Research themes
Expertise and capabilities
As a leading centre of excellence in skin sciences, we provide internationally recognised expertise and facilities across our many research themes, together with a world-class postgraduate learning environment. Our research-led teaching forms the basis of our Master's courses in Medical Bioscience, Skin Science and Stem Cell Biology and Bioinformatics.
Applied research
- Wound healing and wound care - links to diabetes; role of EMT in wound healing
- Skin and hair follicle ageing - the aging dermal environment
- Skin and hair pigmentation - role of ATM in melanocytes; melanosome transfer and novel pigmentation technology
- Skin immunology and skin disease - alopecia areata, psoriasis
- Skin microbiome in health, disease and wound healing
- Skin and hair development and regeneration - role of transcription factors and epigenetic regulators
Basic research
- Chromatin dynamics and epigenetic regulation of gene expression
- Cell signalling in development and disease
- Skin and hair pigmentation biology
- Melanoma genomics
- Stress cell biology - differential responses of skin cells to oxidative stress
- Vascular changes in diabetes and age
- Big data analysis and modelling in biological systems
Capabilities and Models
Human skin models
- Primary cells, co-cultures and engineered skin equivalents are used for materials testing in mode of action and efficacy experimental designs as well as for investigating basic skin biology
Human Hair models
- Ex vivo human hair follicles model and follicle derived cells are used for investigating the biology of hair growth and effects of novel materials, growth factors, chemokines and cytokines on cell/hair behaviour
Transcriptomics and epigenomic analysis in different populations of skin cells
- FACS purification of different cell populations; laser capture microdissection; RNA-seq, DIP-seq and ChiP-seq analysis; microarray transcriptome profiling
Visualisation, microscopic analysis and image processing
- Confocal and light microscopy, image analysis, image processing for machine learning
Big data analysis, bioinformatics and modelling in skin health and disease
- We use Galaxy software to design workflows for big data analysis
- We have a large collection of skin and hair phenotype-linked data derived from high-throughput screening such as RNA-Seq, CHIP-SEQ, DNA-SEQ and we have considerable expertise in interrogating these data to answer research-specific questions
Contact the Centre for Skin Sciences
The Centre for Skin Sciences are happy to answer all general enquiries, business enquiries, discuss research, or training needs - contact Business Development Officer Peter Ali with your query.
Skin Microbiome
David Ansell, Sara Henderson and Stephen Sikkink
The skin microbiome and its interaction with skin in all conditions of health is a priority area of research within the centre for skin sciences. Within this area there are many aspects of ongoing research which include topics such as how the dynamics and changes to the skin microbiome composition are influenced during and by disease throughout their treatment lifecycles.
One example is during the condition Atopic dermatitis (commonly known as Eczema) there is commonly dysbiosis which is corrected by treatments. Work is ongoing to make representative models ex vivo for example using the stratum corneum as a model surface.
Similarly, work is ongoing to investigate wound healing process with a focus towards understanding the role of the skin microbiome in enhancing this process, alongside the use of novel therapeutic options including novel dressings and antimicrobial treatments leading to innovations in novel wound care.
Finally, we have ongoing research into how the skin's own defences regulate the microbiome on different parts of the body with a focus on feminine hygiene and health.
Model biofilm with S. aureus on isolated stratum corneum
Skin and scalp immunology and inflammation
David Ansell
- A key research objective is to unlock the links between the immune system and hair growth diseases and disorders. Skin immunology and inflammation crosses between skin and hair biology.
- In the case of alopecia areata, an autoimmune hair loss condition, we are studying the immune cells in the follicle environment and in the blood stream as biomarkers of disease activity.
- We have also identified some of the epigenetic controlling factors that are implicated in the disease, with focus on microRNAs.
- We have received charity funding from Alopecia UK and NAAF and use both human scalp biopsies and a mouse model of alopecia areata for our research.
- We have opportunities for self-funded PhDs in this area and are interested to hear from companies with drugs they wish to evaluate in our models.
Hair follicle destruction in alopecia areata
Diabetes and Wound Healing
Kirsten Riches-Suman, David Ansell and Stephen Sikkink
Skin becomes more fragile and less elastic as we age which can make wound healing more challenging. Similarly, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes are prone to non-healing wounds and our research aims to find the mechanisms underpinning this.
We can obtain primary epidermal and dermal cells as well as whole human skin for explant and ex vivo tissue - organ culture. Such systems have been used to investigate the role of mediators of oxidative stress in skin physiology, which are more common in age or disease. We have also used them to study the impact of visible light on wound closure, the influence of adipocytes on radiotherapy tissue and its implications on scar tissue formation/maturation, and the impact of diabetes and glucose levels on wound healing.
We use a mixture of cell culture, molecular, immuno-, and protein biochemistry methods to study these subjects.
Our research has a strong impact through the work of our plastic surgeon fellows in the Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit
Wound repair model in human skin
Vascular biology of the skin
Kirsten Riches-Suman
- The skin is a highly vascularised organ. Maintaining a healthy blood supply to the skin and hair is vital for both to function properly. Blood vessels are lined with endothelial cells which detect any changes in the circulation and their structure is supported by smooth muscle cells and pericytes.
- We receive skin samples and can examine both the large vessels within the skin and the tiny capillaries in the skin surface and hair follicles. We can examine these in situ using histological techniques and can also isolate the individual cell types to look at active molecular pathways.
- We can apply these resources to study skin vascular changes in relation to different diseases (such as type 2 diabetes) and also ageing across the lifecourse.
Human skin being dissected
Skin and Hair Ageing
David Ansell, Richard Baker, Stephen Sikkink and Julie Thornton
Our innovative research into skin and hair ageing is supported by advanced biological models, specialist expertise, and strong academic leadership. We investigate how ageing affects skin fragility, elasticity, and wound‑healing capacity, using primary epidermal and dermal cells, whole‑skin explants, and ex vivo tissue models to study mechanisms such as oxidative stress and impaired repair, which become more prominent with age and chronic conditions like diabetes.
Hair‑focused ageing research examines the follicle environment, including age‑related changes in dermal sheath cells and fibroblasts, as well as immune‑mediated disorders such as alopecia areata, where CSS identifies key immune and epigenetic factors—such as microRNAs—that influence disease progression and hair loss across the lifespan. We are able to obtain primary epidermal and dermal cells as well as whole human skin for explant and ex vivo tissue - organ culture.
Such systems have been used to investigate the role of mediators of oxidative stress in skin physiology, which are more common in age or disease. The centre’s academic profiles include internationally recognised experts in skin biology, hair follicle science, immunology, and microbiome research, fostering a dynamic environment that blends fundamental discovery with translational impact, and supporting industry collaborations aimed at improving real‑world solutions for ageing skin and hair.
We have a strong science base in hair biology, and our researchers have specialist experience developing links between the immune system, hormones, genetics and hair growth and its associated disorders. We also use in vitro and ex vivo models to study hair ageing biology, such as hair follicle cells, 3D reconstructed follicle fibroblast papillae and intact whole hair follicles. We use transcriptomics, proteomics and single cell sequencing to understand scalp skin and hair follicle cell population changes with age.
Alopecia Areata Modelling
David Ansell
Alopecia areata is a form of hair loss that is due to the immune system attacking the hair follicles. In particular, the condition is caused T-cells that inadvertently recognise some aspect of hair growth as an invading pathogen and mounting an immune response.
Our current research aims to better understand the triggers for alopecia areata. We can also evaluate potential drug treatments that might dampen immune responses so that the hair follicles can be prevented from auto-immune attack.
Our research uses a range of approaches. We can examine immune responses using cells in vitro, for example using blood samples from people with alopecia areata. We are also running a validated preclinical model, which can evaluate potential therapeutic targets in vivo. We can also obtain skin biopsies from patients with alopecia areata, which can be used for investigating mechanisms in ex vivo experiments.
In our alopecia areata research we utilise immunohistochemistry to assess changes to the hair follicle and skin architecture, and flow cytometry to evaluate the phenotype of immune cells present.
Hair follicle showing extracellular matrix markers
Skin and hair pigmentation and melanoma
Karthic Swaminathan
- We are studying malignant melanoma - malignant tumours precondition these sites by releasing exosome carriers (containing nucleic acids, lipids, proteins), which can be taken up by cells in the distant organs and can affect its function and behaviour.
- We have researched human epidermal and hair follicle melanogenesis and shown that hair pigmentation is sensitive to oxidative stress
- We used human scalp skin, hair follicles and derived cells to demonstrate the link between ATM and greying
Melanin distribution in normal human epidermis
Human cells-tissue-materials interaction
Tom Swift and Farshid Sefat
- We work at the interface of human skin substrate and materials interaction, which we leverage towards advanced wound care, adhesives in ostomy care, bio-materials design and nano-fabrication
- We are studying how the body’s microbial defences can be leveraged into new materials for feminine health using bioengineering approaches
- We work with biologists, chemists and engineers
- We run healthy volunteer skin studies and have experience in protocol development, ethics review and study management
Using analytical equipment
Bioinformatics, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Krzysztof Poterlowicz and Richard Baker
The ability to analyse large 'omics datasets is now a key tool in the biologist’s toolkit. We have a large collection of skin and hair phenotype-linked data derived from high-throughput screening such as RNA-Seq, CHIP-SEQ, DNA-SEQ, with considerable expertise in interrogating these data to answer research-specific questions.
We are closely involved with Elixir, a platform that unites Europe’s leading life science organisations in managing and safeguarding the increasing volume of data being generated by publicly funded research and is the major body indicated in the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) infrastructure roadmap.
We lead the UK training hub in Medical Research Council (MRC)-funded data storage and curation which will train experts in this for future research communities. We have projects developing algorithms for image analysis using machine learning.
Our research-led teaching forms the basis of an MSc in Bioinformatics.