Sue studied Biomedical Science at Royal Holloway, University of London, before pursuing a master’s in Molecular Biotechnology at University of Birmingham, gaining an interest in epigenetics, gene regulation and transcriptomics. She went on to complete her PhD studying long non-coding RNAs during haematopoietic lineage commitment in Dr. Aditi Kanhere’s lab where she utilized CRISPR/Cas9 technology to silence CCDC26 lncRNA and determine its functional role in cell fate decisions through DNMT1- associated methylation. 

Sue then moved to the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing where she joined the OA and Musculoskeletal Inflammation Group led by Prof. Simon Jones where she continues to investigate the epigenetic role of non-coding RNAs in the context of osteoarthritis.  Here, Sue has developed her research interests on the inflammatory effects of obesity and pain within arthritic joints and through successful collaborations also expanded her interests into the role of exosomes in cellular crosstalk during ageing-associated senescence.

•    PhD in Molecular Biology, University of Birmingham, 2018

•    MSc in Molecular Biotechnology, University of Birmingham, 2014

•    BSc (Hons) om Biomedical Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, 2012

• Understanding the role of adipose tissue and adipose-derived extracellular vesicles in mediating obesity-associated decline in musculoskeletal health with ageing
• Investigating synovial fibroblast pain pathotypes as a roadmap to understanding and targeting the complexity of patient-reported joint pain in osteoarthritis
• Utilizing multi-omic technologies to pathotype obesity-associated synovial fibroblasts win the pro-inflammatory joint environment
• Interrogating extracellular vesicle microRNA cargo from synovial fibroblasts involved in inducing senescence and pro-inflammatory bystander effect
• Characterising the role of obesity-associated non-coding RNAs during joint inflammation