Dr James K Ellis

I am a post-doctoral researcher in Biomolecular Medicine in the Department of Surgery and Cancer. As a member of the group I contribute to ongoing research in the field of metabolomics with specific interest in mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis, in vitro toxicology, molecular epidemiology, stem cell and cancer metabolism.

Research Interests:

• Molecular mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis.
• Metabolic profiling in human toxicology and disease, and in vitro toxicology.
• Stem cell metabolism and differentiation.
• Food borne carcinogens and their effect on human health.

 

Research Projects

I am currently funded by the EU FP6 Project carcinoGENOMICS (PL-037712). The principal aim of the project is to develop in vitro assays as an alternative to the two-year rodent bioassay, currently regarded as the “gold standard” for assessing the carcinogenic potential of chemicals. I generate metabolic profiles describing in vitro sample sets provided by collaborating laboratories focussed on liver, kidney and lung cell models. The metabolic profiling is carried out on NMR, GC-MS and UPLC-MS analytical platforms.

I was previously involved in a NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) funded project that investigated the toxic effect of heavy metal exposure on human health at environmentally relevant levels at a site in the UK. I used an NMR based metabolic profiling approach to further examine the link between cadmium exposure and renal toxicity. By collaborating with SAHSU at St. Mary’s hospital we have been able to combine well established biomarkers of neuropathy with metabolic profiling. Additionally, collaboration with The Centre of Ecology and Hydrology (Monks Wood) should allow integration of metabonomic data with metal concentrations from soil and other relevant matrices.

Postgraduate Study

PhD thesis title: Studies on the Molecular Basis of Methyl Eugenol Carcinogenicity

I studied for a PhD in Biomolecular Medicine at Imperial College London. My thesis was concerned with the carcinogenicity of a naturally occurring food borne genotoxin (methyl eugenol). Primarily I defined the lower limit of genotoxic effect of the compound using ³²P-Postlabelling to identify DNA adducts in the liver and stomach of the Fischer rat. This information will aid in the decision process when assessing the safety of methyl eugenol in humans.

Undergraduate Study

I studied Biochemistry at University College London in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. My final year project was concerned with differential gene expression in the regenerating urodele amphibian (newt) limb.