Alison’s research focuses on developmental genetics in the nematode model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. The overall aim is to understand how gene networks encode developmental programmes, and in doing this, she seeks to integrate molecular mechanisms into a whole organism level of understanding. One major interest at present is the regulation of cell number during development. The transition from cell proliferation to differentiation is a key regulatory step in the development and subsequent maintenance of an organism’s tissues and organs, and is of course at the heart of disease processes such as cancer. At present, the mechanisms controlling the balance between proliferation and differentiation of cells are poorly understood and the aim is to use C. elegans as a powerful model organism in which to gain a molecular understanding of how this balance is achieved during normal development. Stem cells have the ability to both self-renew as well as give rise to differentiating daughters that can sometimes generate (or even re-generate) a particular tissue over the lifetime of an organism. Stem cells therefore need to constantly juggle the conflicting demands of proliferation and differentiation in order for a multicellular organism to develop and operate properly. Alison’s research group use genetic, genomic, cell biological and biochemical techniques to probe the molecular basis of such cellular decision-making. Increasing our understanding in this crucial area of biology is a vital pre-requisite to the development of novel therapeutic interventions.
Other areas of research interest include studies of biological ageing, again using C.elegans as the model organism of choice. In collaboration with a colleague from the Biochemistry Department (Dr.Lynne Cox), she is analysing molecular mechanisms of ageing in the premature ageing Werner Syndrome, by studying the mode of action of a C. elegans homologue (counterpart) of human WRN protein.
Alison attracts major grant funding from UK Research Councils, Cancer charities and the Wellcome Trust and has several international collaborations. Current projects are funded by the Biological and Biotechnological Research Council (BBSRC), Cancer Research UK, the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR) and Research into Ageing (Age UK), supporting a research group consisting of Postdoctoral Research Associates, Research Assistants, PhD students and undergraduate project students.
