Hannah Kelly
DPhil student
About me
I am a second-year student on the Cancer Science MB-DPhil program, based in the cell migration group. My research focuses on an enzyme, MT1-MMP (membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase), and how its cell-surface level is regulated in invasive cancer cells. MT1-MMP is a matrix metalloproteinase that plays multiple roles in invasive cell migration including degradation of extracellular matrix components such as fibrillar collagens, activation of metalloproteinases MMP2 and MMP13, and shedding of cell adhesion molecules such as CD44 (1). MT1-MMP expression on the cell surface is a crucial regulatory mechanism and is required for MT1-MMP function. Previous work in our group has shown that MT1-MMP is transported to the cell surface of invasive cells by three kinesin superfamily proteins KIF3A, KIF13A and KIF9 (2). My project aims to identify adaptor proteins which allow KIF proteins to recognise vesicles containing MT1-MMP.
I studied an undergraduate medicine degree at St Hilda’s College, Oxford. My undergraduate research project, based at the Gruneberg lab at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, focused on the mechanisms which safeguard chromosome segregation. I looked at whether phosphorylation of the C-terminus of MAD1 was required for spindle checkpoint function. I have chosen to intercalate a DPhil into my medicine degree and will be returning to St Hilda’s to complete the clinical years of my medicine degree once my DPhil is complete.
In my spare time I am a member of Oxford University Orchestra, Oxford University Brass Band, Oxford University Ceilidh Band and City of Oxford Brass Band.
1. Itoh, Y. (2015) Membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases: Their functions and regulations Matrix Biol 44-46, 207-223 10.1016/j.matbio.2015.03.004
2. Gifford, V., Woskowicz, A., Ito, N., Balint, S., Lagerholm, B. C., Dustin, M. L. et al. (2022) Coordination of two kinesin superfamily motor proteins, KIF3A and KIF13A, is essential for pericellular matrix degradation by membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) in cancer cells Matrix Biol 107, 1-23 10.1016/j.matbio.2022.01.004