Supervisor Database Search
Guidance for ICAT Supervisors
The ICAT Supervisor list is reviewed annually by the partner universities and updated online in March/April each year.
You can read about the ICAT supervisor selection process and eligibility criteria below:
Terms of reference/guide to supervising ICAT Fellows.
You can read the terms of reference for supervisors actively supervising ICAT Fellows below:
Supervisor Database
Full NameProfessor David Simpson
Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine
Queen's University Belfast
Webpage:qub.ac.uk
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- genetics, genomics and molecular biology
- Ophthalmology
- Pathology
- Cardiology
- Infectious diseases
- Neurology
- Respiratory Medicine
- Vascular Medicine
The aim of my research is to provide a better understanding of the molecular basis of disease, focussing on eye and vascular diseases. This is achieved by application of advanced genomics approaches, including microbial whole genome sequencing, transcriptional profiling using RNA-Sequencing of mRNA and non-coding RNAs (microRNA) and single cell RNA-sequencing. The use of unbiassed genome-wide approaches can provide novel insights that enable both development of new treatments and design of improved diagnostic and prognostic tests.
Recent projects include the profiling of circulating microRNAs in diabetic nephropathy (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31358876/), investigation of individual retinal endothelial cell barrier properties (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33380778/) and the role of VEGF and microRNAs in angiogenesis (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28631889/). Ongoing work includes development of molecular diagnostics for corneal ulcer and sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 for detection of variants and lineage tracing to inform public health, as PI for the Belfast hub of the The COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) consortium (https://www.cogconsortium.uk/)