Present Laboratory Members:
Aziza Alibhai - Senior researcher
Dr Suzan Ghannam - PhD (Profs Rakha, Mongan, Allegrucci)
Maria Haque - PhD BBSRC (Profs Mongan, Jeyapalan, Rakha)
Dhruvika Varun - PhD BBSRC (Dr Jeyapalan, Prof Mongan)
Rodhan Patke - PhD BBSRC (Prof Mongan, Dr Jeyapalan)
Jorja Jackson-Oxley - PhD (Profs Mongan, Dunning, de Brot)
Rachel Thompson - PhD BBSRC (Prof Mongan, Dr Jeyapalan)
Amber Kumari - MRes (Prof Mongan, Drs Jeyapalan and Lothion-Roy)
Thomas Jobling - MRes (Prof Sturrock, Dr Liptovszky)
Evie Williams-Ford and Sophie Maund - Clinical EMS 2025/26 SVMS scholars
Past/graduated members:
PhD
Dr Siobhan Simpson - BBSRC
Dr Jennifer Edwards - BBSRC
Dr Matthew Parnall - BHF
Dr Ramzi Al-Agele
Dr Michael Agbaje
Dr Maria (Lola) Ruiz Diaz - Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship for Research Excellence
Dr Veronika Metzler - BBSRC
Dr Emma Lund - BBSRC
Dr Daisy Haigh - BBSRC
Dr James Wilson - AHDB
Dr Corinne Woodcock - BBSRC, now Prostate Cancer UK Fellow in the Mongan Lab
Dr Jemma Franklin - BBSRC
Dr Jennifer Lothion-Roy - BBSRC
Dr Anna Harris - BBSRC (Profs Mongan and Fray), then post doctoral researcher in the Mongan Lab
MRes: Jorja Jackson-Oxley (Grundy awardee), Rachel Thompson, Adam Best, Emily Paul (Weston Award Scholarship), Sophie Taylor, Cláudia Gomes.
MPhysio: Elizabeth Stoddard, Jemma Sayers, Anne Skivington, Kyra Wakeman, Sarah Smith.
MSci: Kyle Richardson, Jack Guerin, Jack Cox, Nathan Clay, Inmeet Grover, Jason Zheng, Harrison Dowling, Mohammed Saeed, Emily Stephens, Maria Stuart, Emilia Biondi, Elysia Pughe, Heather Lambert, Kabilas Parameswaran, Heather Dunn, Francesca Hepworth, Verdana Rani, Kavish Amin, Joseph Wightman, Richard Ryder.
PhD rotations: Charo Molina, Rute Santos, Katlego Tinyiko Modikoane - PhD BBSRC DTP Rotation researchers (Prof Mongan and Dr Jeyapalan)
Internships:
Lena Partusch (European Association of Veterinary Anatomists Early Career Scholarship 2024).
Ewelina Prozorowska, Poznań University and Kristýna Glocová, Brno University (European Association of Veterinary Anatomists Early Career Scholarship) - International teaching and research internships.
Lucy Slater - research writing internship.
Dr Paula Wong nee Baskeyfield, Luana Garcia dos Santos, Holly Graham - Clinical and Science without Borders internships.
Gar Wai Kerry Chung - Graduate Intern and research technician.
Paul (Pablo) Barrett - Graduate Intern.
Mariam Saigar - Researcher and scientific writer.
Claire Bordoli - Cascade E-Museum curator and research technician.
Kirsty Hillier - Cascade E-Museum curator.
Adeel Khan - JISC museum E-curator.
Vacation scholars:
Olivia Bates - 2024 Clinical EMS, SVMS scholarship
Ellise Eldridge, Jessica Dobbe, Rebecca Richardson - 2022/2023 Royal Society grant scholars
James Cockcroft - 2021-2023 Inspire scholarship (Academy of Medical Science/Wellcome)
Jack Cobb - 2022 Cancer Sciences Bursary
Adam Best, Kara-Zoe Kordtomeikel,Serena Wong, Jennifer Hall, James Cockcroft, Sophia Swaine, Samantha Bennison, Emily Barker, Georgina Kivneen, Heather Hemingway-Arnold, Anais Dosanj, Chiara Parravicini - 2020/2021 INSPIRE studentships (Academy of Medical Science/Wellcome)
Zoe Skinner, Natasha Clarke - 2019 INSPIRE (Academy of Medical Sciences/Wellcome) research studentship and Clinical EMS.
Emma Cousins, Clara Bailey - 2018 Clinical EMS
Madeline Mestas, Georgia Miller, Keshia Merry - 2017 INSPIRE (Academy of Medical Sciences/Wellcome) studentships
Dulcie Smith, Katie White - 2016 Clinical EMS
Matthew Keane - 2015 BBSRC studentship
Zoe Hood, Zoe Stokes - 2014 BBSRC studentship, 2015 research interns
Jenny Price, Agata Witkowska - 2013 BBSRC studentship and 2014/15 clinical research intern
Chloe Hughes - 2012 BBSRC studentship, JISC OVAM museum curator and clinical placement student.
Ammar Alibhai - 2011 BBSRC studentship, Cascade funded educational web page designer
Emilia Harding - 2010 BBSRC studentship, anatomy research/web design
Research Technician: Sophie Galloway
Research Projects: Mark Plested, Sarah Geldart, Robin Cheung, Chloe Hughes, Agata WItkowska, Meghan Moore, Stephanie Barnett, Carolize Compton, Lauren Porteous, Thomas Mignan, Madeleine Nyberg, Hannah Partridge, Holly Graham, Janika Patel, Henry Johnson, Megan Godden, Nuria Holzleg, Elise Moritz, Matthew Keane, Rachel Woolley, Kyle Eadie, Imogen Purvis, Katie White, Dulcie Smith, Keshia Merry, Georgia Miller, Charlotte Jackman, Clara Bailey, Emma Cousins, Emily Boardman (Uni of Swansea), Adam Best, Kirsty Ranson, Alasdair Ross, Samantha Bennison, James Cockcroft, Sophia Swaine, Shirley Mai, Rebecca Richardson, Thalia Smale, Jessica Dobbe, Ellise Eldridge, Sarah Monkman.
Melissa Bexon, Rhys Owen, Riaz Rhemu, Lottie Back - Assisted supervision of research projects
Current Research
My research areas are integrated within The School of Veterinary Medicine and Science Research themes and concentrate on cardiovascular disorders (heart disease and angiogenesis), oncology and anatomy.
Complex Diseases and Cardiovascular Medicine: We concentrate on a comparative molecular medicine approach, investigating people and companion animals suffering from cancer (breast, prostate, bone, hemangiosarcoma, bladder) and cardiovascular disorders (especially cardiomyopathy, angiogenesis related, and ossa cordis/cartilago cordis). We identify genes that are affected/causative or can be used to develop diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. We also undertake histological, imaging and anatomical research in a range of veterinary and human conditions. We use a number of techniques to investigate disorders including molecular, cellular, histological, anatomical, imaging, protein, CT, MRI and epigenetics.
My research investigates both naturally-acquired and genetic diseases in many species throughout development, into adulthood and in old age. The overall aim of the work is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms behind both normal and diseased states.
Overall Aims of the Research: The work that we are undertaking will help us to better understand oncology and disorders including cardiomyopathies and those affecting the musculoskeletal system, so more effective diagnosis techniques, treatments and advice for patients/owners can be developed. An integrated approach to disease and development is undertaken and therefore collaborators include scientists and clinicians.
Education Research:
Student achievement and support:
My pedagogical research has investigated the effects of educational and socioeconomic background, gender, nationality and COVID19 on student experience, needs, welfare and pedagogical outcomes, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. I have also researched student support requirements in relation to tutorial systems. I have presented international keynote lectures and publications on teaching and technology.
Anatomy education:
I created and developed the SVMS online veterinary museum to enable more effective learning, and have developed teaching and museum materials. I collaborated on the international online anatomy museum grant (OVAM) and continue to support and develop the initiative and I am a WikiVet Trustee.
Present funding: Royal Society. BBSRC. Academy of Medical Sciences+Wellcome Trust. AHDB. Nottingham Strategic Award. Industrial awards. International Collaboration Fund. GCRF. Prostate Cancer UK, Grundy Educational Award. Geoff Butler Donations, and other donations.
Past funding includes: BBSRC, BHF, JISC, EBLEX, EAVA, MRC, Higher Education Academy, Royal Society, Petplan, Waltham Foods, Anatomical Society, British Society for Developmental Biology, Talent Builder internships, Cascade Impact, Weston Scholarship, CEVA, Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship for Research Excellence.