Professor Roz Banks
- Position: Professor of Biomedical Proteomics
- Areas of expertise: biomarkers; proteomics; renal cancer; kidney; kidney transplantation; acute kidney injury; biobanking
- Email: R.Banks@leeds.ac.uk
- Phone: +44(0)113 206 4927
- Location: Cancer Research Building
Profile
Originally graduating in Physiology from St Andrews University in 1982, I turned down a PhD place and subsequently gained an MSc in Toxicology (taught course) at the University of Surrey intending to move to employment after. However having really enjoyed my research project I decided to return to St Andrews and gained my PhD. I then worked for the MRC Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh before moving to the University of Leeds in 1988. Since 1990 I have been based on the St James’s University hospital campus which fits with my translational research interests which are predominantly in biomarker discovery and translation and have moved up the academic ladder from postdoctoral Fellow to my current post as Professor of Biomedical Proteomics.
Research interests
I co-lead the Clinical and Biomedical Proteomics group with Dr Naveen Vasudev. The main focus of our research group is in developing and using proteomics-based approaches in renal cancer, renal transplantation and acute kidney injury, with the aims of discovering novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets and increasing our understanding of the underlying pathogenesis.
This may be for diagnostic, prognostic or predictive purposes, working closely with clinicians monitoring patients undergoing treatment with biological therapeutics to try and better understand the mechanisms operating in vivo in an attempt to improve patient response and tailoring of therapies. However, with my broad interest in translational medical research, I am also involved in collaborative projects in several other areas. Other activities include responsibility for establishing and overseeing a team dedicated to clinical sample processing (as a service within clinical trials in addition to research projects) and biobanking with academic leadership of 2 Research Tissue Banks. Research funding sources include/have included MRC, Kidney Research UK, NIHR, EU, Wellcome Trust and Innovate UK and we work in partnership with industry also to enable biomarker translation.
Qualifications
- PhD
- MSc Toxicology
- BSc (1st Class Hons) in Physiology
Student education
I teach at the postgraduate level principally, in the area of biomarkers
Research groups and institutes
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St James's