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Alan Knox

Professor of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

Contact

  • workClinical Sciences Building
    Nottingham City Hospital
    Hucknall Road
    Nottingham
    NG5 1PB
    UK
  • work0115 82 31713

Biography

I am Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Nottingham University based on the City Hospital Campus and Director of the Nottingham Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit and Centre for Respiratory Research. I am Respiratory lead for the Trent Comprehensive Local Research Network. I am currently on the editorial advisory boards of Thorax and AJP (Lung), having previously been executive editor of Thorax and on the editorial board of Clinical Science. My main research interests are in the molecular pathophysiology of lung diseases (asthma, COPD, pulmonary hypertension, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis) and translational research in these areas. I have published over 160 articles in scientific journals. I have previously served or am currently serving on a number of committees including the Wellcome Trust Physiological Sciences funding Committee, BLF Grants Committee, MRC Panel of experts, MRC Medical Advisory Board, Asthma UK grants committee, BTS Scientific Programme Committee, BTS Research Committee.

Expertise Summary

Structural cell (airway smooth muscle, fibroblast, epithelial cell) function in asthma, COPD, pulmonary hypertension and IPF, particularly with regard to remodelling and synthetic functions. Mechanisms of transcriptional regulation particularly epigenetic control, protein kinase C isoforms, PPARs, angiogenic factors, chemokines, lipid mediators, human cell models of lung disease. Translational studies of asthma, COPD and cystic fibrosis particularly development of histone acetyl transferase inhibitors in asthma and COPD, quorum sensing molecules as a biomarker and therapeutic target in CF, biomarkers in COPD.

Research Summary

My main research interests are in the molecular pathophysiology of lung diseases (asthma, COPD, pulmonary hypertension, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis) and translational research in… read more

Selected Publications

Current Research

My main research interests are in the molecular pathophysiology of lung diseases (asthma, COPD, pulmonary hypertension, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis) and translational research in these areas. Translational research themes include drug discovery, experimental medicine and biomarker research. Our work is funded by a number of sources including MRC, BBSRC, Wellcome Trust, Lung charities and industry. The work is closely integrated with work in the Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit.

CURRENT GRANTS

1. BBSRC Ghaemaghammi, Knox and others. Construction of an immuno-competent and self-reporting human lung model using nanosensor-incorporated scaffolds £500K 2010-2013.

2. MRC Case Studentship. Knox and Davis. Exploring the clinical potential of matrix metalloproteinases as biomarkers of pulmonary disease: exemplification of a point-of-care diagnostic. £160K 2010-2013.

3. EU FP7 Ubiopred Consortium in chronic asthma. Knox, Jenkins, Harrison with 20 other EU partners. 23M Euro 2009-2014.

4. Wellcome Trust 088751 Role of aberrant histone and DNA methylation in the downregulation of cyxlooxygenase-2 and IP-10 in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Pang, Knox, Jenkins 220K 2009-2012

5. Wellcome Trust Research Training Fellowship (forrester) 088614 Does quorum sensing diversity affect cell-cell communication, biofilm fitness and susceptibility to antibacterials? Knox, Williams sponsors and supervisors. £330K 2009-2012.

6. NIHR MRC EME PPARgamma as a target in asthma. Knox, Harrison, Mortimer. £130K 2009-2011.

7. NIHR RFPB PB-PG-1207-15025 CEFIT study in Cystic Fibrosis Smyth, Knox and others £280K 2009-2012

8. European Regional Development Fund. Knox, Hall, Hill. £700K 2009-2012 to fund

School of Clinical Sciences

D Floor, East Block
Queen's Medical Centre
Nottingham, NG7 2UH

telephone: +44 (0) 115 823 0695
fax: +44 (0) 115 823 0704
email: scs-enquiries@nottingham.ac.uk