Staff Profile

Introduction

I work in the Bioimaging Unit, and principally cover the Medical School and the Campus for Ageing and Vitality.

Background

My research background has covered areas as diverse as filamentous fungi through to mammalian tissues. The overarching interest which bridges these different models is attempting to understand intracellular signalling networks, especially utilising live cell microscopy techniques.

Qualifications

BSc and PhD from Edinburgh University

Previous Positions

Postdoc with Astrazeneca and Liverpool University, followed by a postdoc at Liverpool University and then postdocs with Prof. Thomas von Zglinicki at Newcastle University.

Memberships

RMS (Royal Microscopical Society) Fellow

Research Interests

My research background has focussed on the signalling networks involved in induction and maintenance of eukaryotic cellular senescence.

Other Expertise

For my work I predominantly use fluorescence microscopy, specifically live cell, timelapse imaging. For this I develop and create fluorescent fusion proteins which can report activation of signalling pathways and /or intracellular phenotoypic changes.  My recent work has focussed on changes in DNA damage induction and repair in senescence.

I teach an annual ImageJ analysis course as part of the Bioimaging Facilities Microscopy Workshop.

• Articles

  • Vucur M, Ghallab A, Schneider AT, Adili A, Cheng M, Castoldi M, Singer MT, Buttner V, Keysberg LS, Kusgens L, Kohlhepp M, Gorg B, Gallage S, Barragan Avila JE, Unger K, Kordes C, Leblond A-L, Albrecht W, Loosen SH, Lohr C, Jordens MS, Babler A, Hayat S, Schumacher D, Koenen MT, Govaere O, Boekschoten MV, Jors S, Villacorta-Martin C, Mazzaferro V, Llovet JM, Weiskirchen R, Kather JN, Starlinger P, Trauner M, Luedde M, Heij LR, Neumann UP, Keitel V, Bode JG, Schneider RK, Tacke F, Levkau B, Lammers T, Fluegen G, Alexandrov T, Collins AL, Nelson G, Oakley F, Mann DA, Roderburg C, Longerich T, Weber A, Villanueva A, Samson AL, Murphy JM, Kramann R, Geisler F, Costa IG, Hengstler JG, Heikenwalder M, Luedde T. Sublethal necroptosis signaling promotes inflammation and liver cancer. Immunity 2023, 56(7), 1578-1595.e8.
  • Nelson G, Boehm U, Bagley S, Bajcsy P, Bischof J, Brown CM, Dauphin A, Dobbie IM, Eriksson JE, Faklaris O, Fernandez-Rodriguez J, Ferrand A, Gelman L, Gheisari A, Hartmann H, Kukat C, Laude A, Mitkovski M, Munck S, North AJ, Rasse TM, Resch-Genger U, Schuetz LC, Seitz A, Strambio-De-Castillia C, Swedlow JR, Alexopoulos I, Aumayr K, Avilov S, Bakker G-J, Bammann RR, Bassi A, Beckert H, Beer S, Belyaev Y, Bierwagen J, Birngruber KA, Bosch M, Breitlow J, Cameron LA, Chalfoun J, Chambers JJ, Chen C-L, Conde-Sousa E, Corbett AD, Cordelieres FP, Nery ED, Dietzel R, Eismann F, Fazeli E, Felscher A, Fried H, Gaudreault N, Goh WI, Guilbert T, Hadleigh R, Hemmerich P, Holst GA, Itano MS, Jaffe CB, Jambor HK, Jarvis SC, Keppler A, Kirchenbuechler D, Kirchner M, Kobayashi N, Krens G, Kunis S, Lacoste J, Marcello M, Martins GG, Metcalf DJ, Mitchell CA, Moore J, Mueller T, Nelson MS, Ogg S, Onami S, Palmer AL, Paul-Gilloteaux P, Pimentel JA, Plantard L, Podder S, Rexhepaj E, Royon A, Saari MA, Schapman D, Schoonderwoert V, Schroth-Diez B, Schwartz S, Shaw M, Spitaler M, Stoeckl MT, Sudar D, Teillon J, Terjung S, Thuenauer R, Wilms CD, Wright GD, Nitschke R. QUAREP-LiMi: A community-driven initiative to establish guidelines for quality assessment and reproducibility for instruments and images in light microscopy. Journal of Microscopy 2021, 284(1), 56-73.
  • Rabanal-Ruiz Y, Byron A, Wirth A, Madsen R, Sedlackova L, Hewitt G, Nelson G, Stingele J, Wills JC, Zhang T, Zeug A, Fassler R, Vanhaesebroeck B, Maddocks ODK, Ponimaskin E, Carroll B, Korolchuk VI. mTORC1 activity is supported by spatial association with focal adhesions. Journal of Cell Biology 2021, 220(5), e202004010.
  • Rigano A, Ehmsen S, Ozturk SU, Ryan J, Balashov A, Hammer M, Kirli K, Boehm U, Brown CM, Bellve K, Chambers JJ, Cosolo A, Coleman RA, Faklaris O, Fogarty KE, Guilbert T, Hamacher AB, Itano MS, Keeley DP, Kunis S, Lacoste J, Laude A, Ma WY, Marcello M, Montero-Llopis P, Nelson G, Nitschke R, Pimentel JA, Weidtkamp-Peters S, Park PJ, Alver BH, Grunwald D, Strambio-De-Castillia C. Micro-Meta App: an interactive tool for collecting microscopy metadata based on community specifications. Nature Methods 2021, 18(12), 1489-1495.
  • Oblong JE, Bowman A, Rovito HA, Jarrold BB, Sherrill JD, Black MR, Nelson G, Kimball AB, Birch-Machin M. Metabolic dysfunction in human skin: Restoration of mitochondrial integrity and metabolic output by nicotinamide (niacinamide) in primary dermal fibroblasts from older aged donors. Aging Cell 2020, 19(10), e13248.
  • Kucheryavenko O, Nelson G, von Zglinicki T, Korolchuk VI, Carroll B. The mTORC1-autophagy pathway is a target for senescent cell elimination. Biogerontology 2019, 20, 331–335.
  • da Silva PFL, Ogrodnik M, Kucheryavenko O, Glibert J, Miwa S, Cameron K, Ishaq A, Saretzki G, Nagaraja-Grellscheid S, Nelson G, von Zglinicki T. The bystander effect contributes to the accumulation of senescent cells in vivo. Aging Cell 2019, 18(1), e12848.
  • Roger M, Fullard N, Costello L, Bradbury S, Markiewicz E, O'Reilly S, Darling N, Ritchie P, Maatta A, Karakesisoglou I, Nelson G, von Zglinicki T, Dicolandrea T, Isfort R, Bascom C, Przyborski S. Bioengineering the microanatomy of human skin. Journal of Anatomy 2019, 234(4), 438-455.
  • Nelson G, Kucheryavenko O, Wordsworth J, von Zglinicki T. The senescent bystander effect is caused by ROS-activated NF-κB signalling. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 2018, 170, 30-36.
  • Carroll B, Nelson G, Rabanal-Ruiz Y, Kucheryavenko O, Dunhill-Turner NA, Chesterman CC, Zahari Q, Zhang T, Conduit SE, Mitchell CA, Maddocks ODK, Lovat P, von Zglinicki T, Korolchuk VI. Persistent mTORC1 signaling in cell senescence results from defects in amino acid and growth factor sensing. Journal of Cell Biology 2017, 216(7), 1949.
  • Hewitt G, Carroll B, Sarallah R, Correia-Melo C, Ogrodnik M, Nelson G, Otten EG, Manni D, Antrobus R, Morgan BA, von Zglinicki T, Jurk D, Seluanov A, Gorbunova V, Johansen T, Passos JF, Korolchuk VI. SQSTM1/p62 mediates crosstalk between autophagy and the UPS in DNA repair. Autophagy 2016, 12(10), 1917-1930.
  • Scialo F, Sriram A, Fernández-Ayala D, Gubina N, Lõhmus M, Nelson G, Logan A, Cooper HM, Navas P, Enríquez JA, Murphy MP, Sanz A. Mitochondrial ROS Produced via Reverse Electron Transport Extend Animal Lifespan. Cell Metabolism 2016, 23(4), 725-734.
  • Correia-Melo C, Marques FDM, Anderson R, Hewitt G, Hewitt R, Cole J, Carroll BM, Miwa S, Birch J, Merz A, Rushton MD, Charles M, Jurk D, Tait SWG, Czapiewski R, Greaves L, Nelson G, Bohlooly-Y M, Rodriguez-Cuenca S, Vidal-Puig A, Mann D, Saretzki G, Quarato G, Green DR, Adams PD, von Zglinicki T, Korolchuk VI, Passos JF. Mitochondria are required for pro-ageing features of the senescent phenotype. EMBO Journal 2016, 35(7), 724-742.
  • Miwa S, Treumann A, Bell A, Vistoli G, Nelson G, Hay S, von Zglinicki T. Carboxylesterase converts Amplex red to resorufin: Implications for mitochondrial H₂O₂ release assays. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 2016, 90, 173-183.
  • Dolan DWP, Zupanic A, Nelson G, Hall P, Miwa S, Kirkwood TBL, Shanley DP. Integrated Stochastic Model of DNA Damage Repair by Non-homologous End Joining and p53/p21- Mediated Early Senescence Signalling. PLoS Computational Biology 2015, 11(5), e1004246.
  • Dalle Pezze P, Nelson G, Otten EG, Korolchuk VI, Kirkwood TBL, von Zglinicki T, Shanley DP. Dynamic Modelling of Pathways to Cellular Senescence Reveals Strategies for Targeted Interventions. PLoS Computational Biology 2014, 10(8), e1003728.
  • Jurk D, Wilson C, Passos J, Oakley F, Correia-Melo C, Greaves L, Saretzki G, Fox C, Lawless C, Anderson R, Hewitt G, Pender SLF, Fullard N, Nelson G, Mann J, van de Sluis B, Mann DA, von Zglinicki T. Chronic inflammation induces telomere dysfunction and accelerates ageing in mice. Nature Communications 2014, 5, 4172.
  • Dolan D, Nelson G, Zupanic A, Smith G, Shanley D. Systems Modelling of NHEJ Reveals the Importance of Redox Regulation of Ku70/80 in the Dynamics of DNA Damage Foci. PLoS One 2013, 8(2), e55190.
  • Singhapol C, Pal D, Czapiewski R, Porika M, Nelson G, Saretzki GC. Mitochondrial Telomerase Protects Cancer Cells from Nuclear DNA Damage and Apoptosis. PLoS One 2013, 8(1), e52989.
  • Pienaar I-S, Elson JL, Racca C, Nelson G, Turnbull DM, Morris CM. Mitochondrial Abnormality Associates with Type-Specific Neuronal Loss and Cell Morphology Changes in the Pedunculopontine Nucleus in Parkinson Disease. American Journal of Pathology 2013, 183(6), 1826-1840.
  • Tsolou A, Nelson G, Trachana V, Chondrogianni N, Saretzki G, von Zglinicki T, Gonos ES. The 19S proteasome subunit Rpn7 stabilizes DNA damage foci upon genotoxic insult. IUBMB Life 2012, 64(5), 432-442.
  • Nelson G, Wordsworth J, Wang CF, Jurk D, Lawless C, Martin-Ruiz C, von Zglinicki T. A senescent cell bystander effect: senescence-induced senescence. Aging Cell 2012, 11(2), 345-349.
  • Passos JF, Nelson G, Wang CF, Richter T, Simillion C, Proctor CJ, Miwa S, Olijslagers S, Hallinan J, Wipat A, Saretzki G, Rudolph KL, Kirkwood TBL, von Zglinicki T. Feedback between p21 and reactive oxygen production is necessary for cell senescence. Molecular Systems Biology 2010, 6(1), 347.
  • Wang CF, Jurk D, Maddick M, Nelson G, Martin-Ruiz C, von Zglinicki T. DNA damage response and cellular senescence in tissues of aging mice. Aging Cell 2009, 8(3), 311-323.
  • Nelson G, Buhmann M, von Zglinicki T. DNA damage foci in mitosis are devoid of 53BP1. Cell Cycle 2009, 8(20), 3379-3383.
  • Tsolou A, Passos JF, Nelson G, Arai Y, von Zglinicki T. ssDNA fragments induce cell senescence by telomere uncapping. Experimental Gerontology 2008, 43(10), 892-899.
  • Sapountzi V, Logan IR, Nelson G, Cook S, Robson CN. Phosphorylation of Tat-interactive protein 60 kDa by protein kinase Cε is important for its subcellular localisation. International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology 2008, 40(2), 236-244.
  • Richter T, Saretzki G, Nelson G, Melcher M, Olijslagers S, von Zglinicki T. TRF2 overexpression diminishes repair of telomeric single-strand breaks and accelerates telomere shortening in human fibroblasts. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 2007, 128(4), 340-345.
  • Passos J, Richter T, Wang CF, Nelson G, Saretzki G, Rudolph L, von Zglinicki T. Oxygen free radicals in senescence: Are they signal transducers?. Age 2007, 29(2-3), 113.
  • Passos JF, Saretzki G, Ahmed S, Nelson G, Richter T, Peters H, Wappler I, Birket MJ, Harold G, Schaeuble K, Birch-Machin MA, Kirkwood TBL, von Zglinicki T. Mitochondrial dysfunction accounts for the stochastic heterogeneity in telomere-dependent senescence. PLoS Biology 2007, 5(5), 1138-1151.
  • Friedrichsen S, Harper CV, Semprini S, Wilding M, Adamson AD, Spiller DG, Nelson G, Mullins JJ, White MRH, Davis JRE. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha activates the human prolactin gene promoter via nuclear factor-kappa B signaling. Endocrinology 2006, 147(2), 773-781.
  • Shen HL, Nelson G, Kennedy S, Nelson D, Johnson J, Spiller D, White MRH, Kell DB. Automatic tracking of biological cells and compartments using particle filters and active contours. Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory Systems 2006, 82(1-2), 276-282.
  • Shen H, Nelson G, Nelson DE, Kennedy S, Spiller DG, Griffiths T, Paton N, Oliver SG, White MRH, Kell DB. Automated tracking of gene expression in individual cells and cell compartments. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 2006, 3(11), 787-794.
  • White MRH, Nelson DE, Johnson JR, See V, Elliott M, Horton CA, Gibney CA, Foreman BE, Nelson G, Spiller DG. [abstract] Real-time imaging of cell division and apoptosis. Toxicology 2005, 213(3), 205-206.
  • Nelson DE, See V, Nelson G, White MRH. Oscillations in transcription factor dynamics: a new way to control gene expression. Biochemical Society Transactions 2004, 32(6), 1090-1092.
  • Nelson G, Kozlova-Zwinderman O, Collis AJ, Knight MR, Fincham JRS, Stanger CP, Renwick A, Hessing JGM, Punt PJ, van den Hondel CAMJJ, Read ND. Calcium measurement in living filamentous fungi expressing codon-optimized aequorin. Molecular Microbiology 2004, 52(5), 1437-1450.
  • Nelson G, Wilde GJC, Spiller DG, Kennedy SM, Ray DW, Sullivan E, Unitt JF, White MRH. NF-kappa B signalling is inhibited by glucocorticoid receptor and STAT6 via distinct mechanisms. Journal of Cell Science 2003, 116(12), 2495-2503.
  • Nelson G, Paraoan L, Spiller DG, Wilde GJC, Browne MA, Djali PK, Unitt JF, Sullivan E, Floettmann E, White MRH. Multi-parameter analysis of the kinetics of NF-kappa B signalling and transcription in single living cells. Journal of Cell Science 2002, 115(6), 1137-1148.
  • Nelson G, Wilde GJC, Spiller DG, Sullivan E, Unitt JF, White MRH. Dynamic analysis of STAT6 signalling in living cells. FEBS Letters 2002, 532(1-2), 188-192.

• Book Chapters

  • Wordsworth J, Nelson G, vonZglinicki T. The Ageing Cell. In: Abdulla, A; Gurcharan, SR, ed. The Biology of Ageing and its clinical implication- a practical handbook. London: Radcliffe Publishing, 2013, pp.20-31.
  • Nelson G, von Zglinicki T. Chapter 14, Monitoring DNA Damage During Cell Senescence. In: Galluzzi, L., Vitale, I., Kepp, O., Kroemer, G, ed. Cell Senescence: Methods and Protocols. London: Springer ; Humana Press, 2013, pp.197-213.
  • Passos JF, Nelson G, von Zglinicki T. Telomeres, Senescence, Oxidative stress and heterogeneity. In: Rudolph, KL, ed. Telomeres and Telomerase in Aging, Disease, and Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms of Adult Stem Cell Ageing. Berlin: Springer, 2008, pp.43-56.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)

  • Krishnan KJ, Nelson G, Romero NB, Ratnaike T, Blakely EL, Ziyadeh-Isleem A, Miller J, Murphy JL, Horvath R, Lochmuller H, Flanigan K, Turnbull DM, Guicheney P, Bitoun M, Taylor RW. DNM2 mutations cause multiple mtDNA deletions in muscle: A novel disorder of mtDNA maintenance. In: 17th International Congress of the World Muscle Society (WMS). 2012, Perth, Australia: Elsevier Ltd.

• Generic

  • Nelson DE, Ihekwaba AEC, Elliott M, Johnson JR, Gibney CA, Foreman BE, Nelson G, See V, Horton CA, Spiller DG, Edwards SW, McDowell HP, Unitt JF, Sullivan E, Grimley R, Benson N, Broomhead D, Kell DB, White MRH. Oscillations in NF-kappa B signaling control the dynamics of gene expression. Science 2004. 306(5296), 704-708.

• Letter

  • Ratnayaka A, Paraoan L, Spiller DG, Hiscott P, Nelson G, White MRH, Grierson I. A dual Golgi- and mitochondria-localised Ala25Ser precursor cystatin C: An additional tool for characterising intracellular mis-localisation leading to increased AMD susceptibility. Experimental Eye Research 2007, 84(6), 1135-1139.

• Notes

  • Hammer M, Huisman M, Rigano A, Boehm U, Chambers JJ, Gaudreault N, North AJ, Pimentel JA, Sudar D, Bajcsy P, Brown CM, Corbett AD, Faklaris O, Lacoste J, Laude A, Nelson G, Nitschke R, Farzam F, Smith CS, Grunwald D, Strambio-De-Castillia C. Author Correction: Towards community-driven metadata standards for light microscopy: tiered specifications extending the OME model (Nature Methods, (2021), 18, 12, (1427-1440), 10.1038/s41592-021-01327-9). Nature Methods 2022, 19, 255.
  • Boehm U, Nelson G, Brown CM, Bagley S, Bajcsy P, Bischof J, Dauphin A, Dobbie IM, Eriksson JE, Faklaris O, Fernandez-Rodriguez J, Ferrand A, Gelman L, Gheisari A, Hartmann H, Kukat C, Laude A, Mitkovski M, Munck S, North AJ, Rasse TM, Resch-Genger U, Schuetz LC, Seitz A, Strambio-De-Castillia C, Swedlow JR, Nitschke R. Author Correction: QUAREP-LiMi: a community endeavor to advance quality assessment and reproducibility in light microscopy (Nature Methods, (2021), 18, 12, (1423-1426), 10.1038/s41592-021-01162-y). Nature Methods 2022, 19, 256.
  • Hammer M, Huisman M, Rigano A, Boehm U, Chambers JJ, Gaudreault N, North AJ, Pimentel JA, Sudar D, Bajcsy P, Brown CM, Corbett AD, Faklaris O, Lacoste J, Laude A, Nelson G, Nitschke R, Farzam F, Smith CS, Grunwald D, Strambio-De-Castillia C. Towards community-driven metadata standards for light microscopy: tiered specifications extending the OME model. Nature Methods 2021, 18(12), 1427-1440.
  • Boehm U, Nelson G, Brown CM, Bagley S, Bajcsy P, Bischof J, Dauphin A, Dobbie IM, Eriksson JE, Faklaris O, Fernandez-Rodriguez J, Ferrand A, Gelman L, Gheisari A, Hartmann H, Kukat C, Laude A, Mitkovski M, Munck S, North AJ, Rasse TM, Resch-Genger U, Schuetz LC, Seitz A, Strambio-De-Castillia C, Swedlow JR, Nitschke R. QUAREP-LiMi: a community endeavor to advance quality assessment and reproducibility in light microscopy. Nature Methods 2021, 18, 1423-1426.
  • Ratnayaka A, Paraoan L, Nelson G, Spiller DG, White MRH, Hiscott P. Trafficking of osteonectin by retinal pigment epithelial cells: Evidence for basolateral secretion. International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology 2007, 39(1), 85-92.
  • Nelson DE, Horton CA, See V, Johnson JR, Nelson G, Spiller DG, Kell DB, White MRH. Response to Comment on "Oscillations in NF-kappa B signaling control the dynamics of gene expression". Science 2005, 308(5718), 52.

• Review

  • Guimera AM, Welsh C, Pezze PD, Fullard N, Nelson G, Roger MF, Przyborski SA, Shanley DP. Systems modelling ageing: From single senescent cells to simple multi-cellular models. Essays in Biochemistry 2017, 61(3), 369-377.