معرفی
Professor Lorna Harries is Professor of Molecular Genetics at the University of Exeter College of Medicine and Health, where she leads the RNA-mediated disease mechanisms research group. She gained her PhD in Genetics from University College London in 1994 and has been at the University of Exeter since 2006, progressing from RCUK Academic Fellow to her current Professorship since 2018.
Her research focuses on RNA biology and its implications for human health and disease, with special emphasis on:
- Alternative messenger RNA processing and non-coding RNA
- Epigenetic gene regulation in the context of ageing and chronic disease
- Omics approaches to studying human ageing and age-related disease processes
- RNA-mediated disease mechanisms from 'big data' analyses to detailed molecular analysis
- Senotherapeutics and interventions for chronic disease
Professor Harries' work has yielded significant findings, including being the first to report dysregulation of alternative splicing as a new, and druggable, hallmark of ageing. Her research spans from large-scale omics analyses to detailed molecular studies of specific genes, with applications in diabetes, metabolism, ageing and endocrine disrupting chemicals.
Her recent publications demonstrate strong expertise in prostate cancer research, cellular senescence, alternative splicing, and RNA biology. The research group has produced numerous high-impact publications focusing on the role of RNA processing in ageing and disease, with particular emphasis on how dysregulation of these processes contributes to age-related pathologies.
Professor Harries has received recognition through:
- RCUK Academic Fellowship in Diabetes and Metabolism
- Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
- Wellcome Trust funding for engaged research initiatives
- Founding SENISCA, a senotherapeutics spin-out company based on her team's research
She has successfully mentored numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom have gone on to establish independent research careers. Her engaged research approach includes coordinating a Wellcome Trust funded study with local students that demonstrated the impossibility of moderating personal exposure to the endocrine disrupter chemical BPA through dietary means, which led to widespread media coverage and policy discussions.
Professor Harries' laboratory, Team RNA, continues to investigate the critical role of RNA processing in human physiology and disease, with particular focus on translating basic science discoveries into potential therapeutic interventions for age-related conditions.
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