Professor Roger Sturmey
| Post Nominals | PhD |
|---|---|
| Biography | Roger Sturmey is a Professor of Reproductive Medicine at the Hull York Medical School and a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Manchester and serves as HFEA Person Responsible for human embryo research licenses at both institutions. He is interested in studying metabolic function at the nanoscale of individual oocytes and embryos and how this links to embryo physiology, and has subsequently applied these interests to somatic cells and stem cells. His laboratory studies oocytes and embryos of domestic species; notably bovine, porcine and equine, in addition to work on human embryos. His research has identified key metabolic adaptations of early embryos in response to nutritional and physiological challenges, informing the debate on maternal health around conception. His group has also developed a novel model of the female reproductive tract which has provided new insight into the formation of reproductive tract fluid. From 2017-22 he served as the Basic Science Officer for the ESHRE Embryology Special Interest Group, as well as a Board Member of the Association of Embryo Technology in Europe, Associate Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University where he teaches on the NHS STP Embryology Training programme and a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee the animal IVF Technology company IVF Bioscience. In 2023 he was appointed as Chair of Scientific Advisory Panel for the UK Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists (ARCS), and is serving as a member of the Programme Committee for the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR)'s 2024 annual conference. |
| Research Interests | Roger is interested in the metabolism of the oocyte and early embryo and how this relates to onward development. He is especially focussed on the interaction between energy metabolism and epigenetic adaptations during early development. Moreover he works on how the environment in which the early embryo completes its development can modify critical events in ways that might alter onward development and ultimately affect the lifelong health of offspring. To study the periconceptual environment, he has developed cell-based models of the oviduct (Fallopian tube) and is now pursuing research into how the external conditions (maternal health, environmental contaminants) affect early development. He uses numerous techniques to study metabolism at the single cell-level and has applied these approaches to other cell types, notably blood platelets. |
| Teaching and Learning | Roger teaches throughout Phase 1 of the HYMS MBBS, covering topics in early development and reproductive health, as well as offering a Scholarship and Special Interest Project (SSIP) on Infertility. In addition, he teaches a number of components of the BSc in Biomedical Sciences, covering areas of cellular metabolism and early development. Furthermore, he teaches on the HYMS MSc in Pharmacology and Drug Development, leading a new module on Bioanalytical Techniques. Away from Hull, he is a guest teacher on the NHS STP Training programme for Clinical Embryologists. |
| Scopus Author ID | 8840478600 |
| PhD Supervision Availability | Yes |
| PhD Topics | Early mammalian embryo development Cellular metabolism |