Present Laboratory Members:
Aziza Alibhai - Senior researcher
Dr Jennifer Lothion-Roy - PhD BBSRC (Profs Mongan and Fray)
Anna Harris - PhD BBSRC (Profs Mongan and Fray)
Dr Suzan Ghannam - PhD (Profs Rakha, Mongan, Allegrucci)
Maria Haque - PhD BBSRC (Profs Mongan, Jeyapalan, Rakha)
Dhruvika Varun - PhD BBSRC (Dr Jeyapalan and Prof Mongan)
Rodhan Patke - PhD BBSRC (Prof Mongan and Dr Jeyapalan)
Nathan Clay, Inmeet Grover, Jason Zheng - MSci
James Cockcroft - 2022/2023 Inspire studentship (Academy of Medical Science/Wellcome)
Ellise Eldridge, Jessica Dobbe, Rebecca Richardson - 2022/2023 Royal Society grant 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 post doctoral researcher in the Mongan Laboratory
Dr Jemma Franklin - BBSRC
MRes: Adam Best, Emily Paul (Weston Award Scholarship), Sophie Taylor.
MPhysio: Elizabeth Stoddard, Jemma Sayers, Anne Skivington, Kyra Wakeman, Sarah Smith.
MSci: 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.
Internships: Ewelina Prozorowska, Poznań University and Kristýna Glocová, Brno University - 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
Summer studentships: 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 - INSPIRE Summer and Winter 2020/2021 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: My investigations centre around the developing cardiovascular system and include researching cardiac disorders and angiogenesis, particularly cardiomyopathies, os cordis, and the roles of angiogenesis related growth factors such as VEGF. In addition to investigating humans and models, my group concentrate on a compartive medicine approach, looking into companion animals that are suffering from cardiovascular disorders and trying to elucidate the genes that are affected/causative. This work develops diagnostic and prognostic tests, treatments and working towards cures for cardiovascular and angiogenesis related disorders. We use a number of techniques to investigate disorders including molecular, cellular, histological, imaging, protein, CT, MRI and epigenetics. Examples of anatomy/angiogenesis related disorders investigated in my group are oncology in people and companion animals, lameness/footroot in horses, cattle and sheep, ocular disorders, and developmental biology.
My research investigates both naturally-acquired and induced 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 disorders including cardiomyopathies, musculoskeletal disorders, oncology, so that 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 and a number of veterinary surgeons.
Education Research:
Student achievement and support:
I investigate the effects of educational and socioeconomic background, gender and nationality upon the student experience and grade achievements, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. I have also researched student support requirements in relation to tutorial systems, investigated the effects of COVID-19 on pedagogical outcomes and student needs, and presented keynote lectures and publications on remote teaching and technology.
Anatomy education:
My veterinary education research revolves around developing the SVMS online veterinary museum to enable more effective learning and also includes developing teaching and museum materials. I also 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. 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.