/Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellowship (2021–present)
- Labs/Teams: Based in the Molecular Cell Biology cluster at Sheffield, focusing on cancer cell mechanics and tumor microenvironment interactions.
