ProfPaul Kirkham

Paul Kirkham is Professor of Cell Biology within the Department of Biomedical Sciences & Physiology. He has over 30 years research experinence and has worked in respiratory disease research since 1998 with project and line management responsibilities in both industry and academia. He obtained his PhD in biochemistry from Surrey University in 1989. From 1989 to 1997 he was as a post-doctoral research fellow in the fields of immunology and cell signaling, initially at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research before moving to the BBSRC Institute for Animal Health. In 1998 in joined Novartis where he contributed to and led several drug discovery projects directed towards novel targets for respiratory disease. Then in 2008 he was awarded a Royal Society Industry fellowship and moved to the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College L:ondon as a Senior Research Fellow. Here he demonstrated how carbonyl stress could induce autoimmune responses in COPD with consequences for disease pathogenesis. This work ultimately led to a patented biomarker for COPD. In 2013 he moved to the University of Wolverhampton where he was subsequently made Professor of Cell Biology. His current research focuses on unraveling the role of oxidative and carbonyl stress in modulating cellular and immune responses in disease pathogenesis, particularly in relation to respiratory disease. He has published widely and been invited to speak and Chair at both national and international meetings. He is a member of several professional societies, Editor in Chief for the Journal of Inflammation and a reviewer for numerous peer reviewed journals.