Staff Profile
Dr Katie Best
- Address: Lovat Group
Translational and Clinical Research Institute
2nd Floor Leech Building
Medical School
Framlington Place
Tyne and Wear
NE2 4HH
Current Positions
Cancer Research UK Clinical Research Associate, Staff PhD, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer
Honorary Dermatology Registrar, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NUTH)
Roles and Responsibilities
Faculty of Medical Sciences Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (FEDIC) Member, Newcastle University
Postgraduate Research Representative for the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS) Strategic Operations Board (SOB) for EDI
North Eastern Skin Research Fund Committee Member
Qualifications
2024 Dermatology Specialty Certificate Exam
2022 Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Research with Distinction, Newcastle University
2021 MRCP(UK)
2020 Royal College Advanced Certificate in Clinical Education, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
2015 MBBS with Merit, Newcastle University
2014 MRes Immunobiology with Distinction, Newcastle University
Society Memberships
British Association of Dermatologists
British Society for Dermatological Surgery
British Society for Investigative Dermatology
British Society for Medical Dermatology
North of England Dermatological Society
Previous Positions
2022 - 2024 North of England Dermatological Society Council Trainee Member
2022 - 2024 Academic Clinical Fellow Representative Northern Clinical Academic Training Committee
2023 Clinician stakeholder meeting participant for the EXCISE Trial (EXamining antibiotics for ulCerated skIn cancer Surgical Excision)
2023 Co-chair for the Lynch Syndrome and Skin Cancer Working Party
2021 - 2024 NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship, Lovat Group, Newcastle University
2021 - 2024 Mentor for The Girls Network Charity
2022 Medical Aid Ukraine North East, public procurement volunteer
2019 - 2021 Internal Medicine Trainee, NUTH and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHCT)
2018 - 2019 Emergency Medicine Senior House Officer, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
2017 - 2018 Gastroenterology Locum Senior House Officer, NUTH NHS Foundation Trust
2017 Acute Internal Medicine Trust Grade Senior House Officer, NUTH NHS Foundation Trust
2015 - 2017 Academic Foundation Programme, Haniffa Group and Northern Deanery
2014 10th Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigen Workshop participant
2013 - 2014 President Academic Medicine Society, Newcastle University
2014 Vice President National Student Association of Medical Research Conference
2013 - 2014 Medical Student co-applicant Newcastle INSPIRE Special Project Fund £20,000
2013 - 2014 Undergraduate Representative Northern Clinical Academic Training Committee
2013 - 2014 MRes Course Representative, Newcastle University
2013 - 2014 Sun Awareness Week local co-ordinator, Newcastle University
2012 - 2013 DermSoc Communications Officer, Newcastle University
2009 - 2013 MBBS Course Representative, Newcastle University
Postgraduate Awards
2023 CRUK Pre-Doctoral Research Bursary £22,934
2022 North Eastern Skin Research Fund Award £6000
Undergraduate Awards
2017 British Society for Investigative Dermatology Travel Award for Oral Presentation at the Annual Meeting £250
2014 MBBS Student Travel Funding Support for Poster Presentation at the 24th European Congress of Perinatal Medicine £300 on behalf of the Durham and Newcastle Medical Graduates Association
2013 British Association of Dermatologists Intercalated Degree Grant £3000
2013 British Medical & Dental Students’ Trust Research Elective Travel Scholarship £800 on behalf of Katie Pinnock, Director of UK Corporate Contributions GlaxoSmithKline plc.
2013 INSPIRE Research Elective Bursary £600
2013 The Rothley Trust Elective Bursary £800
2013 Medical School Elective Bursary £150 on behalf of the Enid Linder Foundation
2011 Action on Hearing Loss Summer Studentship £1200
Postgraduate Prizes
2024 Best Poster for original study and Bristol Cup for best overall at the British Association of Dermatologists' Annual Meeting
2023 1st Prize for Best Poster Presentation at the British Society for Medical Dermatology's Annual Meeting
2020 1st Prize for Best Oral Presentation at the North East Regional Internal Medicine Trainee Quality Improvement Project Event
Research Interests
My clinical and research interests are in skin cancer, dermatosurgery, teledermatology and health equality. I am currently out of programme from clinical training as a dermatology specialty registrar to undertake my CRUK-funded 3 year PhD fellowship as part of the Newcastle University-CRUK Clinical Academic Training (NU-CAT) programme, under the supervision of Professor Penny Lovat and Professor Ruth Plummer. My current research focus is in melanoma biomarker discovery and translation, studying the contribution of autophagy protein AMBRA1 loss and associated signalling mechanisms to cutaneous melanoma progression and metastasis, with the goal of identifying novel drug targets and prognostic biomarkers.
I grew up, graduated and trained in the North East, I am passionate about overcoming regional healthcare inequalities and improving access to specialist skin cancer services. My research vision is to translate novel prognostic biomarkers for melanoma into clinical practice, with the intent of strengthening risk stratification, facilitating personalised treatment plans and improving the cancer care patient journey experience for the local and wider population.
Current Research and Projects
- PhD Fellowship - Contribution of loss of AMBRA1 to melanoma metastasis
- Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Assessment and Referral - Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NUTH) guideline author and service improvement participant
- Overcoming Regional Health Inequality Mohs Micrographic Surgical Services - Quality improvement project and audit lead for NUTH, University Hospital of North Durham and James Cook University Hospital
Current Funding
CRUK
Peer Review
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology
Current Teaching
Single Best Answer Question Writer for Geeky Medics (since 2017)
Previous Experience
2024 Sunderland University MBBS Dermatology Teaching Day
2023 County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT) MBBS Undergraduate and Foundation Doctor Dermatology Teaching Days
2023 British Association of Dermatologists' DermSchool Teaching Facilitator
2021 - 2022 NUTH PACES Teaching
2016 Newcastle University MBBS Stage 4 Clinical Sciences and Investigative Medicine Case Based Learning Seminar Facilitator
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Articles
- Best K, Spyropoulos A. Progressive neurological symptoms following a fall. Clinical Medicine 2021, 21(2), 153-154.
- Crawford G, Hayes MD, Seoane RC, Ward S, Dalessandri T, Lai C, Healy E, Kipling D, Proby C, Moyes C, Green K, Best K, Haniffa M, Botto M, Dunn-Walters D, Strid J. Epithelial damage and tissue γδ T cells promote a unique tumor-protective IgE response. Nature Immunology 2018, 19, 859-870.
- McGovern N, Schlitzer A, Gunawan M, Jardine L, Shin A, Poyner E, Green K, Dickinson R, Wang XN, Low D, Best K, Covins S, Milne P, Pagan S, Aljefri K, Windebank M, Saavedra DM, Larbi A, Wasan PS, Duan K, Poidinger M, Bigley V, Ginhoux F, Collin M, Haniffa M. Human Dermal CD14+ Cells Are a Transient Population of Monocyte-Derived Macrophages. Immunity 2014, 41(3), 465-477.
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Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)
- Best K, Gunawan M, Haniffa M. Cross-priming of the melanoma antigen, Melan-A, by human dendritic cells. In: British Skin Foundation, Skin Deep - 20 Years of Research, 20th Anniversary Conference. 2016, London: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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Letter
- Rajan N, Cook S, Best K, LS UK SC Workshop Group, Monahan K. Universal testing of cutaneous sebaceous carcinoma: A missed opportunity in Lynch syndrome detection. Lancet Oncology 2024, 25(1), E1-E2.