Professor Mark Gumbleton
Professor of Experimental Therapeutics and Head of School, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
- gumbleton@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 5449
- Redwood Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB
Overview
Following undergraduate studies in Pharmacy and completion of professional registration, I undertook postgraduate studies and fellowships in Clinical Pharmacology and Biopharmaceutics at the University of Aberdeen Medical School, Cardiff University School of Pharmacy and the Medical Centre at the University of California, San Francisco.
After this I was appointed to the academic staff at the Universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow. Back in the USA I spent time as a visiting researcher at GeneMedicine Inc. before taking up an academic appointment at Cardiff University where I currently hold a professorial appointment.
Research activities include understanding at the whole body, tissue, cellular and molecular levels the interaction of experimental therapeutics with biological barriers, particularly the blood-brain-barrier. In experimental therapeutics I have a particular interest in cancer therapeutics with respect to brain tumours.
Qualifications
- Graduated BPharm (1982)
- Ph.D (1988) Biochemical Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics (University of Wales)
- Professional Registration RPSGB (1983)
- Clinical Pharmacology specialisation (M.Sc) School of Medicine University of Aberdeen (1985)
- Postdoctoral fellowship and Research Specialist appointments in Biopharmaceutics and Clinical Pharmacology (University of California, San Francisco 1998-1992)
Biography
Currently Executive Editor for Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, a journal publishing high quality thematic reviews on a wide range of Advanced Drug Delivery topics.
Also on the editorial board of the Journal of Drug Targeting and International Journal of Nanomedicine.
I have published over:
- 90 full-length peer reviewed research publications
- 20 journal series, authored textbook chapters or edited books
- 116 conference abstracts or editorials.
I have supervised 25 successful PhD students and 24 postdoctoral/visiting scientists.
I have served on a number of pan-European scientific steering committees in drug delivery and as organiser/ scientific programme organiser for International scientific meetings. I also serve as a consultant to pharmaceutical industry in USA and UK and is Director of Research at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University.
Publications
We are currently unable to retrieve the list of publications. Visit our institutional repository.Teaching
Current teaching profile
- PH1121 Molecule to patient
- PH1122 The role of the pharmacist in professional practice
- PH1125 Chemical and biological propertiesof drug molecules
- PH2110 Clinical & professionalpharmacy
- PH2203 Drug disposition
- PH3110 Optimisation of pharmaceutical care
- PH3113 Diseases and drugs II
- PH3202 Research methodology
- PH4116 Pharmacy research or scholarship project
- PH4118 Pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacy practice and the patient
Research interests
Hypothesis-driven science surrounding issues at the interface between the nature of biological barriers and experimental therapeutics.
The laboratory maintains a wide range of techniques ranging from cell and molecular biology through to ex-vivo and in-vivo models to address the scientific issues.
There are two principle areas within the laboratory's research strategy: blood-brain-barrier and in the developing area of brain tumour research.
Brain
In collaboration with Professor Geoff Pilkington at the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Portsmouth University the laboratory in Cardiff is undertaking brain tumour research, with particular focus on gliomas and the cancer stem cell phenotype.
Malignant gliomas display an ability to invade into healthy brain tissue and to resist drug and radiation treatments. The features of advanced glioma suggest this tumour type possesses enhanced cancer stem cell (CSC)-like characteristics.
The CSC theory considers tumours to comprise heterogeneous cell populations with varying capacities for self-renewal, proliferation and invasion. One or more of these subpopulations act as cancer-initiating cells responsible for tumour initiation and perpetuation. The specific targeting of CSCs offers the potential to effectively eliminate tumours of drug-resistant and metastatic cell populations.
Blood Brain Barrier
In collaboration with major European networks and industry this area of work is focused on biological barriers and specifically the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). The lab is involved in exploring the interactions of the cell types within the neurovascular unit, and determining mechanisms by which therapeutic macromolecules, peptides and supramolecular structures, e.g. nanoparticles, may permeate the BBB to access brain parenchyma. This includes the design novel entities.
Current research projects
| Title | Investigator(s) | Funded | Dates | Amount (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mucus permeating nanoparticulate drug delivery systems (ALEXANDER) | Prof M Gumbleton (PHRMY) (PI) | Commission of the European Communities | 01/03/12 - 28/04/16 | £179,162 |
| Caveolin-1 and Glioma Tumour Initiator Cells | Prof M Gumbleton (PHRMY) (PI) | Cancer Research Wales | 01/10/14 - 01/10/18 | £114,896 |
| Needle-free administration and targeted delivery of biophamaceuticals through smart engineering and novel formulations | Prof M Gumbleton (CI) | Commission of the European Communities | 01/11/12 - 31/10/17 | £171,418 |
