Dr Andrew Furley
Senior Lecturer
Post Graduate Research Tutor
Department of Biomedical Science
The University of Sheffield
Western Bank
Sheffield S10 2TN
United Kingdom
email : a.j.furley@sheffield.ac.uk
Room: D231 Alfred Denny building
Telephone: +44 (0) 114 222 2354
Career history
- 2004 - present: Senior Lecturer, Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield
- 1997- 2004: Lecturer, CDBG, Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield
- 1992-1997: MRC Research Scientist, Division of Developmental Neurobiology, NIMR, Mill Hill, London
- 1990-1992: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellow, Center for Neurobiology & Behavior, Columbia University, New York (Advisor: T. Jessell)
- 1987-1990: Jane Coffin Childs Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dept of Biochemistry, Columbia University, New York (Advisors:F. Alt/T. Jessell)
- 1987: PhD Leukaemia Biology, Imperial Cancer Research/UCL, London (Supervisor: M. Greaves)
- 1982: B.Sc. (Hons) Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh
Research interests
Our research is focussed on the role L1CAM-like cell adhesion molecules (L1-CNTNs) in neural development. L1-CNTNs affect neural function at all stages, including the earliest proliferation and differentiation of progenitor and stem cells (Bizzoca et al 2003; Ma et al 2008), the guidance of axons (Cohen et al 1998; Law et al 2008), through to firing of action potentials (Poliak et al 2003) and functioning of synapses (Bliss et al 2000). As a result, these molecules are widely implicated in neurological disease and cancers. Our aim is to understand the cellular mechanisms through which L1-CNTNs affect this wide variety of processes.
Read more on research in the Furley laboratory
Activities and distinctions
- British Society for Developmental Biology (BSDB; www.bsdb.org) Committee member (1999-2005); Publications Secretary (2000-2005; http://www.bms.ed.ac.uk/services/webspace/bsdb/BSDBnewsold.htm
- MRC Advisory Board (MAB) 2002-2005
- Appointed adviser on genetics and biotechnology to EU-wide consortium (PRIVILEGED) determining the ethical and legal interests in privacy and data protection for research involving the use of genetic databases and bio-banks, 2007. www.privilegedproject.eu
Funding
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
- Cancer Research UK
- Human Frontiers Science Program (HFSP)
- Yorkshire Cancer Research
Recent publications
- Xenaki D, Martin IB, Yoshida L, Ohyama K, Gennarini G, Grumet M, Sakurai T, Furley AJ.
F3/contactin and TAG1 play antagonistic roles in the regulation of sonic hedgehog-induced cerebellar granule neuron progenitor proliferation.
Development. 2011 138:519-29. - Law CO, Kirby RJ, Aghamohammadzadeh S, Furley AJ.
The neural adhesion molecule TAG-1 modulates responses of sensory axons to diffusible guidance signals.
Development. 2008. 135(14):2361-71. - Dawe, G. S., Ma, Q. H., Futagawa, T., Yang, W. L., Jiang, X. D., Zeng, L., Takeda, Y., Xu, R. X., Bagnard, D., Schachner, M., Furley, A. J., Karagogeos, D., Watanabe, K., and Xiao, Z. C.
A tag on to the physiological functions of APP in neurogenesis.
Journal of Neurochemistry. 2008. 106, 32-32. - Law CO, Kirby RJ,Aghamohammadzadeh S, Furley AJ.
The neural adhesion molecule TAG-1 modulates responses of sensory axons to diffusible guidance signals.
Development. 2008. 135(14):2361-71. Epub 2008 Jun 11. - Ma QH, Futagawa T, Yang WL, Jiang XD, Zeng L, Takeda Y, Xu RX, Bagnard D, Schachner M, Furley AJ, Karagogeos D, Watanabe K, Dawe GS, Xiao ZC.
TAG1-APP signalling pathway through Fe65 negatively modulates neurogenesis.
Nature Cell Biology. 2008. 10(3):283-94.