Newcastle University

Qualifications

B.Sc. (Hons) Medical Cell Biology & Biochemistry, University of Liverpool.
Ph.D. University of Liverpool.

Memberships

Webmaster for British Orthopaedic Research Society

Research Interests

Cell biology of bone in both health and disease.
Interaction of cells with biomaterials.

Funding

Arthritis Research Campaign
Nuffield Foundation
Wishbone Trust
EPSRC
BBSRC

• Deehan DJ, Dowen DJ, Sprowson AP, Ferguson LC, Prathalingam NS, Isaacs JD, Birch MA, Oldershaw RA. Differential Release of Heterogeneous Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Populations from Haemarthrotic Traumatic Knee Injury. American Journal of Stem Cell Research 2012. In Press.
• Birch MA, Nouraei S, Wu QB, Ngalim S, Lu WJ, Watchorn C, Yang TY, McCaskie AW, Roy S. Effect of electrochemical structuring of Ti6Al64V on osteoblast behaviour in vitro. Journal of Biomaterials 2012. In Press.
• Woods S, Barter M, Elliott H, Syddall C, Swingler T, Clark I, Birch M, Young D. miR324-5p in osteoarthritis and indian hedgehog signalling. In: International Journal of Experimental Pathology: Spring Meeting of the British Society for Matrix Biology (BSMB). 2011, Bristol, UK: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• Bokhari MA, Akay G, Zhang S, Birch MA. The enhancement of osteoblast growth and differentiation in vitro on a peptide hydrogel - PolyHIPE polymer hybrid material. Biomaterials 2005, 26(25), 5198-5208.
• Lind T, McKie N, Wendel M, Racey SN, Birch MA. The hyalectan degrading ADAMTS-1 enzyme is expressed by osteoblasts and up-regulated at regions of new bone formation. Bone 2005, 36(3), 408-417.
• Aldridge SE, Lennard TWJ, Williams JR, Birch MA. The Role of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptors in Osteoclast Differentiation and Function.. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 2005, 335(3), 793-8.
• Aldridge, S.E., Lennard, T.W.J., Williams, J., Birch, M.A. Vascular endothelial growth factor acts as an osteolytic factor in breast cancer metastases to bone. British Journal of Cancer 2005, 92(8), 1531-1537.
• Akay G, Birch MA, Bokhari MA. Microcellular polyHIPE polymer supports osteoblast growth and bone formation in vitro. Biomaterials 2004,25 18 3991-4000.
• Elfick APD, Green SM, McCaskie AW, Birch MA. Opsonization of polyethylene wear particles regulates macrophage and osteoblast responses in vitro. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research - Part B Applied Biomaterials 2004,71B 2 244-251.
• Bokhari M, Birch MA, Akay G. Polyhipe polymer: a novel scaffold for in vitro bone tissue engineering. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 2003, 534(IV), 247-54.
• Bokhari M, Birch M, Akay G. Polyhipe polymer: A novel scaffold for in vitro bone tissue engineering. In: Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells and Gene Therapies: 9th International Symposium on Biomedical Science and Technology. 2003, Antalya, Turkey: Springer.
• Grewal TS, Genever PG, Brabbs AC, Birch M, Skerry TM. Best5: A novel interferon-inducible gene expressed during bone formation. FASEB Journal 2000, 14(3), 523-531.
• M. A. Birch and T. M. Skerry. Differential regulation of syndecan expression by osteosarcoma cell lines in response to cytokines but not osteotropic hormones. Bone 1999, 24, 571-578.
• P. G. Genever, M. A. Birch, E. Brown and T. M. Skerry. Osteoblast-derived acetylcholinesterase: A novel mediator of cell-matrix interactions in bone?. Bone 1999, 24, 297-303.