Dr Sharon Dewitt
Career Profile
1999:
First degree in Pharmacology, UWCM
2003:
PhD from the University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff (Phagocytosis by Neutrophils: The Roles of Ca2+)
2004 – 2010:
Wellcome Trust funded Postdoctoral role in the Neutrophil Signalling Group, Cardiff University to investigate the mechanisms of neutrophil function
Awarded a Wellcome Trust VIP award to further research in neutrophil phagocytosis.
Successful co-applicant of a Wellcome Trust grant, investigating the role of calpain in the control of phagocytosis by neutrophils (with Prof. MB Hallett).
Successful co-applicant for a PhD studentship awarded by the MRC and British Lung Foundation as part of the MRC Capacity Building Studentship Competition (with Prof. MB Hallett).
2010 -
ARC Cardiff Academic Fellowship (Cardiff University, School of Dentistry) working with Prof Aeschlimann and the ARCBBC team to develop biomarker assays that predict pathology, pain, inflammation and changes in joint function in musculoskeletal diseases
Teaching Profile
Postgraduate Supervision:
PhD Co-supervisor:
- Control of neutrophil infiltration into inflamed airways in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Cytosolic signalling and behaviour of oral neutrophils
- Regulation of calpain activity in human neutrophils.
PhD Supervisory Team:
- Signalling shut-down in apoptotic neutrophils
Undergraduate Teaching:
Year 2 (Bioscience) BI2251 Cellular and Molecular Aspects of Blood.
ME3031 Undergraduate Research Project Supervision (co-supervisor).
Awards / Prizes
Grants Awarded
Medical Research Council Control of neutrophil infiltration into inflamed airways in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Capacity Building Studentship (MB Hallett & S Dewitt) 2008-2011.
Wellcome Trust Leukocyte trafficking in calpain-1 null mice. Knockout Mouse Funding Committee (MB Hallett, S Dewitt, AS Williams) 2007.
Wellcome Trust The role of calpain in the control of phagocytosis by neutrophils (S Dewitt & MB Hallett) 2006-2010.
Wellcome Trust Visualisation and manipulation of calpain activity in human neutrophils. Value In People (VIP) Award (S Dewitt) 2004
UWCM Research Initiative Visualisation and manipulation of calpain activity in human neutrophils (S Dewitt) 2004
Personal Awards
Wellcome Trust Value In People (VIP) Award, UWCM. April 2004.
Research Initiative Award, UWCM. April 2004.
1st Prize Oral Presentation at the UWCM 16th Annual Postgraduate Research Day, 2001.
Presentations:
American Society of Cell Biology 46th Annual Meeting, San Diego, 2006. μ-Calpain Activation and Re-distribution in Myeloid Cells Induced by Elevated Cytosolic Free Ca2+ and Phagocytosis
Infection, Immunity and Inflammation IRG Annual Meeting, Millennium Stadium Cardiff, 2006. Regulation of neutrophil infiltration into rheumatoid joints by mu-calpain
ASCB San Francisco 45th Annual Meeting, 2005. Localised PI(3,4,5)P3 at the Phagocytic Cup in HL60 Neutrophils.
European Society Clinical Investigation Meeting, Utrecht 2004. Calpain activity during beta-2 integrin-mediated phagocytosis.
Biochemical Society, Calcium Oscillations and the 5th UK Calcium Signalling Conference, Liverpool 2003. Multi-component Ca2+ signalling accompanies phagocytosis by neutrophils.
Royal Microscopical Society Annual Cell Biology and Histochemistry Meeting, London 2003. Complex Ca2+ signalling in neutrophils co-ordinates their phagocytic and oxidative activity.
UWCM 16th Annual Postgraduate Research Day, 2001. Cytosolic free Ca2+ changes and calpain activity are required for integrin-accelerated phagocytosis by neutrophils.
UWCM 15th Annual Postgraduate Research Day, 2000. Dissecting neutrophil phagocytosis: The role of Ca2+ signalling.