Newcastle University

Roles and Responsibilities

Teaching co-ordinator, Institute of Cellular Medicine

Deputy Post Graduate Tutor

Co-organisation of ICM and Regional Dermatology seminar series 

PhD, MD, MRes and BSc student supevisor

PhD and MD internal assessor

BSc Biomedical Sciences personal Tutor

Director, North Eastern Skin Research Fund

Honorary Senior Lecturer Northern Institute for Cancer Research  

Qualifications

1992: MPhil, University of Newcastle upon Tyne and University of Northumbria

1995 PhD, University of Newcastle upon Tyne and University of Northumbria

Previous Positions

2007-2009: Lecturer in Cellular Dermatology and Oncology, Newcastle University

2006-2007: Research Council UK Fellow, Newcastle University

2000-2006: Senior Reserach Assocaite, Newcastle University and University of Rome, 'Tor Vergata'

1995-2000: Research Associate, Newcastle University 

Committee Membership

Committee member of The British Society of Investigative Dermatology (2009-present)

Member of The British Skin Foundation Grants Advisory Board (2011-present)

Institute of Cellular Medicine Postgraduate Committee

Institute of Cellular Medicine Management Board

Faculty of Medical Sciences Teaching co-ordinators sub-committee

Newcastle University Heads of Teaching and Learning Forum

Society Membership

The British Association for Cancer Research

The European Society for Cancer Research

The British Society for Investigative Dermatology

The European Society for Dermatological Research

The European Cell Deah Organisation

The International Society for Melanoma Research

Research Interests

Molecular and immuno-biology of skin cancer and inflammatory skin disease, cellular signalling (apoptosis, autophagy and chemotaxis), development and translation of novel biomarkers, drug targets and therapeutic strategies for melanoma

Current Research

Targeting apoptosis of melanoma and neuroblastoma in response to ER stress inducing agents as a novel therapeutic strategy.

Deciphering molecular mechanisms mediating dysregulated apoptosis and autophay in metastatic skin cancer.

Defining the contribution of genetic mutations (including B-RAF) in melanoma to deregulated autophagy.

Validation of biomarkers of autophagy in melanoma.

Targeting MEK and VEGF inhibition to prevent melanoma metastasis and angiogenesis

Translational research of novel agents for melanoma therapy in pre clinical and animal models.

Postgraduate supervision

supervisor to PhD, MD and MRes students

Funding:

Cancer Research UK

The British Skin Foundation 

The Psoriasis Association

The Italian Association for Cancer Research

The Wellcome Trust

The Newcastle Healthcare Charity

The Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust 

The JGW Patterson Foundation 

The North Easten Skin Research Fund 

BBSRC case Phd Studentship

MRC/Faculty of Medical Sciences PhD studentship 

Teaching co-ordinator Institute of Cellular Medicine

Postgraduate teaching

MRes in Medical and Molecular Biosciences:

MMB8008 Cell Signalling in Health and Disease

MEDH099 Reserach project supervsion and assessment

Personal Tutor

Fellow of the Medical Sciences Graduate School 

Undergraduate teaching

BSc (hons) and MSci in Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacology:

CMB3000 Stage 3 Reserach project supevision

B210 Stage 3 Pharmacology project presentation

BMS4099 Stage 4 Reserach project assessment  

• Armstrong JL, Corazzari M, Martin S, Pagliarini V, Falasca L, Hill DS, Ellis N, Al Sabah S, Redfern CPF, Fimia GM, Piacentini M, Lovat PE. Oncogenic B-RAF Signaling in Melanoma Impairs the Therapeutic Advantage of Autophagy Inhibition. Clinical Cancer Research 2011, 17(8), 2216-2226.
• Hiscutt EL, Hill DS, Martin S, Kerr R, Harbottle A, Birch-Machin M, Redfern CPF, Fulda S, Armstrong JL, Lovat PE. Targeting X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein to Increase the Efficacy of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Apoptosis for Melanoma Therapy. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 2010, 130(9), 2250-2258.
• Hill DS, Martin S, Armstrong JL, Flockhart R, Tonison JJ, Simpson DG, Birch-Machin MA, Redfern CPF, Lovat PE. Combining the endoplasmic reticulum stress-inducing agents bortezomib and fenretinide as a novel therapeutic strategy for metastatic melanoma. Clinical Cancer Research 2009, 15(4), 1192-1198.
• Flockhart RJ, Armstrong JL, Reynolds NJ, Lovat PE. NFAT signalling is a novel target of oncogenic BRAF in metastatic melanoma. British Journal of Cancer 2009, 101(8), 1448-1455.
• Lovat PE, Corazzari M, Armstrong JL, Martin S, Pagliarini V, Hill DS, Brown A, Piacentini M, Birch-Machin MA, Redfern CPF. Increasing melanoma cell death using inhibitors of protein disulfide isomerases to abrogate survival responses to endoplasmic reticulum stress. Cancer Research 2008, 68(13), 5363-5369.
• Armstrong JL, Martin S, Illingworth NA, Jamieson D, Neilson A, Lovat PE, Redfern CPF, Veal GJ. The impact of retinoic acid treatment on the sensitivity of neuroblastoma cells to fenretinide. Oncology Reports 2012, 27(1), 293-298.
• Armstrong, J.L., Veal, G.J., Redfern, C.P.F., Lovat, P.E. Role of Noxa in p53-independent fenretinide-induced apoptosis of neuroectodermal tumours. Apoptosis 2007, 12(3), 613-622.
• Corazzari, M., Lovat, P.E., Armstrong, J.L., Fimia, G.M., Hill, D.S., Birch-Machin, M.A., Redfern, C.P.F., Piacentini, M. Targeting homeostatic mechanisms of endoplasmic reticulum stress to increase susceptibility of cancer cells to fenretinide-induced apoptosis: The role of stress proteins ERdj5 and ERp57. British Journal of Cancer 2007, 96(7), 1062-1071.
• Lovat, P.E., Di Sano, F., Corazzari, M., Fazi, B., Donnorso, R., Pearson, A.D.J., Hall, A.G., Redfern, C.P.F., Piacentini, M. Gangliosides link the acidic sphingomyelinase-mediated induction of ceramide to 12-lipoxygenase-dependent apoptosis of neuroblastoma in response to fenretinide. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2004, 96(17), 1288-1299.
• Lovat, P.E., Oliverio, S, Corazzari, M., Rodolfo, C., Ranalli, M., Goranov, B., Melino, G., Redfern,C.P.F., Piacentini, M. Bak: A Downstream Mediator of Fenretinide-Induced Apoptosis of SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells. Cancer Research 2003, 63(21), 7310-7313.
• Lovat, P.E., Corazzari, M., Di Sano, F., Piacentini, M., Redfern, C.P.F. The role of gangliosides in fenretinide-induced apoptosis of neuroblastoma. Cancer Letters 2005. , 228(1-2), 105-110.
• Di Sano F, Fazi B, Citro G, Lovat PE, Cesareni G, Piacentini M. Glucosylceramide synthase and its functional interaction with RTN-1C regulate chemotherapeutic-induced apoptosis in neuroepithelioma cells. Cancer Research 2003, 63(14), 3860-3865.
• Corazzari, M., Lovat, P.E., Oliverio, S., Pearson, A.D.J., Piacentini, M., Redfern, C.P.F. Growth and DNA Damage-Inducible Transcription Factor 153 Mediates Apoptosis in Response to Fenretinide but Not Synergy between Fenretinide and Chemotherapeutic Drugs in Neuroblastoma. Molecular Pharmacology 2003, 64(6), 1370-1378.
• Lovat, P.E., Ranalli, M., Corazzari, M., Raffaghello, L., Pearson, A.D.J., Ponzoni, M., Piacentini, M., Melino, G., Redfern, C.P.F. Mechanisms of free-radical induction in relation to fenretinide-induced apoptosis of neuroblastoma. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry 2003, 89(4), 698-708.
• Lovat, P.E., Oliverio, S., Ranalli, M., Corazzari, M., Rodolfo, C., Bernassola, F., Aughton, K., Maccarrone, M., Campbell-Hewson, Q., Pearson, A.D.J., Melino, G., Piacentini, M., Redfern, C.P.F. GADD153 and 12-lipoxygenase mediate fenretinide-induced apoptosis of neuroblastoma. Cancer Research 2002, 62(18), 5158-5167.
• Ellis RA, Armstrong JL, Kirkham N, Ness T, Horswell S, Lovat PE. p62 as a biomarker of malignant melanoma. In: Meeting of the British Society for Investigative Dermatology. 2012, Exeter, UK: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• Armstrong J, Ellis R, Polson H, Kirkham N, Horswell S, Tooze S, Lovat P. WIPI-1: a novel autophagy inhibitory protein in melanoma. In: Meeting of the British Society for Investigative Dermatology. 2012, Exeter, UK: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• Forrester AR, Lovat PE, Graham M, Williams FM, Reynolds NJ. Differential activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and regulation of differentiation in the epidermal equivalent model. In: Toxicology: Annual Congress of The British Toxicology Society. 2011, Durham, UK: Elsevier Ireland Ltd.