Position: Scientist
Email: gillian.curwen@westlakes.ac.uk

Research Interests

Individual variation in radiosensitivity

Current Work

Our primary research is focused upon the examination of individual variation in chromosomal radiosensitivity and heritability of the radiosensitive phenotype.

Radiosensitivity is the term used to describe the degree of reaction to ionising radiation displayed by tissues or cells and classically has been assessed by monitoring end-points such as cell-survival and chromosomal damage.  Initial links between radiosensitivity and cancer susceptibility arose from studies of patients with chromosome instability syndromes such as ataxia telangiectasia.  Today, much of the research in this area is focused on the implementation of chromosomal radiosensitivity as a biomarker for susceptibility to many other forms of cancer.

Variation in individual cellular or chromosomal radiosensitivity is thought to result from differences between individuals, in the ability of their cells to recognise and repair damaged DNA, with this being mediated through specific mutations or polymorphisms in genes involved in maintaining the integrity of the genome.  This genetic variation may also be responsible, in part, for differences in cancer susceptibility between individuals.

Current work is investigating the putative relationship between cancer susceptibility and chromosomal radiosensitivity in childhood and adolescent cancer survivors, their partners and offspring using the G2 chromosomal radiosensitivity assay.  In addition, polymorphisms associated with DNA damage recognition and repair genes are being investigated in the same cohort. 

This work is part of a collaboration and forms part of a large-scale retrospective cohort study known as the ‘Genetic Consequences of Cancer Treatment (GCCT) Study’ (www.gcct.org) with the objective of determining the extent to which curative therapies, radiation and chemotherapy that are mutagenic in test systems, contribute to adverse health outcomes or other inherited effects defined as cancer, birth defects, stillbirths, neonatal and all other premature deaths.

Initial studies at WSC focused on validating the G2 assay technique in laboratory studies and investigating this methodology using samples from the North Cumbria Community Genetics Project (NCCGP); a population biobank of 10,000 neonatal samples, as well as samples donated by retired radiation workers from the Sellafield nuclear facility.

Background

After completing a BSc at Newcastle University, I worked as part of a small team in the Haematology Department at the PICR developing a novel method for the simultaneous determination of telomere length & telomerase activity in haematopoietic cell samples.  Following this, I took up a position at Westlakes Research Institute where I have been investigating individual variation in radiosensitivity and have recently completed a PhD in radiation biology under the supervision of Dr Peter Bryant, St Andrews University.
 
Qualifications

1996 HND Agricultural Science    Scottish Agricultural College
1999 BSc (Hons) Applied  Biology and Biotechnology University of Newcastle upon Tyne
2008 PhD Radiation Biology    St Andrews University

Future Research

Future work will focus on finding a more stable biomarker for the detection of individual radiosensitivity using molecular methods.