Dr Katy Roach

Recently promoted to Lecturer within the department of Respiratory Sciences at the University of Leicester. A cell and molecular biologist studying the mechanisms and pathways involved in Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

My research is focused largely in the field of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) i) investigating the pro-fibrotic activities of human lung myofibroblasts and ii) assessing fibrotic responses and effects of pharmacological intervention in an ex vivo model of human lung fibrogenesis. With the aim to understand the complexity of this disease and develop new innovative ways to study and treat IPF.

1. Roach KM, Castells E, Dixon K, Mason S, Elliott G, Marshall H, Poblocka MA, Macip S, Richardson M, Khalfaoui L, Bradding P. Evaluation of pirfenidone and nintedanib in a human model of lung fibrosis. Frontiers in Pharmacology, Revision submitted - Under review.
2. Campiani G, Cavella C, Osko Je, Brindisi M, Relitti N, Brogi S, Saraswati P, Federico S, Chemi G, Maramai S, Carullo G, Jaeger B, Carleo A, Benedetti R, Sarno F, Lamponi S, Rottoli P, Bargagli E, Bertucci C, Tedesco D, Herp D, Senger J, Ruberti G, Saccoccia F, Saponara S, Gorelli B, Valoti M, Kennedy B, Sundaramurthi H, Butini S, Jung M, Roach KM, Altucci L, Bradding P, Christianson D, Gemma S, Prasse A. Harnessing the role of HDAC6 in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Design, Synthesis, Structural Analysis, and Biological Evaluation of Selective Inhibitors. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Revision submitted.
3. Virk HS, Biddle MS, Smallwood DT, Weston CA Castells E, Feghali-Bostwick C, Bowman VW, McCarthy J, Amrani Y, Duffy SM, Bradding P, Roach KM. TGFβ1 induces resistance of human lung myofibroblasts to cell death via downregulation of TRPA1. Br J Pharmacol, 2021 Mar, doi: 10.1111/bph.15467.
4. Stylianou P, Clark K, Gooptu B, Smallwood D, Brightling CE, Amrani Y, Roach KM, Bradding P. Tensin1 expression and function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18942.
5. Virk HS, Rekas MZ, Biddle MS, Wright AKA, Sousa J, Weston CA, Chachi L, Roach KM, Bradding P. Validation of antibodies for the specific detection of human TRPA1. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18500.
6. Roach KM., Sutcliffe A., Matthews L., Elliott G., Newby C., Amrani Y, Bradding P. A model of human lung fibrogenesis for the assessment of anti-fibrotic strategies in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Sci Rep 2018; 8: 15.
7. Roach KM, Feghali-Bostwick CA, Amrani Y, Bradding P. Lipoxin A4 attenuates constitutive and TGF-beta1-dependent profibrotic activity in human lung myofibroblasts. J Immunol 2015;195: 2852-60.
8. Roach KM, Feghali-Bostwick C, Wulff H, Amrani Y, Bradding P. Human lung myofibroblast TGFbeta1-dependent Smad2/3 signalling is Ca(2+)-dependent and regulated by KCa3.1 K(+) channels. Fibrogenesis & Tissue Repair 2015; 8:5. doi: 10.1186/s13069-015-0022-0.
9. Roach KM, Wulff H, Feghali-Bostwick C, Amrani Y, Bradding P. Increased constitutive alphaSMA and Smad2/3 expression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis myofibroblasts is kca3.1-dependent. Respir Res. 2014; 15:155. doi: 10.1186/s12931-014-0155-5.
10. Roach KM, Duffy SM, Coward W, Feghali-Bostwick C, Wulff H, Bradding P. The K+ Channel KCa3.1 as a novel target for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. PLoS One 2013; 8: e85244. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085244.

Lung fibrosis ion channels lung cell biology

Biological Sciences BSc. Biological Sciences MSc

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Committee member of the British Association of Lung Research Member of the Leicester fibrosis network Expert peer review for numerous academic journals inc. Scientific Reports Frontiers and New England Journal of Medicine

International Colloquium on Lung and Airway Fibrosis (ICLAF) Travel Fellowship 2016; British Lung Foundation (BLF) Travel Fellowship 2016; European Respiratory Society (ERS) Lung Science Bursary 2016; ERS Distinguished Poster Award 2016; ERS Young Scientist Sponsorship 2015; BLF/NAPP European Respiratory Society Travel Award 2014; BALR Travel Bursary 2013; .BLF/NAPP American Thoracic Society travel award 2012; BTS/BLF/BALR Early Careers Investigator Prize 2011