Dr Paul Kirkham
Paul Kirkham is a Royal Society Fellow and Honorary Senior Lecturer who has recently made the transition from industrial pharma research at Novartis back into academia. He has over 11 years experience in respiratory disease research, preceded by 8 years in cellular immunology. He is an established investigator and has published papers on oxidative stress and its impact on the pathogenesis of respiratory disease, in particular COPD. Whilst in pharma he led research projects into therapeutic approaches to overcome steroid insensitivity in COPD and severe asthma.
The main focus of his research involves investigating the role of oxidative and carbonyl stress on cell function and inflammation in chronic respiratory diseases, such as COPD and severe asthma. He is ultilising a multidisciplinary approach drawing on molecular, pharmacological and proteomic techniques, in order to translate clinical observations into mechanisms of disease pathogenesis. He is currently focussing on the role of carbonyl stress in triggering autoimmune reponses and the pathological damage that ensues within the lungs of COPD patients.
After completing his first degree in Biochemistry at Leeds University, he obtained his PhD in 1989 at Surrey University investigating non-enzymatic post-translational modification of proteins through glycation in Diabetes. Dr Kirkham undertook his postdoctoral studies at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research and the BBSRC National Institute for Animal Health investigating mechanisms of B and T cell activation under the direction of Dr Michael Parkhouse. Dr Kirkham then moved into industry at Novartis, where he led a team undertaking drug discovery into respiratory diseases.
Dr Kirkham is currently funded by the Royal Society and Novartis, and is an investigator/co-investigator on a number of ongoing initiatives. He is also Editor in Chief for the Journal of Inflammation and has organised as well as spoken at several international meetings.
