Dr Nik Georgopoulos PhD, BSc, FHEA
Associate Professor in Cell Biology & Transforming Lives Fellow
- School of Biosciences and Chemistry
- Biomolecular Sciences Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Centre
- Industry and Innovation Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Institute
- Health Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Institute
Summary
I am a cell biologist with expertise in epithelial cell biology and immunology, as well as having a strong interest in understanding the mechanisms of diseases such as cancer. My main research focus is to utilise fundamental cell biology knowledge to design novel therapeutic interventions to combat disease and improve patient quality of life.
About
I received my BSc (Biochemistry & Genetics) and his Ph.D. at the University of Leeds. This was followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at the Cancer Ï㽶ÊÓƵ UK Centre (St James’ Hospital, Leeds) and an EPSRC-funded fellowship in the Jack Birch Unit of Molecular Carcinogenesis (University of York). Following that, I took my first academic post as a Lecturer, followed by Senior Lecturer and then Reader at my previous institution. In 2024, I moved to the Biomolecular Sciences Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Centre (at the Industry and Innovation Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Institute) at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ as an Associate Professor in Cell Biology & Transforming Lives Fellow.
My cancer research focuses on understanding how the process of cancer development influences cellular proliferation/growth, differentiation and response to cell death signals, which has led to the development of a novel platform of cancer therapeutics (ThanatoCure®). My epithelial cell biology-related research aims to explore the cellular mechanisms of a) chemotherapy-induced hair loss (alopecia), b) chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, and c) defective wound healing. This will permit the refinement of existing medical devices and the design of novel technologies to provide improved therapeutic interventions in order to transform the quality of life for patients worldwide.
Teaching
School of Biosciences and Chemistry
College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences
School of Biosciences & Chemistry
Topics relating to Cell Biology, Cancer Biology and Immunology, and Pathology of Disease.
Ï㽶ÊÓƵ
- Biomolecular Sciences Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Centre
- Industry and Innovation Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Institute , Health Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Institute
I have a long-standing research interest in two main areas: a) the cell biology of normal epithelial tissues and immune cells and b) understanding how the process of cancer development influences cellular proliferation, differentiation and response to death signals. With expertise in cancer and immunology, as well as a deep understanding of the biology of normal epithelial tissues, my work has led to projects with commercial and patient impact in the areas of novel therapeutics and medical devices.
My specific research interests can be summarised as follows:
• Studying the signalling cues that regulate cell survival versus death using appropriate epithelial cell models to understand normal tissue physiology and chronic disease
• Understanding the cellular responses to death (apoptosis) signals triggered by members of the TNF Receptor protein family as well as other types of cell death (such as necrosis, autophagy, ferroptosis)
• Exploring the cell signalling mechanisms that underpin: a) chemotherapy-induced hair loss (alopecia), b) chemotherapy drug-mediated neuropathic pain, and c) inadequate and/or defective wound healing
• Designing novel therapeutic strategies to develop improved tumour-specific anticancer therapeutic interventions
• Utilising our basic cell biology discoveries and knowledge to improve existing and/or to design novel medical devices that improve quality of life and/or aid patient health recovery.
Currently, I have a major industrial research collaboration on chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) research with Paxman Ltd (https://paxmanscalpcooling.com/), and I am the Chief Scientific Officer & Co-Founder of the skin regeneration-focused company VeritaCell (https://veritacell.com/).
Paxman Ltd (https://paxmanscalpcooling.com/)
Project Youth Cancer (https://projectyouthcancer.org/)
Publications
Journal articles
Brook, T.S., Seetsen, T., Dercksen, M.W., van Riel, A., Derleyn, V.A., van den Bosch, J., ... Van Den Hurk, C.J.G. (2024). . The Oncologist, 29 (10), e1386-e1395.
Peake, M., Dunnill, C., Ibraheem, K., Smith, A., Clarke, D.J., & Georgopoulos, N. (2024). . Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 12.
Ibraheem, K., Yhmed, A.M.A., Nasef, M.M., & Georgopoulos, N. (2022). . Cells, 11 (20).
Dunnill, C., Ibraheem, K., Peake, M., Ioannou, M., Palmer, M., Smith, A., ... Georgopoulos, N. (2020). . PloS one, 15 (10).
Ibraheem, K., Yhmed, A.M.A., Qayyum, T., Bryan, N.P., & Georgopoulos, N. (2019). . Cell Death Discovery, 5 (1).
Bründl, J., Wallinger, S., Breyer, J., Weber, F., Evert, M., Georgopoulos, N., ... Rubenwolf, P. (2018). . BMC urology, 18.
Allison, S.J., Sadiq, M., Baronou, E., Cooper, P.A., Dunnill, C., Georgopoulos, N.T., ... Phillips, R.M. (2018). Corrigendum to "Preclinical anti-cancer activity and multiple mechanisms of action of a cationic silver complex bearing N-heterocyclic carbene ligands" [Canc. Lett. 403 (2017) 98-107]. Cancer letters, 431, 247.
Dunnill, C.J., Al-Tameemi, W., Collett, A., Haslam, I.S., & Georgopoulos, N.T. (2017). . The Oncologist, 23 (1), 84-96.
Allison, S.J., Sadiq, M., Baronou, E., Cooper, P.A., Dunnill, C., Georgopoulos, N., ... Phillips, R.M. (2017). . Cancer letters, 403, 98-107.
Dunnill, C.J., Ibraheem, K., Mohamed, A., Southgate, J., & Georgopoulos, N. (2017). . Oncogene, 36, 2515-2528.
Dunnill, C., Patton, T., Brennan, J., Barrett, J., Dryden, M., Cooke, J., ... Georgopoulos, N.T. (2017). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and wound healing: the functional role of ROS and emerging ROS-modulating technologies for augmentation of the healing process. International wound journal, 14 (1), 89-96.
Baker, S.C., Shabir, S., Georgopoulos, N.T., & Southgate, J. (2016). Ketamine-Induced Apoptosis in Normal Human Urothelial Cells: A Direct, N-Methyl-d-Aspartate Receptor-Independent Pathway Characterized by Mitochondrial Stress. The American journal of pathology, 186 (5), 1267-1277.
Rubenwolf, P., Thomas, C., Denzinger, S., Hartmann, A., Burger, M., Georgopoulos, N.T., & Otto, W. (2015). Loss of AQP3 protein expression is associated with worse progression-free and cancer-specific survival in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. World journal of urology, 33 (12), 1959-1964.
Al-Tameemi, W., Dunnill, C., Hussain, O., Komen, M.M., van den Hurk, C.J., Collett, A., & Georgopoulos, N.T. (2014). Use of in vitro human keratinocyte models to study the effect of cooling on chemotherapy drug-induced cytotoxicity. Toxicology in vitro : an international journal published in association with BIBRA, 28 (8), 1366-1376.
Rubenwolf, P.C., Otto, W., Denzinger, S., Hofstädter, F., Wieland, W., & Georgopoulos, N.T. (2014). Expression of aquaporin water channels in human urothelial carcinoma: correlation of AQP3 expression with tumour grade and stage. World journal of urology, 32 (4), 991-997.
Georgopoulos, N.T., Kirkwood, L.A., & Southgate, J. (2014). A novel bidirectional positive-feedback loop between Wnt-β-catenin and EGFR-ERK plays a role in context-specific modulation of epithelial tissue regeneration. Journal of cell science, 127 (Pt 13), 2967-2982.
Kayamba, F., Dunnill, C., Hamnett, D.J., RodrÃguez, A., Georgopoulos, N.T., & Moran, W.J. (2013). Piperolein B, isopiperolein B and piperamide C9:1(8E): total synthesis and cytotoxicities. RSC Advances, 3 (37), 16681.
Rubenwolf, P.C., Georgopoulos, N.T., Kirkwood, L.A., Baker, S.C., & Southgate, J. (2012). Aquaporin expression contributes to human transurothelial permeability in vitro and is modulated by NaCl. PloS one, 7 (9), e45339.
Georgopoulos, N.T., Kirkwood, L.A., Varley, C.L., MacLaine, N.J., Aziz, N., & Southgate, J. (2011). Immortalisation of normal human urothelial cells compromises differentiation capacity. European urology, 60 (1), 141-149.
Georgopoulos, N.T., Kirkwood, L.A., Walker, D.C., & Southgate, J. (2010). Differential regulation of growth-promoting signalling pathways by E-cadherin. PloS one, 5 (10), e13621.
Walker, D.C., Georgopoulos, N.T., & Southgate, J. (2010). Anti-social cells: predicting the influence of E-cadherin loss on the growth of epithelial cell populations. Journal of theoretical biology, 262 (3), 425-440.
Rubenwolf, P.C., Georgopoulos, N.T., Clements, L.A., Feather, S., Holland, P., Thomas, D.F.M., & Southgate, J. (2009). Expression and localisation of aquaporin water channels in human urothelium in situ and in vitro. European urology, 56 (6), 1013-1023.
Chopra, B., Georgopoulos, N.T., Nicholl, A., Hinley, J., Oleksiewicz, M.B., & Southgate, J. (2009). Structurally diverse peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonists induce apoptosis in human uro-epithelial cells by a receptor-independent mechanism involving store-operated calcium channels. Cell proliferation, 42 (5), 688-700.
Walker, D.C., Georgopoulos, N.T., & Southgate, J. (2008). From pathway to population--a multiscale model of juxtacrine EGFR-MAPK signalling. BMC systems biology, 2, 102.
Hill, K.S., Errington, F., Steele, L.P., Merrick, A., Morgan, R., Selby, P.J., ... Melcher, A.A. (2008). OK432-activated human dendritic cells kill tumor cells via CD40/CD40 ligand interactions. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950), 181 (5), 3108-3115.
Kottke, T., Sanchez-Perez, L., Diaz, R.M., Thompson, J., Chong, H., Harrington, K., ... Vile, R. (2007). Induction of hsp70-mediated Th17 autoimmunity can be exploited as immunotherapy for metastatic prostate cancer. Cancer research, 67 (24), 11970-11979.
Georgopoulos, N.T., Merrick, A., Scott, N., Selby, P.J., Melcher, A., & Trejdosiewicz, L.K. (2007). CD40-mediated death and cytokine secretion in colorectal cancer: a potential target for inflammatory tumour cell killing. International journal of cancer, 121 (6), 1373-1381.
Georgopoulos, N.T., Steele, L.P., Thomson, M.J., Selby, P.J., Southgate, J., & Trejdosiewicz, L.K. (2006). A novel mechanism of CD40-induced apoptosis of carcinoma cells involving TRAF3 and JNK/AP-1 activation. Cell death and differentiation, 13 (10), 1789-1801.
Steele, L.P., Georgopoulos, N.T., Southgate, J., Selby, P.J., & Trejdosiewicz, L.K. (2006). Differential susceptibility to TRAIL of normal versus malignant human urothelial cells. Cell death and differentiation, 13 (9), 1564-1576.
Crallan, R.A., Georgopoulos, N.T., & Southgate, J. (2006). Experimental models of human bladder carcinogenesis. Carcinogenesis, 27 (3), 374-381.
Shaw, N.J., Georgopoulos, N.T., Southgate, J., & Trejdosiewicz, L.K. (2005). Effects of loss of p53 and p16 function on life span and survival of human urothelial cells. International journal of cancer, 116 (4), 634-639.
Bugajska, U., Georgopoulos, N.T., Southgate, J., Johnson, P.W.M., Graber, P., Gordon, J., ... Trejdosiewicz, L.K. (2002). The effects of malignant transformation on susceptibility of human urothelial cells to CD40-mediated apoptosis. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 94 (18), 1381-1395.
Stockwin, L.H., Matzow, T., Georgopoulos, N.T., Stanbridge, L.J., Jones, S.V., Martin, I.G., ... Blair, G.E. (2002). Engineered expression of the Coxsackie B and adenovirus receptor (CAR) in human dendritic cells enhances recombinant adenovirus-mediated gene transfer. Journal of immunological methods, 259 (1-2), 205-215.
Georgopoulos, N.T., Proffitt, J.L., & Blair, G.E. (2000). Transcriptional regulation of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I heavy chain, TAP1 and LMP2 genes by the human papillomavirus (HPV) type 6b, 16 and 18 E7 oncoproteins. Oncogene, 19 (42), 4930-4935.
Other publications
Albarbar, B., Dunnill, C., & Georgopoulos, N. (2015). . Elsevier BV:
Other activities
Academic Lead for SHU in the Medical Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Council (MRC) Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) Sheffield consortium (University of Sheffield, Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust)
British Society of Cell Biology (BSCB) Ambassador for Ï㽶ÊÓƵ
Editorial Board member for journal “Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology” (review editor for section ‘Cell Death and Survival’ (Frontiers)
Topic Editor for journal "Cells" (MDPI)
CSO and Co-Founder at VeritaCell
Scientific Advisory Board member for Paxman Ltd
International Trichology Congress (ITC) & ‘Hair Advice and Information Ï㽶ÊÓƵ (H.A.I.R.) Project' - Member
White Rose Melanoma and Cancer Immunology group - Member
Member of the Board of Trustees of Project Youth Cancer
Postgraduate supervision
Areas of research supervision include (but are not limited to):
• Understanding the mechanisms of cell death (apoptosis) triggered by members of the TNF Receptor protein family for the design of novel cancer-specific, targeted therapeutics
• Studying the molecular mechanisms of novel types of cell death such as regulated necrosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis and their role in human pathophysiology as well as their potential as novel therapeutic targets
• Investigations of the mechanisms of chemotherapy drug-mediated hair loss (alopecia) using physiologically-relevant in vitro models and design of novel scalp cooling-based approaches to prevent hair loss in cancer patients
• Understanding the cell signalling pathways that underpin chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and designing novel cooling-based methods to combat chronic CIPN
• Use of physiologically-relevant in vitro models of epithelial tissues and engineered cell models that mimic disease in order to understand normal tissue homeostasis and human pathology.