Email: andrew.d.sharrocks@manchester.ac.uk

Research profile and key clinical specialties

Andrew’s lab is studying the molecular basis to cancer. They focus on how oncogenic proteins function at the molecular level and how they link to cellular signaling pathways and downstream gene regulatory modules.

Changes to the regulatory chromatin landscape and associated epigenetic profiles are another key area of focus in both cancer and stem cells.

Chromatin and transcriptional control modules in oesophageal cancer – They have identified several transcription factors that play important roles during the progression towards oesophageal adenocarcinoma and the associated effects on the regulatory chromatin landscape (Plos Genet, 2017, 13, e1006879; Genome Res, 2019, 29, 723; eLife, 2020, 9:e57189).

Signaling to transcription factors during stem cell differentiation – They have mapped the dynamic changes to the regulatory chromatin landscape during embryonic stem cell differentiation and identified several key transcription factors driving this process. (Cell Reports, 2019, 27, 3215), (Cell Reports 2014, 7, 1968).
Signal regulated transcriptional regulatory networks (Genome Research, 2009, 19, 1963).

Two key publications

• Yang, S-H., Andrabi, M., Biss, R., Baker, S.M., Iqbal, M. and Sharrocks, A.D. (2019) ZIC3 controls the transition from naïve to primed pluripotency. Cell Reports. 27:3215-3227. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.05.026.
• Rogerson C., Ogden, S., Britton, E., the OCCAMs consortium, Ang, Y. and Sharrocks, A.D. (2020) Repurposing of KLF5 activates a cell cycle signature during the progression from a precursor state to Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma. eLife. 9:e57189 doi: 10.7554/eLife.57189

Possible PhD projects

• Understanding the changes in the regulatory chromatin landscape in the development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

More information

Andrew was previously been Director of the Faculty of Life Sciences BBSRC DTA and Wellcome Trust dynamic systems programme.

Keywords: oesophageal, adenocarcinoma, cancer, epigenetic, cancer, stem cells, Chromatin, pluripotency, Andrew, Sharrocks, Manchester

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