Dr Francesca Mackenzie

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Francesca Mackenzie
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Teaching and learning
Research
Leadership and management
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About

I obtained my PhD on the genetics and pathophysiology of deafness from University of Oxford and MRC Harwell Mammalian Genetics Unit in 2006. During postdoctoral work I then researched neuromuscular biology at MRC Harwell, and neuronal development, regeneration and degeneration at UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.

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 (Neuroscience)

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 and postgraduate physiology and pharmacology with a focus on neurobiology.

  • Module Leader for undergraduate Level 6 module LS6027 (LS6004) Drugs, Brain and Behaviour
  • Deputy Course Leader, BSc Pharmacology

I also supervise postgraduate MScR and PhD research students in neurobiology topics. 

Undergraduate module teaching:

  • LS6027 Drugs, Brain and Behaviour
  • LS4004 Human Physiology
  • LS4001 Genes, Cells and Tissues
  • LS5005 Medical Physiology
  • LS5010 System Pharmacology
  • LS6014 Project

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

Postgraduate courses taught

Research

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

Current lab members:

  • Lucrezia Bruno (PhD) 
  • Najwa Abdulkadir (PhD)
  • Amtul Bhunnoo (PhD, 2nd supervisor)

Completed postgraduate students:

  • Almas Mahmood (MScR)
  • Agne Mikailionyte (PhD year 4)
  • Elizabeth Spiritosanto (MScR, 2nd supervisor)

Internal research activities

  • Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FREC)
  • IRTL Research Lab Management Group
  • IhSHA Diabetes & Cardiovascular research theme
  • IhSHA Vision, Cognition and Neuroscience research theme

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

Main supervision

Other supervision

Publications

Jump to: Article | Conference or Workshop Item
Number of items: 10.

Article

Orme Merve, Ayse, Sobiecka, Pola, Remeškevičius, Vytautas, Taylor, Luke, Saskoy, Lili, Lawton, Scott, Jones, Ben P., Elwakeel, Ahmed, Mackenzie, Francesca E., Polycarpou, Elena, Bennett, Jason and Rooney, Brian (2022) Metabolites of cannabis induce cardiac toxicity and morphological alterations in cardiac myocytes. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(3), p. 1401. ISSN (print) 1661-6596

Bruno, Lucrezia, Karagil, Simge, Mahmood, Almas, Elbediwy, Ahmed, Stolinski, Michael and Mackenzie, Francesca (2021) Mechanosensing and the Hippo pathway in microglia : a potential link to Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis. Cells, 10(11), p. 3144. ISSN (online) 2073-4409

Cobbaut, Mathias, Karagil, Simge, Bruno, Lucrezia, de Loza, Maria Del Carmen Diaz, Mackenzie, Francesca E, Stolinski, Michael and Elbediwy, Ahmed (2020) Dysfunctional mechanotransduction through the YAP/TAZ/Hippo pathway as a feature of chronic disease. Cells, 9(1), p. 151. ISSN (online) 2073-4409

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

Mackenzie, Francesca and Ruhrberg, Christiana (2012) Diverse roles for VEGF-A in the nervous system. Development, 139(8), pp. 1371-1380. ISSN (print) 0950-1991

Tillo, Miguel, Ruhrberg, Christiana and Mackenzie, Francesca (2012) Emerging roles for semaphorins and VEGFs in synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity. Cell Adhesion & Migration, 6(6), pp. 541-546. ISSN (print) 1933-6918

Conference or Workshop Item

Mackenzie, Francesca, Morgan, Anna, Stolinski, Michael, Baker, Amanda, Reid, Dwain, Mador, Martha and Page, Nigel (2021) Supporting activities to embed creativity and innovation as an implicit part of the bioscience student experience. In: Horizons in STEM Higher Education Conference: Making Connections, Innovating and Sharing Pedagogy; 29-30 Jun 2021, The Open University, U.K. (Held online). (Unpublished)

Mikailionyte, Agne, Pierscionek, Barbara, Mackenzie, Francesca E and Augousti, Andy (2021) The effect of video-game visual training on visual function in adults with self–reported reading difficulties. In: Applied Vision Association Virtual Spring Meeting (2021); 29 Mar 2021, Held Online. (Unpublished)

This list was generated on Wed Jun 29 06:56:13 2022 BST.

Leadership and management

University responsibilities

  • Module Lead LS6027 Drugs, Brain and Behaviour
  • Deputy Course Leader, BSc Pharmacology
  • Academic lead, Biotechnology research lab

Social media

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