Research

Martin Shearer PhD, FRCPath

After gaining a BSc in Biochemistry from Liverpool University, Martin joined the Haematology Department at Guy's Hospital as a research assistant where he was responsible for setting up a new Vitamin K Laboratory. After completing a PhD on vitamin K metabolism in 1974 he took up a post as senior biochemist in Guy's. He continued his vitamin K studies, especially directed to diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of vitamin K deficiency bleeding in early infancy, and oral anticoagulation. A primary focus was to develop sensitive HPLC methodologies to measure K vitamins in tissues and in the early 1980s his laboratory became the first in the world to be able to accurately measure vitamin K in human blood. His research in vitamin K was supported by continuous UK Medical Research Council funding up until 1986. In 1994 he transferred to the Centre for Haemostasis & Thrombosis, St Thomas Hospital, where the laboratory expanded becoming a leading centre in the vitamin K field for diagnostics, research, and clinical trial work. Besides his major scientific interest in the role of vitamin K and Gla-proteins, he has other interests in haemostasis, lipid and fat-soluble vitamin metabolism, drug metabolism and nutrition. In the nutritional arena he was instrumental in establishing the UK national database for the vitamin K content of foods. Recent funding includes commissions from the Food Standards Agency to study the roles of vitamin K and D in bone health and he is currently co-investigator on an NIH grant with Tuft's University, USA. Martin has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers, reviews, expert reports, and book-chapters and edited a book. Since 1988, Martin has served on several national and international Expert Committees and Working Groups including those convened by the Department of Health, Food & Agriculture Organization of the UN, WHO and UK MHRA. Over his career he has successfully supervised several PhD students and is an honorary senior lecturer of King's College, London.

 

Dominic Harrington MCQI, MSc, PhD

Dominic has a BSc in Biochemistry and an MSc in Analytical Chemistry. He became state registered as a Clinical Scientist (Biochemistry) with The Health Professions Council in 2000. Dominic has developed methodologies that enabled the determination of vitamin K catabolites in urine. Urinary vitamin K catabolite excretion is a candidate non-invasive marker of total vitamin K status.

Agata Sobczynska – Malefora MSc MRSC

Agata joined the group in 2000. Her research interests include the study of homocysteine and folate metabolism in orally anticoagulated patients. Agata has successfully developed HPLC methods for the determination of MMA and 5’methyl-tetrahydrofolate. She is a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Association of Clinical Biochemists.

David Card MSc

David has been with the group since summer 2002. He completed a BSc in Biochemistry in 1999 and spent the intervening period working at the Karolinska Hospital in Sweden. He is responsible for the running and upkeep of the Vitamin K External Quality Assurance Scheme (KEQAS) and is the Web Editor for the unit. He has successfully introduced assays for vitamins A, E and D to the laboratory and in 2006 he attained an MSc in Clinical Biochemistry from King's College London. His scientific interests centre on vitamin K metabolism.

Kieran Voong MSc

Kieran joined the group in 2003. He has a BSc in Biomolecular sciences and an MSc in Biomedical Science with Haematology. Kieran is currently working towards his Clinical Scientist state registration with The Health Professions Council.

Renata Gorska MSc

Renata has worked at the Nutristasis Unit since 2005. She originally studied in Wroclaw, Poland where she attained an MSc in Chemistry. She is currently responsible for the running and development of assays for vitamin K and its analogues. She also has research interests in undercarboxylated prothrombin and warfarin resistance.