Lauren Eades

Profile

In October 2018, I started a British Heart Foundation funded PhD studentship at the Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine and Health. I am working with Dr Richard Cubbon, Professor Mark Kearney and Dr Nadira Yuldasheva, to study how the structure and cellular mechanisms of the bone marrow and its vasculature change during peripheral arterial disease.

Prior to starting this PhD project, I obtained my undergraduate degree (BSc) in Biomedical Sciences with Industrial Experience at the University of Manchester. I graduated with a first class degree in July 2018. As part of this, I carried out an industrial placement year in Manchester Science Park. I validated in vitro high-throughput automated patch clamp techniques for human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for cardiotoxicity screening. During my undergraduate final year project, I also developed an in vitro high-throughput organotropism model to investigate tumour angiogenesis.

Research interests

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects over 200 million people worldwide and is caused by atherosclerosis in the arteries supplying the lower limbs. Critical limb ischaemia (CLI) is described as the most advanced stage of PAD with a profound reduction in tissue perfusion, resulting in ulceration, gangrene and amputation. Evidence shows that PAD causes a reduction of blood supply to the muscle in the lower limbs. However, it is not understood how the bone and bone marrow of the ischaemic limbs are affected by PAD. The main theme of my research project is to elucidate and understand bone marrow changes in PAD in the hope that this will guide future novel therapeutic targets. 

Qualifications

• BSc Biomedical Science (1st Class), The University of Manchester

Research groups and institutes

• Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine