Dr Helen Roberts (nee Owen) gained a PhD from the University of Glasgow whilst based at the Roslin Institute, where she investigated the molecular events surrounding steroid-induced skeletal growth retardation. Following this, Dr Roberts moved to the University of Sheffield where she investigated epigenetic biomarkers which were able to predict cancer progression. She has since coordinated research projects both at KU Leuven in Belgium, where she researched the role of epigenetics and autophagy in critical illness-induced bone loss, and at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry where she used genome-wide molecular profiling to identify epigenetic biomarkers associated with inflammation and immune suppression in critically ill patients. Dr Roberts is currently Assosciate Professor in Skeletal Cancer Research at Middlesex University, and coordinates a research track investigating the regulation of aberrant cellular behaviour and subsequent skeletal tissue morbidity. She has a particular interest in the role of epigenetics and autophagy in the regulation of osteosarcoma metastasis and chemoresistance.
Dr Roberts is Programme Leader for the Faculty of Science and Technology Foundation Programme, and Director of Programmes (Quality Enhancement) for the Department of Natural Sciences. Dr Roberts also contributes to the teaching of epignetics, physiology, pharmacology, molecular biology and cell biology on undergraduate and postgraduate modules, and supervises a number of undergraduate (BSc) and postgraduate (MSc, MRes and PhD) research projects.
Research Interests
Dr Roberts coordinates a research track investigating the epigenetic regulation of aberrant cellular behaviour and subsequent skeletal tissue morbidity. She has a particular interest in the role of epigenetics and autophagy in the regulation of osteosarcoma metastasis and chemoresistance. Google Scholar Profile
Current Research Students
PhD: Daniela Paternina, Janice Pereira, Ahlem Bennacer
MRes: Yathushigan Kulatheepan, Bipusha Tha Shretha, Gesajda Asllani
Past Research Students
PhD: Kaan Low
MRes: Gabriel Rosa, Dewa Zazai, Ivan Punev, Charlotte New, Aine Pears
Publications
Low, Kaan, Hills, Frank , Roberts, Helen C. and Stordal, Britta K. (2022) Establishment and characterization of single and triple‐agent resistant osteosarcoma cell lines. Advanced Biology . [Article] (Published online first) (doi:10.1002/adbi.202200194)
Vas, Wollis J., Shah, Mittal, Roberts, Helen C. and Roberts, Scott J. (2022) Decellularised Cartilage ECM Culture Coatings Drive Rapid and Robust Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Periosteal Cells. Bioengineering . ISSN 2306-5354.
Klionsky, Daniel J., Roberts, Helen C. and et, al. (2021) Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition). Autophagy 17(1):1-382.
Al Hosni, Rawiya , Shah, Mittal , Cheema, Umber , Roberts, Helen C., Luyten, Frank P. and Roberts, Scott J. (2020) Mapping human serum induced gene networks as a basis for the creation of biomimetic periosteum for bone repair. Cytotherapy 22(8):424-435. ISSN 1465-3249.
Vas, Wollis J. and Shah, Mittal and Al Hosni, Rawiya and Owen, Helen C. and Roberts, Scott J. (2017) Biomimetic strategies for fracture repair: engineering the cell microenvironment for directed tissue formation. Journal of Tissue Engineering, 8 . pp. 1-14. ISSN 2041-7314
Owen, Helen C. and Appiah, Sandra S. and Hasan, Noor and Ghali, Lucy and Elayat, Ghada and Bell, Celia M. (2017) Phytochemical modulation of apoptosis and autophagy: strategies to overcome chemoresistance in leukaemic stem cells in the bone marrow microenvironment. International Review of Neurobiology, 135:249-278. Elsevier | Academic Press. ISBN 9780128117798. doi: 10.1016/bs.irn.2017.02.012.
Lahiri, Rajiv and Derwa, Yannick and Bashir, Zora and Giles, Edward and Torrance, Hew D. T. and Owen, Helen and O'Dwyer, Michael J. and O'Brien, Alastair and Stagg, Andrew J. and Bhattacharya, Satyajit and Foster, Graham R. and Alazawi, William (2016) Systemic inflammatory response syndrome after major abdominal surgery predicted by early upregulation of TLR4 and TLR5. Annals of surgery, 263 (5). pp. 1028-1037. ISSN 0003-4932
Owen, Helen and Torrance, Hew D. T. and Jones, Timothy F. and Pearse, Rupert M. and Hinds, Charles J. and Brohi, Karim andO'Dwyer, Michael J. (2015) Epigenetic regulatory pathways involving microRNAs may modulate the host immune response following major trauma. The journal of trauma and acute care surgery, 79 (5). pp. 766-772. ISSN 2163-0763
Longbottom, E. Rebecca and Torrance, Hew D. T. and Owen, Helen and Fragkou, Paraskevi C. and Hinds, Charles J. and Pearse, Rupert M. and O'Dwyer, Michael J. (2015) Features of postoperative immune suppression are reversible with interferon gamma and independent of interleukin-6 pathways. Annals of surgery, 264(2):370-7. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000001484.
Longbottom, E. R. and Torrance, H. D. T. and Owen, Helen and Hinds, C. J. and Pearse, R. M. and O'Dwyer, M. J. (2015) Post-operative immune suppression is reversible with interferon gamma and independent of IL-6 pathways. Intensive Care Medicine Experimental, 3 . ISSN 2197-425X
Torrance, H. D. T. and Brohi, K. and Warnes, G. and Owen, Helen and Hinds, C. J. and Pennington, D. J. and O'Dwyer, M. J. (2015) T-helper cell polarisation following severe polytrauma. Intensive Care Medicine Experimental, 3 . ISSN 2197-425X
Owen, Helen and Torrance, H. D. T. and Barnes, M. R. and Brohi, K. and Knight, J. C. and Hinds, C. J. and O'Dwyer, M. J. (2015) The role of micrornas in the development of hospital acquired infection in polytrauma patients. Intensive Care Medicine Experimental, 3 . ISSN 2197-425X
O'Dwyer, Michael J. and Owen, Helen and Torrance, Hew D. T. (2015) The perioperative immune response. Current opinion in critical care, 21 (4). pp. 336-42. ISSN 1531-7072
Owen, Helen and Vanhees, Ineke and Gunst, Jan and Van Cromphaut, Sophie and Van den Berghe, Greet (2015) Critical illness-induced bone loss is related to deficient autophagy and histone hypomethylation. Intensive care medicine experimental, 3 (1). p. 52. ISSN 2197-425X
Torrance, Hew D. T. and Vivian, Mark E. and Brohi, Karim and Prowle, John R. and Pearse, Rupert M. and Owen, Helen and Hinds, Charles J. and O'Dwyer, Michael J. (2015) Changes in gene expression following trauma are related to the age of transfused packed red blood cells. The journal of trauma and acute care surgery, 78 (3). pp. 535-42. ISSN 2163-0763
Fragkou, Paraskevi C. and Torrance, Hew D. and Pearse, Rupert M. and Ackland, Gareth L. and Prowle, John R. and Owen, Helen andHinds, Charles J. and O'Dwyer, Michael J. (2014) Perioperative blood transfusion is associated with a gene transcription profile characteristic of immunosuppression: a prospective cohort study. Critical care, 18 (5). ISSN 1364-8535
Roberts, Scott J. and Owen, Helen and Tam, Wai Long and Solie, Lien and Van Cromphaut, Sophie J. and Van den Berghe, Greet andLuyten, Frank P. (2014) Humanized culture of periosteal progenitors in allogeneic serum enhances osteogenic differentiation and in vivo bone formation. Stem Cells Translational Medicine, 3 (2). pp. 218-28. ISSN 2157-6564
Vanhees, I. and Gunst, J. and Janssens, T. and Wauters, A. and Van Herck, E. and Van Cromphaut, S. and Van den Berghe, G. and Owen, Helen (2013) Enhanced immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif signaling is related to pathological bone resorption during critical illness. Hormone and metabolic research = Hormon- und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et métabolisme, 45 (12). pp. 862-9. ISSN 1439-4286
Owen, Helen and Vanhees, Ineke and Solie, Lien and Roberts, Scott J. and Wauters, Andy and Luyten, Frank P. and Van Cromphaut, Sophie and Van den Berghe, Greet (2012) Critical illness-related bone loss is associated with osteoclastic and angiogenic abnormalities.Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 27 (7). pp. 1541-52. ISSN 1523-4681
Dudziec, Ewa and Miah, Saiful and Choudhry, Hani M Z and Owen, Helen and Blizard, Sheila and Glover, Maggie and Hamdy, Freddie C and Catto, James W F (2011) Hypermethylation of CpG islands and shores around specific microRNAs and mirtrons is associated with the phenotype and presence of bladder cancer. Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, 17 (6). pp. 1287-96. ISSN 1078-0432
Owen, Helen and Giedl, J. and Wild, Peter J. and Fine, Samson W. and Humphrey, Peter A. and Dehner, Louis P. and Amin, Mahul B.and Epstein, Johnathan I. and Blaszyk, H. and Hughes, David and Hartmann, Arndt and Stoehr, Robert and Catto, James W. (2010)Low frequency of epigenetic events in urothelial tumors in young patients. The Journal of urology, 184 (2). pp. 459-63. ISSN 1527-3792
Catto, James W. F. and Miah, Saiful and Owen, Helen and Bryant, Helen and Myers, Katie and Dudziec, Ewa and Larré, Stéphane andMilo, Marta and Rehman, Ishtiaq and Rosario, Derek J. and Di Martino, Erica and Knowles, Margaret A. and Meuth, Mark and Harris, Adrian L. and Hamdy, Freddie C. (2009) Distinct microRNA alterations characterize high- and low-grade bladder cancer. Cancer research, 69 (21). pp. 8472-81. ISSN 1538-7445
Owen, Helen and Ahmed, S. F. and Farquharson, C. (2009) Chondrocyte p21(WAF1/CIP1) expression is increased by dexamethasone but does not contribute to dexamethasone-induced growth retardation in vivo. Calcified tissue international, 85 (4). pp. 326-34. ISSN 1432-0827
Roberts, Scott J. and Owen, Helen and Farquharson, Colin (2008) Identification of a novel splice variant of the haloacid dehalogenase: PHOSPHO1. Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 371 (4). pp. 872-6. ISSN 1090-2104
Owen, Helen and Roberts, S. J. and Ahmed, S. F. and Farquharson, C. (2008) Dexamethasone-induced expression of the glucocorticoid response gene lipocalin 2 in chondrocytes. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism, 294 (6). E1023-34. ISSN 0193-1849
Owen, Helen and Miner, J. N. and Ahmed, S. F. and Farquharson, C. (2007) The growth plate sparing effects of the selective glucocorticoid receptor modulator, AL-438. Molecular and cellular endocrinology, 264 (1-2). pp. 164-70. ISSN 0303-7207
Low, Kaan and Hills, Frank and Roberts, Helen C. and Stordal, Britta K. (2023) Establishment and characterization of single and triple‐agent resistant osteosarcoma cell lines. Advanced Biology , 7 (2).
Roberts, Helen C. and Punev, Ivan Petkov and Allardyce, Duncan and Kyprianou, Anna and Appiah, Sandra S. and Megeney, Alison and Calin, Anastasia and Gallacher, Deeba and Mill, Rachel (2022) Intentionality for inclusivity - the journey at Middlesex University. Project Report. McGraw Hill. (Accepted/In press)
Kulatheepan, Yathushigan and Baines, Stephen and Meeson, Richard and Roberts, Helen C. (2022) The role of autophagy in canine osteosarcoma chemoresistance and metastasis. In: 26th Annual Technological Advances in Science, Medicine and Engineering Conference 2022, August 27, 2022 – August 28, 2022, Virtual.
Pereira, Janice S. and Roberts, Scott J. and Roberts, Helen C. (2022) ATR inhibition increases sensitivity of a highly aggressive osteosarcoma cell line to cisplatin treatment. In: Bone Research Society Annual Conference, 6th - 8th July 2022, Manchester Metropolitan Univeristy.
Paternina Martinez, Daniela and Roberts, Scott J. and Roberts, Helen C. (2022) Migratory bodies express markers of tumour initiating cells and may represent an early stage of osteosarcoma sarcosphere initiation and metastasis. In: Bone Research Society Annual Conference, 06-08 Jul 2022, Manchester Metropolitan Univeristy.
