Research Grants

Staff within the Centre for Predictive in vitro Models (CPM) currently hold a large portfolio of grants directly related to the development and use of predictive in vitro models.

The following are examples of current funded research projects, specifically related to predictive in vitro models and led by members of the CPM:

  • Investigating perfused inflammatory and immune responses in 3D barrier-immune models for atopic dermatitis
    John Connelly
    £196,508 GSK GlaxoSmithKline UK Ltd
    01-02-2025 - 31-01-2026
  • Investigating the roles of endogenous retro viruses as regulators of gene expression in the endometrial epithelium
    Miguel Branco
    £731,019 BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
    01-02-2025 - 31-01-2028
  • Open Trauma Assessment Study
    Christopher Bretherton, Xavier Griffin and Jamila Kassam
    £2,740 AO Foundation
    01-11-2024 - 31-10-2026
  • Micro-manufacturing of tissue patterned organ-chips for accelerated deployment of new medicines
    Martin Knight, Hazel Screen, Julien Gautrot, Timothy Hopkins, John Connelly, Liisa Blowes and Xavier Griffin
    £1,787,725 EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council 
    Grant Summary

    01-10-2024 - 30-09-2027
  • Extracellular Vesicle Communication for Nociceptive Processing In Acute And Chronic Pain
    Mauro Perretti
    £783,380 MRC Medical Research Council
    01-10-2024 - 30-09-2029
  • The role of novel mechanosensitive complex in cardiomyocyte pathophysiology
    Thomas Iskratsch and Andrew Tinker
    £254,588 BHF British Heart Foundation
    01-10-2024 - 30-09-2027
  • Unravelling mechanisms of drug-induced myocarditis using immune-responsive human cardiovascular chip
    Yung-Yao Lin and Julien Gautrot
    £121,420 MRC Medical Research Council
    01-10-2024 - 30-09-2028
  • EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Next Generation Organ-on-a-Chip Technology (COaCT)
    Hazel Screen, Martin Knight, Thomas Iskratsch, Caroline Roney, Yi Sui, David Lee, Julia Shelton, Zion Tse, John Connelly, Adrian Biddle and Lucy Norling
    £7,066,811 EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council 
    Grant Summary

    01-07-2024 - 30-09-2032
  • Mechanisms underlying preterm birth in women with HIV in rural Zimbabwe
    Andrew Prendergast, Ruairi Robertson, Melanie Smuk, Claire Bourke, Nikolaos Donos, Robert Allaker, Abish Stephen, Conrad Bessant, Stefaan Verbruggen and Tina Chowdhury
    £1,142,315 MRC Medical Research Council
    01-05-2024 - 30-04-2027
  • Microbiome-Bone Chip
    Stefaan Verbruggen and Ravinash Krishna Kumar
    £117,511 EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
    01-04-2024 - 31-03-2025
  • Artery-on-a-Chip
    Thomas Iskratsch
    £103,372 Novo Nordisk Foundation (Denmark)
    01-01-2024 - 31-12-2026
  • Development of an Organ-on-a-chip model of polycystic kidney disease using CRISPR modified human kidney cell line
    Martin Knight and Cleo Bishop
    £39,986 Kidney Research UK 
    Grant Summary

    01-12-2023 - 30-11-2025
  • Epithelial Exchange Surfaces – From organizing principles to novel culture models of the gatekeepers of the body
    Martin Knight, Hazel Screen, Wen Wang, Clare Thompson and Cleo Bishop
    £260,676 EPSRC - EU Scheme 
    Grant Summary

    01-12-2023 - 30-11-2027
  • Melancortins to control cystic fibrosis airway inflammation
    Mauro Perretti, Charles Mein and Lucy Norling
    £21,271 Italian Cystic Fibrosis Research Foundation Fondazione Italiana per la ricerca sulla Fibrosi Cistica
    01-12-2023 - 30-11-2025
  • Extreme heat and preterm birth in rural Zimbabwe
    Andrew Prendergast, Andrew Russell, Melanie Smuk, Tina Chowdhury and Stamatina Iliodromiti
    £460,148 Wellcome Trust
    01-10-2023 - 30-09-2028
  • Genotypic, Phenotypic and Metabolic Characterisation of Skin Sentinels
    Matthew Caley and Simon McArthur
    £75,600 Unilever UK Ltd
    01-10-2023 - 30-09-2027
  • Tommy’s National Preterm Birth Research Centre
    Stamatina Iliodromiti, Tina Chowdhury and Steven Thornton
    £432,791 Tommy's
    01-04-2023 - 31-03-2028
  • Investigating the mechanism of adrenal insufficiency in individuals with porphyria
    Lou Metherell and Li Chan
    £331,824 MRC Medical Research Council
    14-02-2023 - 13-02-2026
  • Adrenal insufficiency in association with mutations in genes causing porphyria
    Lou Metherell and Li Chan
    £248,292 Barts and the London Charity
    01-10-2022 - 31-03-2025
  • Incorporating physical cues in organ-chip models
    Hazel Screen and Martin Knight
    £20,000 Emulate Inc.
    01-10-2022 - 30-09-2026
  • REMODEL - ERC AdG 2021 Frances Balkwill
    Fran Balkwill
    £2,154,257 EPSRC - EU Scheme
    01-10-2022 - 30-09-2027
  • PhD Study 2022 – Modelling the tumour-induced changes to the tumour microenvironment (TME) and extracellular matrix (ECM) within a defined minimal 3D in vitro environment.
    Adrian Biddle
    £50,000 Animal Free Research UK
    06-06-2022 - 05-06-2025
  • Human synovium-cartilage organ-chip for personalised surgical screening
    Martin Knight
    £311,203 AR-UK Versus Arthritis
    01-04-2022 - 30-06-2026
  • The role of MYLK3 in cardiac signalling and development
    Lou Metherell, Jack Williams, Andrew Tinker and Pedro Rodriguez Cutillas
    £304,103 BHF British Heart Foundation
    01-02-2022 - 30-07-2025
  • Multi-User Equipment Grant,‘Cell DIVE Imager for automated, single cell, multiplexed immunofluorescence microscopy
    Cleo Bishop
    £340,339 Wellcome Trust
    01-01-2022 - 31-12-2026
  • Investigating the utility and exploring biological targets of enhanced wound healing compounds in 2D
    Cleo Bishop and John Connelly
    £118,835 BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
    01-10-2021 - 30-09-2025
  • Identifying and manipulating molecular mechanisms controlling cancer stem cell metastatic potential in a human oral cancer model.
    Adrian Biddle and Jun Wang
    £552,481 MRC Medical Research Council
    01-09-2021 - 30-06-2025
  • The molecular mechanisms underlying the tumour-determined immune cell infiltrate in oral squamous cell carcinoma
    Adrian Biddle and Muy-Teck Teh
    £298,338 MCSBHT Medical College of St Bartholomew's Hospital Trust
    01-09-2021 - 31-01-2026
  • Reprogramming resolution in the arthritic joint
    Lucy Norling
    £720,853 AR-UK Versus Arthritis
    01-09-2019 - 30-09-2025
  • Organ-on-a-chip Centre of Excellence
    Martin Knight and Hazel Screen
    £420,794 Emulate Inc.
    20-08-2019 - 01-10-2029
  • Engineering the fetal membranes
    Tina Chowdhury
    £40,000 Prenatal Charity UCL EGA INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH
    01-12-2018 - 01-10-2028
  • 2nd Extension to contract : GSK (ROB ALLAKER) for Abish Stephen
    Robert Allaker
    £205,643 GSK GlaxoSmithKline UK Ltd
    01-12-2017 - 30-04-2025