Charlotte Boyd

Charlotte Boyd

Email: cb4445@hallam.shu.ac.uk
Research Centre: BMRC
Research Group: PeakEV
PhD Thesis Title: The Impact of Hyperglycaemia on the Colorectal Cancer Tissue Microenvironment
Director of Studies: Dr Nick Peake
Supervisors: Dr Samrein Ahmed, Dr Daniel Kelly and Professor Christine Le Maitre (University of Sheffield)

SUMMARY

I graduated from Cardiff University with an Integrated Masters in Biomedical Science. My project focused on parasitic polyunsaturated fatty acids and colorectal cancer. I started my PhD at Hallam in October 2022. Alongside my research I am also a graduate teaching assistant and have been awarded associate fellow status (AFHEA).

RESEARCH

My work focuses on diabetes and colorectal cancer. Diabetics are more likely to develop colorectal cancer than non-diabetics. They also experience worse treatment response and have a poorer prognosis. The reason for this is unknown.

In diabetic rodents, bowel tissue stiffening is observed. Whether the same stiffening is observed within humans is not yet known. Cancer tissues are also stiffer due to alterations of the extracellular matrix (ECM), a network of proteins and other molecules which support and surround cells and tissues. I am investigating how tissue stiffening and ECM remodelling impacts colorectal cancer progression through the development of 3D bowel cancer models.

My project also focuses on extracellular vesicles (EV). EV’s are small bubbles produced by cells containing DNA, fat and other molecules which are used for communication between cells. My work focuses on how hyperglycaemic (high sugar conditions) alter colorectal cancer cells EV production and uptake.