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Dr Mark Evans

Job: Senior Lecturer in Biomedical & Medical Science

Faculty: Health and Life Sciences

School/department: School of Allied Health Sciences

Address: 51漫画, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH.

T: 0116 2577888

E: mark.evans@dmu.ac.uk

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Personal profile

Dr. Mark Evans is a Senior Lecturer in Biomedical and Medical Science.  He is a graduate of Brunel University (BSc.) and Louisiana State University (PhD) with an extensive academic and research background in the area of free radical biology and oxidative stress.  

During his career he has worked in the areas of cigarette smoking-induced lung disease, automimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus) and cancer and prior to coming to 51漫画 was a post doctoral scientist then lecturer at The University of Leicester.  His primary interests lie in the area of DNA damage/repair and role in disease pathogenesis.  Additionally he has worked in the area of human biomonitoring, examining excreted markers of nucleic acid oxidation and their biological sources, particularly the role of nudix hydrolases.  

Dr. Evans also has active research interests in the therapeutic potential of natural products, primarily anti-cancer activity and mechanism.  Dr. Evans has significant experience of teaching/teaching administration for undergraduate, postgraduate and research students, as well as design of and academic lead for MSc. programmes.

Research group affiliations

Leicester Institute for Pharmaceutical Innovation (LIPI)

Infectious Diseases Research Group (IDRG)

 

Publications and outputs


  • dc.title: Lead in Wild Edible Mushroom Species in Leicester dc.contributor.author: Jagdev, Gurminderjeet S.; Evans, M. D.; Sgamma, Tiziana; Lobo-Bedmar, Mar铆a del Carmen; Pe帽a-Fern谩ndez, Antonio dc.description.abstract: The aim was two-fold: to characterise the risks of lead (Pb) in Agaricus bitorquis collected in the city of Leicester (England), and to evaluate its presence in urban topsoils. Pb was monitored by ICP-MS in twenty-two homogenised mushroom samples (caps and stipes) mineralised with HNO3/H2O2 [LoD = 0.872 mg/kg dry weight (dw)]. Moreover, 450 topsoil samples were collected from 18 urban parks across Leicester; Pb was also measured by ICP-MS after appropriate digestion (LoD = 0.698 mg/kg). Levels were significantly higher in the mushroom caps (p-value = 3 脳 10鈭�5); median and ranges are provided in mg/kg dw: 2.461 (1.806鈥�6.664) vs. 1.579 (0.988鈥�4.223). Concentrations were much higher than those reported in sixteen A. bisporus (median < 1.0 mg/kg DW) specifically cultivated in high-traffic areas in the inner city of Berlin, suggesting some contamination by Pb. All caps monitored exceeded the established maximum concentration limit for Pb in cultivated mushrooms in the European Union (3 mg/kg dw), in line with the high accumulative metal capability described in the literature for Agaricus spp. Although non-carcinogenic risks characterised for Pb were negligible in the monitored mushrooms, a high consumption of wild green edibles in Leicester鈥檚 city should be limited as there are multiple additional sources of Pb and other metals, and they should be substituted by cultivated edibles where possible. dc.description: open access article

  • dc.title: A High-Throughput Comet Assay Approach for Assessing Cellular DNA Damage dc.contributor.author: Ji, Yunhee; Karbaschi, Mahsa; Abdulwahed, Abdulhadi; Quinete, Natalia S.; Evans, M. D.; Cooke, Marcus S. dc.description.abstract: Cells are continually exposed to agents arising from the internal and external environments, which may damage DNA. This damage can cause aberrant cell function, and therefore DNA damage may play a critical role in the development of, conceivably, all major human diseases, e.g., cancer, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disease, and aging. Single-cell gel electrophoresis (i.e., the comet assay) is one of the most common and sensitive methods to study the formation and repair of a wide range of types of DNA damage (e.g., single- and double-strand breaks, alkali-labile sites, DNA-DNA crosslinks, and, in combination with certain repair enzymes, oxidized purines, and pyrimidines), in both in vitro and in vivo systems. However, the low sample throughput of the conventional assay and laborious sample workup are limiting factors to its widest possible application. With the "scoring" of comets increasingly automated, the limitation is now the ability to process significant numbers of comet slides. Here, a high-throughput (HTP) variant of the comet assay (HTP comet assay) has been developed, which significantly increases the number of samples analyzed, decreases assay run time, the number of individual slide manipulations, reagent requirements, and risk of physical damage to the gels. Furthermore, the footprint of the electrophoresis tank is significantly decreased due to the vertical orientation of the slides and integral cooling. Also reported here is a novel approach to chilling comet assay slides, which conveniently and efficiently facilitates the solidification of the comet gels. Here, the application of these devices to representative comet assay methods has been described. These simple innovations greatly support the use of the comet assay and its application to areas of study such as exposure biology, ecotoxicology, biomonitoring, toxicity screening/testing, together with understanding pathogenesis. dc.description: open access article

  • dc.title: Biomarkers of nucleic acid oxidation 鈥� a summary state-of-the-art dc.contributor.author: Chao, Mu-Rong; Evans, M. D.; Hu, Chiung-Wen; Ji, Yunhee; Moller, Peter; Rossner, Pavel; Cooke, Marcus S. dc.description.abstract: Oxidatively generated damage to DNA has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of diseases. Increasingly, interest is also focusing upon the effects of damage to the other nucleic acids, RNA and the (2鈥�-deoxy-)ribonucleotide pools, and evidence is growing that these too may have an important role in disease. LC-MS/MS has the ability to provide absolute quantification of specific biomarkers, such as 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2鈥�-deoxyGuo (8-oxodG), in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, and 8-oxoGuo in RNA. However, significant quantities of tissue are needed, limiting its use in human biomonitoring studies. In contrast, the comet assay requires much less material, and as little as 5 碌L of blood may be used, offering a minimally invasive means of assessing oxidative stress in vivo, but this is restricted to nuclear DNA damage only. Urine is an ideal matrix in which to non-invasively study nucleic acid-derived biomarkers of oxidative stress, and considerable progress has been made towards robustly validating these measurements, not least through the efforts of the European Standards Committee on Urinary (DNA) Lesion Analysis. For urine, LC-MS/MS is considered the gold standard approach, and although there have been improvements to the ELISA methodology, this is largely limited to 8-oxodG. Emerging DNA adductomics approaches, which either comprehensively assess the totality of adducts in DNA, or map DNA damage across the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, offer the potential to considerably advance our understanding of the mechanistic role of oxidatively damaged nucleic acids in disease. dc.description: open access article

  • dc.title: Impact of reflective case studies on learning in clinical biochemistry. dc.contributor.author: Pena-Fernandez, A.; Evans, M. D.; Angulo, S.; Pena, M. A. dc.description.abstract: A novel pedagogic reflective strategy was developed to facilitate the teaching and learning of basic clinical biochemistry skills and to enhance critical thinking and reflection in clinical science students, specifically BSc Biomedical Science (BMS) and BMedSci Medical Science (BMedSci), at 51漫画 (UK) in 2016/17. Students that voluntarily resolved three clinical case studies proposed in 2016/17 and 2017/18 were shown to enhance their critical thinking and reflection [for each question, up to five marks are provided for their ability to: a) extract all the fundamental concepts, b) clarity of expression, c) reflect and comment]. A more detailed studied completed in 2018/19, contrarily has shown different trends in the learning/performance for each programme. Thus, BMS (n=19) students surprisingly displayed a significant reduction in their performance throughout the project (total marks were reduced from 10.68 to 5.0); meanwhile BMedSci (n=8) showed an increase in their performance, particularly related to their ability to synthesise information and clarity of expression (marks increased from 3.25 to 4.75). This discrepancy was not reflected in their impressions, as 83.4% of overall participants indicated an improvement in their learning performance, and 66.7% (33.3% undecided) reported acquisition of reflective skills. Although our results are inconclusive due to the low number of participants, students improved their communication and scientific writing skills.

  • dc.title: Learning clinical biochemistry diagnostic skills through reflection. dc.contributor.author: Pena-Fernandez, A.; Evans, M. D.; Young, Christopher N. J.; Escalera, B.; Angulo, S.; Pena, M. A. dc.description.abstract: Future health professionals need to acquire analytic and diagnostic skills for prognosis and management of disease. However, future professionals need to be provided with the necessary competences to interpret and process the increasing generation of data produced by the exponential advances in biomedical knowledge and techniques. A novel pedagogic reflective strategy was implemented in the final year module 鈥淐linical Biochemistry鈥� shared in the BSc Biomedical Science (BMS) and BMedSci Medical Science (BMedSci) programmes at 51漫画 (UK) in 2016/17, to encourage students to use reflection to resolve three clinical biochemistry case studies of increasing difficulty distributed throughout the year, as reflection has been shown to be effective in facilitating continuous learning and gaining practical skills. Students voluntarily resolved each case study and were provided with comprehensive feedback and marks for different criteria, including ability to reflect and comment. Marks gained for each of the criteria were compared statistically between them and between last two academic years (2016/17 and 17/18); a significant increase in the performance of students as a result of participation in this project was seen. Despite the short duration of this intervention, the reflective pedagogy implemented was shown to facilitate the acquisition and development of critical thinking and reflection, relevant skills for any future healthcare professional. Finally, participants improved their communication and scientific writing skills.

  • dc.title: Blended learning for teaching cell culture as part of 51漫画 e-Parasitology. dc.contributor.author: Pena-Fernandez, A.; Evans, M. D.; Hurtado, C.; Acosta, L.; Izquierdo, F.; Magnet, A.; Pena, M. A.; Singh, N.; Fenoy, S.; Bornay, F. J.; del Aguila, C. dc.description.abstract: Emerging and re-emerging human parasites have become a global health threat due to different factors including globalisation, climate and vector ecology changes that have highlighted the necessity of teaching human parasitology to appropriately train future health care professionals. However, a significant erosion in the teaching of parasitology in conjunction with a reduction of the number of parasitology departments across European universities has been reported. To maintain and strengthen the teaching of this discipline, 51漫画 (51漫画, UK) is leading an innovative international project for the development of a complete on-line package for teaching and learning parasitology named 51漫画 e-Parasitology. This package will be publicly available on the 51漫画 website here http://parasitology.dmu.ac.uk/ when completed early in 2019 and have different modules including a Virtual Laboratory. This paper focuses on the first e-learning unit created for the Virtual Laboratory section, named Human Cell Culture, and the validation undertaken to use it as a model unit to build this section. Cell culture is fundamental in parasitology for supporting different areas such as culture of obligate intracellular parasites or testing future drugs against these pathogens. The evaluation of the unit with undergraduate Biomedical Science students in 2017/18 at 51漫画 (UK) indicate that the unit seemed successful in facilitating students to acquire essential basic skills for working with cells in a cell culture room. Finally, we also provide a description of the short-blended learning experience implemented to validate the unit, intervention that could be easily adopted to enhance the teaching of cell culture in human health science programmes.

  • dc.title: Teaching parasite culture through e-learning incorporating digitised 2D and 3D parasite images. dc.contributor.author: Pena-Fernandez, A.; Llorens, S.; Hurtado, C.; Izquierdo, F.; Pozuelo, M.J.; Fenoy, S.; Young, Christopher N. J.; Evans, M. D.; Ollero, M. D.; del Aguila, C.; Magnet, A. dc.description.abstract: The teaching of medical parasitology is facing important challenges including the need to reverse the current downward trend in the teaching status of this science reported in developed countries, despite increasing food and water parasitic outbreaks in these countries. Moreover, the teaching of this science should be adapted to the rapidly increasing biomedical and technological achievements in our societies, so we can meet future students鈥� interests and expectations as well as being able to supply future work placement needs. Thus, parasitologists from different European Universities [51漫画, 51漫画, UK; and the Spanish University of San Pablo CEU (USP-CEU) and Miguel Hern谩ndez de Elche], are developing a complete on-line package for teaching and learning medical parasitology, named 51漫画 e-Parasitology (http://parasitology.dmu.ac.uk). This novel package includes a virtual laboratory and microscope with a complete library of digitised 2D slides of parasites in clinical samples. Recently, we have been successful in using 3D super-resolution microscopy (3D Cell Explorer; Nanolive), to incorporate 3D microscopic images (multiple-viewpoint-holographic images, 96 z-stacks) of important protozoan (e.g. http://parasitology.dmu.ac.uk /learn/3D_Parasitology/Acanthamoeba_cyst_1.htm) and fungi human parasites fixed on slides, of. In contrast to images created from pre-stained clinical samples, in which structures of the parasites were indistinguishable from the background, although insight of the morphological structure of the infective forms of the parasites could be seen in the 3D z-stack images in each fixed culture samples provided. However, we believe that such images will have little applicability as a potential diagnostic tool, requiring further development. We have also created an e-learning unit on parasite cell culture (http://parasitology.dmu.ac.uk /learn/lab/parasite_cell_cultures/story_flash.html), which show all the practices and procedures to work in a parasite culture unit in conjunction with detailed information and videos of parasitologists/technicians working in real conditions with parasite cultures. In order to validate this unit, we will use a blended learning approach with final year BSc Biomedical Science students and MSc Advanced Biomedical Science at 51漫画 that voluntarily enrol to receive formative training in these topics. This training consists of two sessions, which will be delivered in the first week of April 2019, when these volunteer students have completed the 51漫画 e-Parasitology鈥檚 Parasite Cell Unit. The first session, mostly theoretical, will provide an overall description of how to work in a parasite culture unit in conjunction with explanatory mini-videos, in which students will be able to observe different parasites in culture conditions and specific 2D (clinical samples) and 3D (fixed culture samples) slides. Thus, students will be able to observe the morphological structures of the infectious forms of these pathogens in three formats: as culture (live and fixed) and in a human tissue sample. In the second session students will use a class II biological safety cabinet to manage human cells and perform routinely tasks such as grow, culture and count these cells. This paper will provide an overall description of these novel resources for teaching/learning parasite culture and their effectiveness for teaching these important laboratory skills to future healthcare professionals.

  • dc.title: Applicability of the 51漫画 e-Parasitology for teaching cell and parasite culture dc.contributor.author: Pena-Fernandez, A.; Hurtado, C.; Evans, M. D.; Izquierdo, F.; Acosta, L.; Llorens, S. dc.description.abstract: 51漫画 (51漫画, UK) and the Spanish University of San Pablo CEU (USP-CEU) and Miguel Hern谩ndez de Elche, are developing a complete on-line package for teaching and learning medical parasitology, named 51漫画 e-Parasitology (http://parasitology.dmu.ac.uk). This novel package includes a virtual laboratory and microscope with a complete library of digitised 2D slides of parasites in clinical samples. Recently, we have been successful in using super-resolution 3D microscopy (3D Cell Explorer; Nanolive, Lausanne, Switzerland), to incorporate 3D microscopic photographs (multiple-viewpoint-holographic images, 96 z-stacks) of fixed cultures, on slides, of important human parasites provided by the Cell Culture Laboratory (USP-CEU). We have also created two e-learning units that show all the practices and procedures of work in a cell and parasite culture unit in conjunction with detailed information and videos of parasitologists working in real conditions with amoebas and Leishmania infantum cultures. These novel resources were tested using a blended approach with final year Biomedical Science and Medical Science students at 51漫画 that voluntarily enrolled to receive practical training in cell/parasite culture provided by an USP-CEU academic through an Erasmus+ mobility grant. Briefly, 2-hour training sessions were delivered, in which students working in pairs were trained how to culture adherent human cancer cells lines, including counting viable vs. dead cells. Twenty-two students attended these sessions; 9 (8 BMS, 1 BMedSci) provided comprehensive feedback. Prior to attending the laboratory session, participants were asked to view the 51漫画 e-Parasitology cell and parasite culture units. 88.9% reported that the e-learning units (22.2% agreed, 66.7% strongly agreed) and the virtual microscopic slides (55.6% agreed, 33.3% strongly agreed) facilitated their learning. Only one student (11%) indicated that the units were difficult to understand. Most students (55.6% agreed, 33.3% strongly agreed) indicated that they learnt basic skills to perform cell/parasite culture. Some students demanded more time to perform the practical, or to deliver it in the first term when they have just started the course. Although preliminary, our results indicate that the methods and resources here detailed could help with the teaching/learning of these important practical topics to any future health scientist.

  • dc.title: Reflection as a tool to facilitate the acquisition of diagnostic skills in clinical biochemistry. dc.contributor.author: Pena-Fernandez, A.; Evans, M. D.; Young, Christopher N. J.; Escalera, B.; Angulo, S.; Pena, M. A. dc.description.abstract: Future health professionals need to acquire analytic and diagnostic skills for prognosis and management of disease. However, the exponential advances in biomedical knowledge are making available new techniques and increasing the generation of data that require professionals equipped with the appropriate skills to interpret and process this new information. This is especially evident in biochemistry in which a myriad of new biomarkers can be currently monitored in a clinical tissue sample but, in turn, will require that the health professional is undertaking continuous learning to understand their meaning and interpretation. Reflection has been shown to be effective in facilitating continuous learning and gaining practical skills. Our innovative teaching group at 51漫画 (51漫画, UK) implemented a novel pedagogic reflective strategy in the module 鈥淐linical Biochemistry鈥� shared in the BSc Biomedical Science (BMS) and BMedSci Medical Science (BMedSci) programmes in 2016/17, to encourage these final year students to think critically and use reflection to resolve three clinical biochemistry case studies of increasing difficulty distributed throughout the year. Students voluntarily resolved each case study and were provided with comprehensive feedback and marks for three main criteria, which students used to answer the case study: a) ability to extract all the fundamental concepts; b) ability to synthesise information and clarity of expression; and c) ability to reflect and comment. Preliminary results were not reliable due to poor engagement with this voluntary work, only 23 out of 142 students completed the first two case studies. For the 2017/18 iteration of the project, we performed small modifications and restricted the completion of the three case studies to the first term to encourage participation (as these final students are required to complete a demanding laboratory based final project in the second term). A total of 48 students (38 BMS and 10 BMedSci) voluntarily completed the first case study, although there was a notable reduction in the number of students that attempted the last case study. Marks gained for each of the criteria were compared statistically between them and between both academic years the project ran, to determine the effects of participation. Data analysed for both academic years indicated a significant increase in the marks received for ability to synthesise information and clarity of expression (p=0.01) and ability to reflect (p<0.02). An ANOVA of repeated measures for all the marks collected in the first two case studies launched in 2017/18 would confirm our previous results showing a significant increase in the performance of students as a result of participation in this project. Seventeen participants from this second cohort also provided comprehensive feedback, indicating high levels of enjoyment and satisfaction (58.8% agreed, 42% strongly agreed) by participating in this voluntary experience. Additionally, 88.2% considered that their critical thinking had improved and 81.2% had learnt to reflect and resolve general and frequent pathologies using clinical biochemistry information. Moreover, students documented different benefits from their participation other than learning, e.g. 88% considered that the reflective project has helped them to prepare their exams and a similar percentage indicated a positive impact on their professional development. In conclusion, and despite its short duration, the reflective pedagogy implemented was shown to facilitate the acquisition and development of critical thinking and reflection, relevant skills for any future healthcare professional. In addition, this pedagogic intervention has improved communication and scientific writing in participants, which would have benefited the performance of these students in other relevant modules.

  • dc.title: Promoting training in health care programmes for environmental monitoring of human pathogens. dc.contributor.author: Pena-Fernandez, A.; Evans, M. D.; Lobo-Bedmar, M. C. dc.description.abstract: Humans are increasingly being exposed to different and emerging pathogens in urban environments that can represent a public health risk that require immediate attention. Different studies have documented the presence and distribution of intestinal parasites in wild and domestic animal faeces in urban environments that represent a serious threat to human health due to their zoonotic potential. These 鈥渦rban鈥� animals can act as reservoirs of different pathogens playing a role in the environmental contamination of the urban environment. The identification of these biological hazards to enable appropriate decontamination or implementation of public health measures to minimise exposure is therefore necessary. To promote environmental monitoring and public health within human health undergraduate students, we have developed a specific activity to monitor Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. in animal faeces with final year students from three different programmes (BSc Biomedical Science; BMedSci Medical Science and BSc Audiology) at 51漫画 (Leicester, UK). A total of 50 students from these three programmes will travel to New York City (NYC, United States) from the 3rd to 8th January 2019 with three academic staff through the international programme #51漫画global at 51漫画 (51漫画). This trip will present a unique opportunity for 51漫画 health care students to perform a parasitological and public health research study and acquire international competences. Students will be requested to: a) determine the presence and distribution of the above protozoan human parasites in animal faecal samples monitored in urban parks and recreational areas in the city centre of NYC; b) estimate the potential risks for public health; c) identify potential interventions and decontamination techniques to protect the public. Students will use immunocards for the specific detection of human-related Cryptosporidium and Giardia in the animal faecal samples monitored. Students will discuss their results and interventions once that they return to 51漫画, to increase critical analysis and reflection of the environmental monitoring performed and the identification of potential decontamination techniques. This paper will provide an overview of the trip developed and preliminary impressions of these students, which we consider will provide them with work and international competences critical for future health care professionals in a globalised world.

 

Key research outputs

M.-R. Chao, M.D. Evans, C.-W. Hu, Y. Ji, P. Møller, P. Rossner & M.S. Cooke. Biomarkers of nucleic acid oxidation – a summary state-of-the-art. Redox Biology (2021) 42: 101872.

H.H.K. Abbas, K.M.H. Alhamoudi, M.D. Evans, G.D.D. Jones & S.S. Foster. MTH1 deficiency selectively increases non-cytotoxic oxidative DNA damage in lung cancer cells: more bad news than good? BMC Cancer (2018) 18:423.

M.D. Evans, V. Mistry, R. Singh, D. Gackowski, R. Rozalski, A. Siomek-Gorecka, D.H. Phillips, J. Zuo, L. Mullenders. A. Pines, Y. Nakabeppu, K. Sakumi, M. Sekiguchi, T. Tsuzuki, M. Bignami, R. Olinski & M.S. Cooke.  Nucleotide excision repair of oxidised genomic DNA is not a source of urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine. Free Radical Biol. Med. (2016) 99: 385-391.

M. Karbaschi, S. Macip, M.D. Evans, V. Mistry, H.H.K. Abbas, M.S. Cooke, G.J. Delinassios & A. Young. Rescue of cells from apoptosis increases DNA repair in UVB exposed cells: implications for the DNA damage response. Toxicol. Res. (2015) 4: 725-38.

P.M. Lam, V. Mistry, T.H. Marczylo; J.C. Konje, M.D. Evans & M.S. Cooke.  Rapid measurement of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine in human biological matrices using ultra high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.  Free Radical Biol. Med. (2012) 52: 2057-2063.

K. Al-Salmani, H.H. Abbas, S. Schulpen, M. Karbaschi, I. Abdalla; K.J. Bowman, K.K. So, M.D. Evans, G.D. Jones, R.W. Godschalk & M.S. Cooke. Simplified method for the collection, storage and Comet assay analysis of DNA damage in whole blood. Free Radical Biol. Med. (2011) 51: 719-725.

ESCULA [European Standards Committee on Urinary (DNA) Lesion Analysis], M.D. Evans, R. Olinski, S. Loft & M.S. Cooke. Towards consensus in the analysis of urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine as a non-invasive biomarker of oxidative stress. FASEB J. (2010) 24: 1249-1260.

N. Potdar, R. Singh, V. Mistry, M.D. Evans, P.B. Farmer, J.C. Konje & M.S. Cooke.  First trimester increase in oxidative stress and risk of small for gestational age fetus.  Brit. J. Obs & Gynae. (2009) 116: .637-642.

M.S. Cooke, T.L. Duarte, D. Cooper, J. Chen, S. Nandagopal & M.D. Evans.  Combination of azathioprine and UVA is a major source of cellular 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’-deoxyguanosine.  DNA Repair (2008) 7: 1982-1989.

O.M.H. Habayeb, A.H. Taylor, M. Finney, M.D. Evans, J.C. Konje.  Plasma anandamide concentration and pregnancy outcome in women with threatened miscarriage.  J. American Med. Assoc. (2008) 299: 1135-1136.

M.S. Cooke & M.D. Evans. 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’deoxyguanosine: re-use, reduce, recycle. Proc. Natl Acad. USA (2007) 104: 13535-13536.

M.S. Cooke, M.D. Evans, R. Dove, R. Rozalski, D. Gackowski, A. Siomek, J. Lunec & R. Olinski. DNA repair is responsible for the presence of oxidatively damaged DNA lesions in urine. Mutat. Res.- Fundament. Molec. Mech. Mutagen. (2005) 574: 58-66.

M.D. Evans & M.S. Cooke.  Factors contributing to the outcome of oxidative damage to nucleic acids. BioEssays (2004) 26: 533-542.

O.M.H. Habayeb, A.H. Taylor, M.D. Evans, M.S. Cooke, D.J. Taylor, S.C. Bell, J.C. Konje.  Plasma levels of the endocannabinoid, anandamide, in women - a potential role in pregnancy maintenance and labour? J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. (2004) 89: 5482-5487. (2nd place, Harold Malkin prize 2004, Royal College of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.)

M.S. Cooke, M.D. Evans, M. Dizdaroglu & J. Lunec. Oxidative DNA damage: mechanisms, mutation and disease. FASEB J. (2003) 17: 1195-1214. (>2600 literature citations.)

M.S. Cooke, M.D. Evans, R.M. Burd, K. Patel, A. Barnard, J. Lunec & P.E. Hutchinson. Induction and excretion of UV-induced 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine and thymine dimers in vivo: implications for PUVA. J. Invest. Dermatol. (2001) 116: 281-285.

M.D. Evans, M.S. Cooke, M. Akil, A. Samanta & J. Lunec. Aberrant processing of oxidative DNA damage in systemic lupus erythematosus. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comms (2000) 273: 894-898.

M.D. Evans, D. Perrett, J. Lunec and K.E. Herbert.  Analysis of urinary pseudouridine by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography.  Ann. Clin. Biochem. (1997) 34: 527-533.

M.D. Evans, J.T. Wolfe, D. Perrett, J. Lunec and K.E. Herbert.  The analysis of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation in apoptotic thymocytes by dynamic sieving capillary electrophoresis.  J. Chromatogr. A (1995) 700: 151-162.

W.A. Pryor, D.F. Church, M.D. Evans, W.Y. Rice Jr. and J.R. Hayes.  A comparison of
the free radical chemistry of tobacco-burning cigarettes and cigarettes that only heat tobacco.  Free Radical Biol. Med. (1990) 8: 275-279.

Research interests/expertise

Free radicals and oxidative stress
Oxidative and free radical damage to nucleic acids; analysis of biomarkers of damage to nucleic acid; biological meaning and sources of urinary nucleic acid oxidation products; repair/processing of oxidatively-modified nucleic acids; biomarkers of repair of oxidatively-damaged DNA.

Cancer
DNA damage and repair in carcinogenesis; potential use and mechanism of chemical agents derived from natural products as anti-cancer agents.

Areas of teaching

  • Chemistry
  • Biochemistry
  • Clinical Biochemistry
  • Pharmacology

Qualifications

PhD Biochemistry/Organic Chemistry (Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge)
BSc. (Hons) Applied Biochemistry (Brunel University)

Courses taught

Programme Lead, MSc. Advanced Biomedical Science

BSc. Biomedical Science
BMedSci. Medical Science
MSc. Advanced Biomedical Science

Honours and awards

Diploma from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education recognising contribution to oxidative stress research in lung cancer, 2006.

Membership of professional associations and societies

Member of The Royal Society of Chemistry

Fellow of The Institute of Biomedical Science

Member of The Phytochemical Society of Europe

Past:
Biochemical Society
Society for Free Radical Research
UK Environmental Mutagen Society

Current research students

First supervisor

Joshua Jayapal (PhD)

Second supervisor

 Gurminderjeet S. Jagdev (PhD)

Callum Clipstone (PhD)

Professional esteem indicators

2005-2008 Editorial Board, Eurekah Bioscience.

Jan. 2009 Invited Chair, session on ‘Interpretation of urinary DNA oxidation products’ at 2nd Copenhagen Workshop on DNA Oxidation, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Oct. 2009 Guest at No.10 Downing St. for Lupus UK Reception hosted by Sarah Brown as part of Lupus Awareness month.

Invited Speaker at the IFRA UK Fragrance Forum 2016, The Royal Society, London, UK, October 2016.

 

Peer reviewing

Scientific Journals: Antioxidants; Bioanalytical Reviews; Biomarkers; BioMed Research International; Biotechniques; British Journal of Biomedical Science; Cancer Chemotherapy & Pharmacology; Cell Biology & Toxicology; Chemical Research in Toxicology; Clinical Chemistry; Clinica Chimica Acta; Cogent Chemistry; Environmental Health Perspectives; Environmental & Molecular Mutagenesis; European Journal of Clinical Investigation; European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry; European Journal of Pediatrics; FEBS Journal; Free Radical Biology & Medicine; Free Radical Research; Journal of Chromatography A & B; Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism; Journal of Immunology Research; Journal of Molecular Medicine; Journal of Photochemistry & Photobiology B: Biology; Mutagenesis; Mutation Research; Molecules; Nature Scientific Reports; Nucleic Acids Research; Placenta; Radiation Research; Rheumatology; Toxicology; Toxicology Research.

Grant-awarding bodies: Association for International Cancer Research; Austrian Science Fund; UK Medical Research Council; The Research Council of Oman; University of Alabama, Birmingham, Clinical Nutrition Research Center Pilot Grant Program.

 

 

Completed research students

 First supervisor

Philip Okyere (DHSci  - Molecular markers of colorectal cancer, 2019)

 Ibrahim Alhabib (PhD  - Modulation of cancer chemotherapy by boswellic acids, 2020)