Dr Karen Forbes
- Position: Associate Professor of Molecular Endocrinology & Reproduction
- Areas of expertise: Reproductive biology; endocrinology; diabetes; placenta; metabolism; maternal nutrition; placental biology; fetal growth; extracellular vesicles (EVs); vasculature; miRNA; proteomics; cell signalling.
- Email: K.A.Forbes@leeds.ac.uk
- Location: LIGHT Building
- Website: Leeds Pregnancy Reseach Group X Account | X | LinkedIn | Researchgate | ORCID
Profile
I am an Associate Professor of Molecular Endocrinology and Reproduction. My research team is focussed on understanding how factors in the maternal environment (diet, microRNAs and extracellular vesicles) contribute to altered placental and fetal growth, and long-term health of the offspring, particularly in pregnancies complicated by maternal diabetes. I have a programme of research spanning from understanding the basic mechanisms of disease progression, through to the development of potential novel therapeutics for prevention of these conditions. I have an international reputation in this area and has published extensively in the field.
Responsibilities
- Deputy programme lead for MSc Clinical Embryology and ART
Research interests
Current Projects
Maternal extracellular vesicle as key mediators of inter-organ communication in pregnancies complicated by maternal metabolic disease
Investigating EV-mediated crosstalk between maternal tissues, the placenta and the fetus, and its contribution to adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Collaborators: Prof Eleanor Scott (Leeds), Prof Susan Ozanne (University of Cambridge), Dr Beth Holder (Imperial College London), Prof Jurgen Scheider (Leeds), Prof Lee Roberts (Leeds) Prof Eylem Levelt (Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, Melbourne).
SWEETTALK: Maternal–placental communication in metabolic pregnancy disorders
Joint UK–Germany programme examining immune-metabolic and EV-mediated signalling between mother and placenta in diabetes and obesity
Collaborator: Prof Sandra Blois (Universität Hamburg)
Extracellular vesicle cargo as predictors of adverse pregnancy outcomes
Identification and validation of maternal EV-based biomarkers for fetal overgrowth, placental dysfunction and long-term cardiometabolic risk.
Collaborators: Prof Eleanor Scott (Leeds), Prof Alex Heazell (Manchester)
Placental vascular development and dysfunction in healthy and complicated pregnancies
Mechanistic analysis of placental vascular structure and signalling in healthy and diabetic pregnancies, integrating histology, imaging, molecular profiling and novel models of human placental vasculature.
Collaborators: Prof Eleanor Scott (Leeds), Dr Jayne Charnock (Edge Hill University), Dr Kristina Haase (EMBL Barcelona), Dr Lynn McKeown (Leeds), Dr Paul Meakin (Leeds).
Therapeutic modulation of placental microRNAs to improve fetal growth
Exploring whether targeted manipulation of placental miRNA pathways can rescue placental dysfunction and abnormal fetal growth in compromised pregnancies. Collaborator: Dr Lynda Harris (University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Current group members
- Dr Abigail Byford- MRC Funded Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Georgia Fakonti- Leeds Doctoral Scholarship PhD student (co-supervised with Prof Eleanor Scott and Dr Beth Holder-Imperial College)
- Aimee Green- MSc Molecular Medicine student (Intercalating medical student)
- Karina Harmen-MRes Medicine student
- Dr Amanda Leow-Obstetrics & Gynaecology Academic Clinical Fellow & Wellbeing of Women Entry Level Scholar (with Dr Nigel Simpson and Professor Eleanor Scott)
- Grace Martin – MRC DiMeN PhD student (co-supervised with Prof Eleanor Scott and Prof Eylem Levelt-Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, Melbourne)
- Maximilian Lester-BHF 4 year PhD student (co-supervised with Dr Paul Meakin, Dr Lia Pinto)
- Molly Weinbrand- Leeds Doctoral Scholarship PhD student (co-supervised with Prof Eleanor Scott)
Previous Group members
University of Leeds
- Harriet Todd- BHF 4 year PhD student-submitted 2025
- Dr Manon Owen- BHF 4 year PhD student- PhD awarded 2024
- Dr Haidee Tinning - PhD Student – PhD awarded 2024
- Ziyu Shao- MSc Molecular Medicine- awarded 2024
- Camila Wegricht- MSc Molecular Medicine -awarded 2024
- Dr Jessica Edge- BBSRC DTP PhD student - PhD awarded 2023
- Dr Abigail Byford-BHF 4 year PhD student - PhD awarded 2023
- Dr Naomi Clement-Obstetrics & Gynaecology Academic Clinical Fellow
- Dr Rachel Quilang- Postdoctoral Research Assistant 2019-2023
- Dr Naima Endesh- Postdoctoral Research Fellow 2022-2023
- Dr Christopher Trevelyan- BHF funded PhD student- PhD awarded 2022
- Dr Margeurite Kennedy- PhD awarded 2022
- Sharanam Soni-MSc Molecular Medicine awarded (with Distinction) 2022
- Chloe Baird-Rayner-Intercalatinf BSc Cardiovascular Medicine student. Awarded BSc (first class) 2021
- Dr Katie Hugh- MRes student (co-supervised with Dr Rachel Quilang). Awarded MRes (with Distinction) 2021
- Dr Sarah Cartland - Clinical Research Fellow (2015-2021)
- Dr Emmanuelle Godinho- MSc Molecular Medicine (intercalating medical student)-MSc (with Distinction) awarded 2020; Specialised Foundation Programme Doctor (2024)
- Dr Dilasha Gurung- MRes (with Distinction) awarded 2020
- Katy Walsh- Visiting Research Assistant (2018-2019)
- Dr Kate Timms- Postdoctoral Research Associate (2018-2019)
- Eva de la Fuente Luelmo- Visiting Researcher from Universidad CEU San Pablo, Madrid, Spain (2019)
- Kapampa Mwape- BSc Biomedical Sciences project student (2018-2019)
- Dr Panos Ntostis- Research Assistant
- Dr Mohamed Elmoursi- PhD awarded 2017
- Lewis Rayner - MSc (with Distinction) awarded 2015
- Michaela Wyner- MSc (with Distinction) awarded 2015
University of Manchester
- Zhiyong Zou-PhD awarded 2022
- Kate Timms- PhD awarded 2018; MRes (with Distinction) awarded 2013
- Bernadette Baker- PhD awarded 2016
- Christopher Saxon Whittle- PhD awarded 2016
- Lisa Jones - MRes (with Distinction) awarded 2013
- Miranda Lees- MRes (with Distinction) awarded 2013
- Joshua Jones - MRes (with Distinction) awarded 2012
- Farkhondeh Farrokhnia- MRes (with Merit) awarded 2011
Funding
Work in the Forbes group is supported by funding from: MRC; BBSRC; BHF; Wellbeing of Women, Bioscientifica Trust; JDRF-funded IIDP Islet Award Initiative; Mason Medical Trust; Mary and Alice Smith Memorial Scholarship; University of Leeds; Society for Endocrinology; Tommy's.
Other Research & Scholarship Activities
Member of the Society for Endocrinology Science Committee (2024-present)
Member of the Society for Endocrinology Programme Committee (co-opted; 2024-present)
Society for Endocrinology Reproductive Endocrinology and Biology Network Convenor (2023-present)
Editorial board member for The European Journal of Extracellular Vesicles
Member of the Society for Endocrinology Public Engagement Committee (2019-2023)
Mentor for research students, staff and academics through several mentorship schemes.
Members of the Forbes Group regularly participate in public engagement and outreach activities including Pint of Science, Be Curious, I'm a Scientist, Skype a Scientist, SoapboxScience and Letters to a Pre-Scientist.
Qualifications
- PhD Molecular Biochemistry; University of Strathclyde (2005)
- BSc (Hons) Immunology & Pharmacology; University of Strathclyde (2001)
Professional memberships
- Society for Endocrinology
- UK Society for Extracellular Vesicles
- Society for Reproduction and Fertility
- Anatomical Society
- International Federation of Placenta Associations
- International Society for Extracellular Vesicles
Student education
I offer BSc, MSc, MD and PhD research projects in the following areas: reproduction, pregnancy, endocrinology, diabetes, nutrition, developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), cell biology, cell signalling, non-coding RNAs, extracellular vesicles, molecular biology. Please contact me to enquire about current projects on offer.
Research groups and institutes
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine
- Discovery and Translational Science
- British Heart Foundation - Cardiovascular research
- Multidisciplinary Cardiovascular Research Centre