Research Output per year
Research Output per year
Research output per year
Ageing and metabolism are intrinsically linked. My research includes investigating the effect that aged cells have on cells that regulate nutrient homeostasis (muscle cells, adipocytes and liver cells) and studying the impact that metabolic disease such as diabetes have on the ageing process.
Adipocyte-secreted factors
My research into adipokines (factors released from body fat) has continued since my PhD. Currently, our work focuses on the impact that adipokines have on glucose homeostaisis and cardiovascular risk.
Increasing numbers of young people (aged <40 at point of diagnosis) are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Our research on a cohort of T2DMY in the Birmingham area has shown that this is a more aggressiove form of the condition, with comorbidities and diabetes-related issues occuring earlier and with increasesd severity. By better understanding the mechanisms of T2DMY and by employing interventions we hope to improve the lives of people with this condition.
Functional decline associated with the ageing process and the onset of frailty is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the UK. Estimates suggest that as many as 8.5% of women and 4.5% of men known as ‘young-old’ (65-74) in the UK can be classified as being frail. Diabetes and frailty may be causally related and operate through each of the key components of the frailty phenotype or via associated medical co-morbidities. The presence of frailty in a setting of diabetes increases the level of disability and leads to poorer clinical outcomes.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition that affects how a woman's ovaries work and which is assopciated with unpleasant side effectsm, including obesity and metabolic disturbance. Our work has assessed the impact of exercise interventions on PCOS, and attempts to also understand the barriers to exercise and the cardiovascular risks associated with women with PCOS who do not get enough physical activity.
Our work on breast cancer includes understanding the role of water channels known as aquaporins, and evaluating the cytotoxicity of a plant extract (fagonia indica) in druge resistant breast and colon cancer cells
I am Undergraduate Admissions Tutor for the Biosciences department in the School of Life and Health Sciences.
My teaching is largely focussed on physiology, and I currently run or teach on physiology modules in year 1, year 2, final year and for MSc students. I also teach on anatomy modules, modules on ageing and on endocrinology. In addition to my teaching in the School of Life and Health Sciences, I also teach on the MBChB in Aston Medical School
I am a Trustee and Communications Officer for the British Society for Research on Ageing (BSRA), the world's oldest ageing research society. I am also a member of the Physiology Society, Diabetes UK and the British Geriatrics Society.
I am the Media Champion for the School of Life and Health Sciences, and have an extensive record of media engagement including over 60 million accumulated viewers.
Examples include:
Email: j.e.p.brown@aston.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 121 204 5039
Twitter: @afatscientist
PhD, University of Wolverhampton
1 Sep 1999 → 25 Jul 2005
Award Date: 20 Mar 2006
External Examiner, University of Ulster
30 Sep 2001 → …Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Low, F. (Creator), Shabir, K. (Creator), Brown, J. (Creator), Bill, R. (Creator) & Rothnie, A. (Creator), Aston Data Explorer, 7 Oct 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17036/researchdata.aston.ac.uk.00000483
Dataset
25/10/16
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Other