Nexxus Scotland

Jo  Mountford, Lecturer and Group Leader, Section of Haematology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Glasgow

Q: So, for those of us who don't know - what does a Lecturer and Group Leader actually do? 

A: My job has a number of aspects probably the least of which is actually lecturing!  The majority of my time is spent on research, the focus of which is normal and malignant blood development. Additionally, I have recently taken on a secondment as Scientific Advisor to the ITI Lifesciences Stem Cell Technologies Programme and I am also on the Advisory Committee for the Scottish Stem Cell Network. My job is further complicated at the moment by the fact that the Department will be moving imminently into the new purpose built Paul O'Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre at Gartnavel Hospital.  I have inherited the job of project managing the move including purchasing all the equipment, liaising with the architects about the building spec and also managing the move of about 25 people and all their lab kit.       

Q: Tell us about a typical day (or is there no such thing?).

A: I don't have typical days at the moment however, because of the variety I am finding my job more exciting and fulfilling now than ever. I spend 30% of my time on the ITI program and the remainder on my core University of Glasgow post. I am usually committed to lecturing or other teaching for about half a day per week and I currently have 2 post docs and 2 PhD students who report directly to me in the lab. I am also fortunate to be asked to speak about the work that the Department does, in particular  on the leukaemic stem cell work that I do with Professor Tessa Holyoake and her group.   I also write grants to support staff in the lab, write the papers resulting from our work and also review manuscripts and grants from other groups. This is probably the most critical component of my job as progress and performance is measured largely by output of papers and grant income.

Q: So what's taken up most of your time recently?

A: In the past I have concentrated largely on leukaemic (malignant) blood cells and their behaviour however, I am now shifting focus more towards normal blood.  To this end we have recently established the culture of human embryonic stem cells and are able to direct their differentiation to generate both haemopoietic (blood) stem cells and mature blood cells.  This is potentially hugely interesting as it may be possible to use these cells to generate large numbers of red blood cells for use in transfusion.  Currently the blood services rely on donations; the supply is chronically limited and it has recently been confirmed that storage of blood products causes significant deterioration which may cause adverse effects in the recipient. Added to this are the problems in the developing world where blood-borne diseases may be endemic and there are profound difficulties in collection and storage. It is therefore, essential that a new reproducible supply of clean blood is developed.  Human ES cells may be an answer to this problem and the concept of ‘BloodPharming' is gaining credence. In collaboration with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (who fund my salary and a number of scientists in the department) and other bodies we have recently applied for a very large grant to address this problem. This is a project that I am very excited about and which we will be pursuing vigorously. 

Q: What's on the cards for the next few months? 

A: I am going to be particularly involved with the ITI SCT programme which aims to overcome some of the key hurdles that currently hamper the widespread use of hES in drug discovery and therapeutic regimes by identifying molecules that can be used to manipulate cell behaviour. Gratifyingly, the first set of validated screens has identified a number of hit compounds that affect the survival of these cells. We now have to further characterise the effect of those compounds and also develop new assays to look at pluripotency and differentiation of the cells.

The big move to our new lab is finally planned for 10^th March after more than 7 years of planning and fund raising led by Professor Holyoake. So I have lots more orders to place and services to organise. We can't wait to get into the new building which will bring together clinical and basic researchers on the site where patients with cancer, including leukaemias, are treated. This will really help us undertake truly translational research where the results from lab studies to identify new treatments can be transferred directly to clinical practice.

Q: What would you want to do if you weren't doing this job? 

A: A question I have asked myself endless times in the last couple of chaotic months! I have found a previously untapped talent for organising and developed my well-known talent for spending money. However, I have to say I am very happy in my job(s) right now and love the variety, the challenges and the chance to tell people about our work.

For more information contact Jo

E: jcm7n@clinmed.gla.ac.uk