Dr Francesca Mackenzie

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Francesca Mackenzie
About
Teaching and learning
Research

About

I obtained my PhD from University of Oxford and MRC Harwell Mammalian Genetics Unit in 2001, where I worked on the genetics and pathophysiology of deafness. I then researched neuromuscular biology at MRC Harwell, and neuronal development, regeneration and degeneration at UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, during postdoctoral work.

I joined Kingston University in 2017 as Lecturer in Physiology and Pharmacology with a specialism in neuroscience.

My research interests are in neuronal development and regeneration, particularly in the peripheral nervous system and in the eye.

Academic responsibilities

Senior Lecturer in Physiology and Pharmacology

Qualifications

  • 2018 Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
  • 2017 Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA)
  • 2006 DPhil (Oxon) Genetics, University of Oxford
  • 2001 BSc (Hons) Applied Biology, University of Bath

Teaching and learning

I teach undergraduate physiology and pharmacology with a focus on neurobiology.

I am Module Leader for the final year undergraduate module LS6004 Drugs, Brain and Behaviour.

I also supervise postgraduate MScR and PhD research students. 

Undergraduate module teaching:

  • LS6004 Drugs, Brain and Behaviour
  • LS4004 Human Physiology
  • LS5005 Medical Physiology
  • LS5010 Systems Pharmacology

Qualifications and expertise

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
  • D.Phil. (Oxon) Genetics, University of Oxford
  • BSc (Hons) Applied Biology, University of Bath

Undergraduate courses taught

Research

My research interests are in neuronal development and regeneration, particularly in the peripheral nervous system and in the eye.

Current lab members:

  • Almas Mahmood (MScR)
  • Lucrezia Bruno (PhD) 
  • Amtul Bhunnoo (PhD, 2nd supervisor)
  • Kelly Wong (PhD, 2nd supervisor)

Previous supervision:

  • Agne Mikailionyte (PhD)
  • Elizabeth Spiritosanto (MScR, 2nd supervisor)

Internal research activities

  • Reviewer in Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FREC)
  • Member of IRTL Research Lab Governance Group
  • Internal examiner for research degrees

Relevant publications

Cattin AL, Burden JJ, Van Emmenis L, Mackenzie FE et al. Macrophage-Induced Blood Vessels Guide Schwann Cell-Mediated Regeneration of Peripheral Nerves. Cell (2015).

Wiszniak S, Mackenzie FE, Anderson P, Kabbara S, Ruhrberg C, Schwarz Q. Neural crest cell-derived VEGF promotes embryonic jaw extension. PNAS (2015).

Mackenzie FE. & Ruhrberg, C. Diverse roles of VEGF-A in the nervous system. Development (2012).

Tillo M, Ruhrberg C, & Mackenzie, F. Emerging roles for semaphorins and VEGFs in synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity. Cell Adhesion and Migration (2012).

Mackenzie FE, et al. Upregulation of PKD1L2 provokes a complex neuromuscular disease in the mouse. Hum Mol Genet (2009)

Qualifications and expertise

  • D.Phil. (Oxon) Genetics, University of Oxford
  • BSc (Hons) Applied Biology, University of Bath

Areas of specialism

  • Neurobiology
  • Genetics
  • Cell biology
  • Disease models
  • Regeneration

Scholarly affiliations

  • Local Ambassador, The Genetics Society
  • Reviewer, The Biochemical Society
  • Member, British Neuroscience Association
  • Member, British Society for Developmental Biology

Research student supervision

Publications

Jump to: Article
Number of items: 3.

Article

Athanasiou, Dimitra, Aguila, Monica, Opefi, Chikwado A., South, Kieron, Bellingham, James, Bevilacqua, Dalila, Munro, Peter M., Kanuga, Naheed, Mackenzie, Francesca E., Dubis, Adam M., Georgiadis, Anastasios, Graca, Anna B., Pearson, Rachael A., Ali, Robin R., Sakami, Sanae, Palczewski, Krysztof, Sherman, Michael Y., Reeves, Philip J. and Cheetham, Michael E. (2017) Rescue of mutant rhodopsin traffic by metformin-induced AMPK activation accelerates photoreceptor degeneration. Human Molecular Genetics, 26(2), pp. 305-319. ISSN (print) 0964-6906

Cattin, Anne-Laure, Burden, Jemima J., Van Emmenis, Lucie, Mackenzie, Francesca E., Hoving, Julian J.A., Garcia Calavia, Noelia, Guo, Yanping, McLaughlin, Maeve, Rosenberg, Laura H., Quereda, Victor, Jamecna, Denisa, Napoli, Ilaria, Parrinello, Simona, Enver, Tariq, Ruhrberg, Christiana and Lloyd, Alison C. (2015) Macrophage-induced blood vessels guide Schwann cell-mediated regeneration of peripheral nerves. Cell, 162(5), pp. 1127-1139. ISSN (print) 0092-8674

Wiszniak, S, Mackenzie, FF, Anderson, P, Kabbara, S, Ruhrberg, C and Schwarz, Q (2015) Neural crest cell-derived VEGF promotes embryonic jaw extension. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), 112(19), pp. 6086-6091. ISSN (online) 0027-8424

This list was generated on Fri May 29 05:41:51 2020 BST.

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