Richard Mort

Dr Richard Mort is a Senior Lecturer in Cell and Developmental Biology at Lancaster University's Faculty of Health and Medicine. He specializes in applying imaging-based methods to study developmental biology, tissue homeostasis, and disease mechanisms, with a focus on pigmentation and melanoma. His research integrates experimental and computational approaches to understand cellular processes such as cell migration, mitosis regulation, and stem cell plasticity.

He leads the Mort Lab, which focuses on melanoma biology and employs live-cell imaging, mathematical modeling, and genetic tools. His work has contributed to understanding melanoblast migration during embryonic development, mechanisms of glioblastoma stem cell plasticity, and the role of cell adhesion in migration dynamics. Key collaborations involve interdisciplinary projects combining cell biology with materials science and computational biology.

Notable contributions include developing CreERT2-mediated recombination systems for melanocyte lineage tracing and advancing in vivo models of melanoma heterogeneity through Raman spectroscopy. His research spans from fundamental cell biology to translational applications in cancer therapy and tissue engineering.

Publications highlight expertise in cell cycle regulation (e.g., CIZ1's role in G1 phase), biophysical modeling of adhesion-dependent migration, and the ILK/STAT3 pathway's role in cancer plasticity. His lab actively explores the interplay between mechanical signals and cellular behavior in development and disease contexts.