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Pamela Greenwell

pamela-greenwell

T: 020 7911 5000 ext 3690
F: 020 7911 5087
E: greenwp@westminster.ac.uk 

Background

Dr Pamela Greenwell graduated with a BSc in Applied Biology (cell biology) from Thames Polytechnic and immediately joined the research team under whom she had completed her sandwich placement. Has has worked for more than 30 years as a glycobiologist and as a molecular biologist for about 20 years. She completed her PhD at the MRC Clinical Research Centre in Harrow where she worked for 15 years, funded by the MRC and ICRF, under the guidance of Prof. Winifred M.Watkins and Prof. Walter T. Morgan. Her PhD thesis investigated the biochemistry of glycosyltransferases that synthesised human blood groups. In 1987, she received the Race and Sanger Award for the research she had completed on blood group antigen characterisation. This was very special to her, as she had worked in her industrial placement in the same institute as Rob Race and Ruth Sanger, world experts in human blood groups. 

In 1989, on the retirement of her group leader and closure of her department, she joined the University to help run the new MSc course in Medical Molecular Biology. To date, she is still course leader of this MSc which continues to recruit well. She also organise PATS, academic tutorials for overseas postgraduate students.

She has supervised 8 PhD students to completion and currently supervise 5. She has published more than 60 papers and 80 conference proceedings. She has also recently published a book Molecular Therapeutics: 21st century Medicine.

She is a WestFocus Knowledge Exchange Fellow and her remit is to facilitate interaction with industry. In that context, she has organised 3 industry-facing conferences on proteomics. She also organises student exchange with Cooper Union University in New York and runs work experience weeks for GCSE level students. In collaboration with colleagues, she organises a series of short courses in Molecular Biology.

Research Interests

  • Molecular biology of carbohydrate biosynthesis and degradation.
  • Sexually transmitted infections, for example, Trichomoniasis, Chlamydia and HPV and their interactions with host glycans and lectins.
  • Anaerobes and diabetic foot ulcers. Natural antibiotic peptides.  Wound healing
  • Microbial molecular biology, glycobiology and bioinformatics. Molecular modelling

Current Research / Ongoing Projects  

The research is linked, but splits into 4 areas:

  1. Development of tools for glycobiology research
  2. Biofilms in diabetic foot ulcers; the role of glycans and the effect on antibiotic sensitivity of anaerobes
  3. Proteomic/glycomic studies of biomarkers in cancer, diabetes and infection
  4. Understanding microbes, using bioinformatics to explore mechanisms of action.

Ongoing Projects

  1. Role of anaerobes in diabetic foot ulcers
  2. Characterisation of biomarkers in diabetes
  3. Development of tools for glycobiology
  4. Data mining the trichomonad genome
  5. Role of HPV in cervical cancer: proteomics/glycomics
  6. Role of defensins in trauma and wound healing
  7. Establishing a scientific basis for Unani medicine

Selected Publications

Rookhard L., Greenwell P. (2009) The Effect of varying concentrations of the enzyme bromelin on ABO reverse grouping   Br.J.Biomedical Sciences In press

Greenwell P., Younes M., Rughooputh S. (2008)  Purification and analysis of DNases of Tritrichomonas foetus: evidence that these enzymes are glycoproteins. Int J Parasitol. 38(7):749-56.

Rughooputh S.,  Kachaliya S., Jetly D. and  Greenwell P. (2007) Cervical cancer and HPV  amongst slum dwellers in India.Br.J.BiomedSci.  64(1):28-31

Afrough B., Dwek MV., Greenwell P. (2007) Identification and elimination of false-positives in an ELISA-based system for qualitative assessment of glycoconjugate binding using a selection of plant lectins. Biotechniques.43(4):458- 460

Saint-Guirons J., Zeqiraj E., Schumacher U., Greenwell P., Dwek M.(2007) Proteome analysis of metastatic colorectal cancer cells recognized by the lectin Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA).Proteomics. 7 (22):4082-9.

Greenwell P., Kakourou G., Rughooputh S. Analysis of glycosidases activity in Chlamydia trachomatis L2 Serotype. Internet Journal of Medical Update 2006 Jan-Jun;1(1).

Gourdine J-P., Greenwell P., Smith Ravin E. (2005) Application of the recombinant phage display antibody technique to the study of Codakia orbicularis gill proteins. Applied  Biochemistry and Biotechnology.  125 41-52

Rughooputh S., Eddoo R. , Manraj S., Jeebun N. and Greenwell P. (2005) Correlation between HPV detection in archival samples  and cervical cancer in  patients in Mauritius. J.Clin.Virol. 35(2):173-

Rughooputh S, Greenwell P. (2005) Trichomonas vaginalis : paradigm of a successful sexually transmitted disease. Br J Biomed Sci. 62(4):193-200.

Jauhangeer BR., Wren M., Perry D., Macdonald RAC ., Greenwell P.(2004) The use of

bioinformatics   and PCR in the search for homology between ABC transporters of Finegoldia magna Br.J.Biomed.Sci  61 (4) 182-185

Conference presentations or/and Other publications

Rughooputh S., Edoo R., Manraj S., Jeebun N. and Greenwell P. (2006) Association  between HPV  and C-myc gene expression in cervical cancer. Proc. Abstracts of 11th World Congress and Advances in oncology and 9th International Symposium on Molecular Medicine. Crete, Greece.12-14th Oct 2006.

Jauhangeer BR., Perry D., Wren MWD., Issack MI., Leigh R. and Greenwell P.(2005) Use of real-time universal 23s rDNA PCR for detection of pathogens in diabetic foot ulcers in Mauritian patients of Indian and African origin.  

Kumari S. , Dooky S., Mistry Y. , Rughooputh S. and Greenwell P (2005). Detection and quantification of  high risk HPVs from LBC using real-time PCR. SGM 156th Meeting- Heriot-Watt University,Edinburgh. 4-7 April 2005.

Mistry Y, Dooky S, Kumari S, Rughooputh S, Greenwell P ( 2005). The application of bioinformatics in determining the status of high grade HPV. SGM 156th Meeting- Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, 4-7 April 2005.

Jauhangeer BR., Perry D., Wren MWD. and Greenwell P. (2005) Specific detection of Finegoldia magna by polymerase chain reaction of the ABC transporter gene. IBMS congress, Birmingham. 27- 30 September 2005.

Chackathayil J., Rughooputh S. and Greenwell P. (2005) The role of human papillomavirus genes in  cervical cancer. IBMS congress, Birmingham. 27- 30 September 2005.

Vakilzadeh S., Rughooputh S. and Greenwell P. (2005). A novel PCR protocol: Chlamydia trachomatis are they all cryptic?  IBMS congress, Birmingham. 27-30 September 2005.

Tubby S.,  Rughooputh S., Wren M. and Greenwell P. (2005) Detection of fastidious bacteria  and  viruses in sterile sites using rRNA PCR. IBMS congress, Birmingham. 27-30 September 2005.

Rock R., Rughooputh S., Dwek M. and Greenwell P. (2005). Glycosylation profile of cervical cancer cell lines infected with HPV. IBMS congress, Birmingham. 27-30 September 2005.

Dokpesi J., Wren M., Rughooputh S. and Greenwell P. (2005). Real time PCR to differentiate  MRSA and MSSA. IBMS congress, Birmingham. 27-30 September 2005.

Awards and Grants

JISC project with CPC (2009) 10,000 (to CPC)

BBSRC Workshop (2009) 2000

UK NGS  Workshop 800

SGM studentship (2008) 2000

SGM International development award- research link with Mauritius (2007) 2,500

Research Groups / Key Appointments