Dr Michelle Lawson
BSc, PhD, FHEA
School of Medicine and Population Health
School Director of Postgraduate Research
Senior Lecturer in Bone and Cancer Biology


+44 114 215 9054
Full contact details
School of Medicine and Population Health
Office EU22, E Floor
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX
- Profile
-
For enquiries please contact - SMPH-West-Operational@sheffield.ac.uk
I graduated from the University of Sheffield in 1997 with a BSc (Hons) in Molecular Biology. I obtained my PhD in 2000 from the University of Bristol, after conducting my research at the Institute of Animal Health, investigating the use of cytokines as DNA vaccine adjuvants.
In 2000 I began my research career in the field of bone biology at the University of Oxford. While there I developed various biomaterials for bone scaffolding and a novel technique to measure the bone binding affinities of bisphosphonates, drugs used in the prevention of bone disease.
In 2005 I moved back to the University of Sheffield where I worked in Professor Peter Crouchers Bone Biology Group and my research involved looking at the effects of bisphosphonates in preclinical models of multiple myeloma. I also developed a novel microscopy technique to allow the visualization of single dormant cancer cells in bone. Together this research has led to the identification of several key molecules involved in the early stages of myeloma and its associated bone disease. I am currently a Senior Lecturer in Bone and Cancer Biology in the Department of Oncology and Metabolism and I lead the Sheffield Myeloma Research Team (SMaRT). My main research interests are myeloma-induced bone disease, dormant tumour cells, and the use of oncolytic adenoviruses to combat myeloma and lymphoma.
Current PhD opportunities:
- Research interests
-
I have developed and established several preclinical murine models of myeloma to study therapeutic intervention in the early, mid and late stages of the disease. This has led to an increased understanding of the role of the bone marrow microenvironment and how it influences tumour growth and tumour cell dormancy. I am currently investigating the use of standard of care anti-myeloma drugs in combination with bone modulating agents to repair myeloma-induced bone disease; and using existing (standard of care therapies) or novel agents (oncolytic viruses) to target myeloma cells (proliferating and dormant) in the bone marrow microenvironment, with the aim of translating these findings into patients. I am currently collaborating with Theolytics to harness viruses to combat myeloma ().
- Publications
-
Show: Featured publications All publications
Featured publications
Journal articles
Chapters
All publications
Journal articles
Chapters
Conference proceedings papers
Other
Preprints
- Grants
-
- Innovate UK award (UK Biomedical Catalyst 2022-2025) Preclinical validation of a novel oncolytic viral therapy for multiple myeloma targeting readiness for clinical trials. Dr M.A. Lawson & Dr A.D. Chantry (贈127,545).&稼恢壊沿;10017183
- Sheffield Hospitals Charity Project Award (2021-2022). Treating plasmacytoma using direct injection of a novel engineered myeloma specific virus. Dr M.A. Lawson (贈24,275). No. 173173
- Sheffield Hospitals Charity Project Award (2021-2022). The effect of targeting hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) combined with chemotherapy on tumour load in myeloma. Dr M.A. Lawson (贈13,891). No. 173345
- NC3Rs studentship award (2021-2023). Development and validation of 3D in vitro dormant myeloma cell models to reduce and replace animal studies. Dr M.A. Lawson, Alana Green & Frederik Claeyssens (贈90,000). NC/V00137X/1
- Sheffield Hospitals Charity Project Award (2021-2022). Targeting minimal residual disease to find a cure for myeloma. Dr A. Green, Dr A.D. Chantry, Dr M.A. Lawson (贈42,862). No. 169591
- Sheffield Hospitals Charity Project Award (2020-2021). Assessing SD208 (a novel bone anabolic agent) as equivalent or superior in the treatment of myeloma bone; an in vivo explorative study. Dr R. Andrews, Dr Chantry & Dr M.A. Lawson (贈41,000). 163969
- Sheffield Hospitals Charity Project Award (2020-2021). Oncolytic advenovirus therapy for multiple myeloma. Dr Chantry & Dr M.A. Lawson (贈41,143). No. 202014
- Oxford Biomedica (2019-2020) Clinical collaboration using CAR-T cells therapy. Dr M. A. Lawson (贈13,400).
- Shin Poong Pharma (2017-2018). Testing a potential bone anabolic agent (SP-35454) in multiple myeloma, Dr M. A. Lawson (贈140,000).
- Bone Cancer Research Trust (2015-2018). PhD studentship: Purinergic Signalling in Osteosarcoma, Dr A. Gartland & Dr M.A. Lawson (贈147,000). BCRT Grant No. 44/15.
- British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (2106-218) Project Grant: Investigating the potential of statins to prevent and treat Anti-Resorptive agent induced Osteonecrosis of the Jaw, Dr M. A. Lawson, Ibraz Siddique & Alasdair McKechnie (贈6384).
- Sheffield Blood Cancer Trust (2015). High potency, low affinity bisphosphonates pilot study, Dr A. Chantry, Dr M.A. Lawson, Prof. J. Snowden& Prof R.G.G. Russell (贈8,000).
- Sheffield Hospitals Charity (2015). Investigating changes in the tumour bone microenvironment during the development of multiple myeloma and testing novel strategies for clinical intervention. Dr M.A. Lawson, J. Paton-Hough (Sheffield) & Dr F. Errington-Mais (University of Leeds) (贈4,739).
- Bloodwise Project Grant (2018-2020). Targeting BMP signalling in the MGUS/MM bone microenvironment. Dr C. Edwards, Dr K. Ramasamy, Dr M.A. Lawson, H. Drakesmith, Dr S. Gooding & R. Kumar grant (贈249,691). Grant no. 17012.
- Bloodwise Project Grant Investigating (2016-2019). E3 Ligase HUWE1 as a therapeutic target in multiple myeloma.Dr A. Irvine, Dr M.A. Lawson, M. Pearson, Dr L. Crawford, Prof M. Eilers & Dr A. Chantry (贈202,080). Grant no. 15043.
- Bloodwise Project Grant (2015-2018). Preclinical testing of low dose valproate and niclosamide (VaN) as a novel anti-myeloma therapy. Dr F. Khanim, Dr M.A. Lawson& Prof. M Drayson (贈245,864). Grant No. 15025.
- Bloodwise Specialist Programme Grant (2013-2018). Novel targets and therapeutic combinations in myeloma. Dr A. Chantry, Dr M.A. Lawson & Prof. J. Snowden (贈1,142,591). Grant No. 12053.
- Teaching interests
-
I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and the Postgraduate Research (PGR) Lead in the Department of Oncology and Metabolism. I am also a Module Lead for the MSc (Res) in Translational Oncology course and I regularly lecture on the Molecular Medicine MSc course on in vitro and in vivo models of bone cancer. I frequently supervise laboratory research projects for PhD, MSc, BMedSci, SSC, Erasmus and Hallam placement students.
- Professional activities and memberships
-
I have been involved in several public engagement activities. I have secured funding that enabled me to build a Giant Interactive Bone to educate children of all ages on what is inside their bones. In addition, I regularly participate in Outreach activities with a variety of school children to teach them about why their bones are so important. I frequently do laboratory tours for fundraisers and patients with bone cancer, and I also participate in patient panel meetings to improve the services at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield.
- Public engagement activities
I have also been involved in a number of public engagement activities. I have secured funding that enabled me to build a Giant Interactive Bone to educate children of all ages on what is inside their bones. In addition, I regularly participate in Outreach activities with a variety of school children to teach them about why their bones are so important. I frequently do laboratory tours for fundraisers and patients with bone cancer, and I also participate in patient panel meetings to improve the services at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield.