Harcharan Kaur Bali Rooprai

Reader in Scientific Basis of Complementary Medicine

Department: School of Health and Social Sciences

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BSc MSc PhD CBiol MIBiol MRCPath

Brain tumour biology
Complementary therapies in neuro-oncology
Brain tumour invasion markers (Imunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry)
RT-PCR (TaqMan) gene expression of MMPs (mediators of invasion and angiogenesis)
Induction of apoptosis and inhibition of angiogenesis by micronutrients
Micronutrients particularly flavonoids crossing the human blood brain barrier in epileptic patients
Characterisation of genetic variants of drug metabolizing enzymes (cytochrome P450 family) in epileptic patients
Effect of green grape seed extract on type II diabetic patients (clinical trial at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth)
Effect of a combination of micronutrients in malignant brain tumour patients (clinical trial at King's College Hospital, London)

Structure, function and pathology of central nervous system cells
Brain tumour cell biology, aetiology and epidemiology
Therapeutic potential of natural occurring products (micronutrients) in malignant brain tumour management

Rooprai HK, Kyriazis I, Nuttall R, Edwards D, Zicha D, Aubyn D, Davies D, Gullan R and Pilkington GJ. Inhibition of invasion and induction of apoptosis by selenium in human malignant brain tumour cells in vitro. (International Journal of Oncology. (2007)
VanMeter TE, Broaddus WC, Rooprai HK, Pilkington GJ and Fillmore HL. Induction of membrane-type-1 matrix metalloproteinase by epidermal growth factor mediated signaling in gliomas. Neurooncology 2004; 6: 188-99.
Rooprai HK, VanMeter TE, Robinson SDF, King A, Rucklidge GJ, and Pilkington GJ. Expression of MMP-2 and -9 in short -term cultures of meningiomas: Influence of histological subtype. International Journal of Molecular Medicine. 2003; 12: 977-981.
VanMeter TE, Rooprai HK, Kibble M, Fillmore HL, Broaddus WC and Pilkington GJ. The role of matrix metalloproteinase genes in glioma invasion: co-dependence and interactive proteolysis. Journal of Neuro-oncology. 2001; 53: 213-235.
Datla KP, Christidou M, Widmer WW, Rooprai HK and Dexter DT. NeuroReport Tissue distribution and neuroprotective effects of citrus flavonoid tangeretin in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. 2001;12: 3871-3875.
Rooprai HK, Kandanearatchi A, Maidment SL, Christidou M, Trillo-Pazos G, Dexter DT, Rucklidge G, Widmer WW and Pilkington GJ. Evaluation of the effects of swainsonine, captopril, tangeretin and nobiletin on the biological behaviour of brain tumour cells in vitro. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology (2001) 27: 29-39.

CHAPTERS/REVIEWS

Rooprai HK, Christidou M. and Pilkington GJ. The potential for strategies using micronutrients and heterocyclic drugs to treat invasive gliomas. In: Acta Neurochirurgica. Springer-Verlag. 145: 683-690 (2003).

External lectures as an Invited Speaker

12th Oct 2007, Crete, Greece - 12th World Congress on Advanced in Oncology and 10th International Symposium on Molecular Medicine. Therapeutic potential of chokeberry and turmeric in malignant human brain tumour cells.
21st March 2005. University of East Anglia, Norwich: A novel therapeutic approach to malignant brain tumour management
25th June 2004. A Nutraceutical approach to brain tumour therapy Symposium (Complementary Therapies and Cancer Care) hosted by The Prince of Wales's Foundation for Integrated Health
2003. Nutraceutical approach to brain tumour management. International Glioma Invasion Forum Canada
January 2002. United Kingdom Brain Tumour Society 2002 Conference: Update on Flavonoids in Brain Tumour Research
June 2002. Flavonoids in malignant brain tumour therapy. International Glioma Invasion Forum Belgium
May 2000. Proteases in glioma invasion. International Glioma Invasion Forum Burgh Island, UK

External institutions

Visiting senior research fellow in the Division of Psychological Medicine at the Insitute of Psychiatry, King's College London
Honorary doctor in neurosurgery department at King's College Hospital, London
Member of the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) (Clinical studies group: Complementary therapies for Cancer)