Staff Profile

Jason Gill is a Reader in Molecular Therapeutics in the School of Pharmacy and the Northern Institute of Cancer Research at Newcastle University.

He gained his PhD in the field of Molecular Toxicology from the University of Manchester, a MRC-case studentship with Zeneca Central Toxicology Laboratories in Macclesfield (subsequently Astrazeneca). After a postdoctoral fellowship at the Cancer Research UK Clinical Centre in Leeds evaluating cellular and molecular biology of human Bladder Cancer. He was appointed to the University of Bradford as a lecturer in Molecular Pathology and was later promoted to a Senior Lectureship in Molecular Pharmacology. In 2012 he joined Durham University as a Reader/Associate Professor in Molecular Therapeutics and helped establish the new Division of Pharmacy within the School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health. In August 2017 the School was transferred to Newcastle University resulting in the creation of the School of Pharmacy.

Jason’s research interests lie in the areas of preclinical safety assessment of cancer therapeutics and anticancer drug discovery and development, particularly identification and development of tumour-selective cancer therapeutics with reduced systemic toxicity

Jason is involved in several multidisciplinary projects focusing on cancer drug discovery and development, drug toxicology and evaluation of cardiovascular safety of medicines.

Current research students:

Simon Findlay (funded through Cancer Research UK):

Mitigation of Anthracycline-Induced Cardiotoxicity and Cardiovascular Risk Profiling of Cancer Patients

[Co-supervised with Prof. Ruth Plummer and Dr Chris Plummer]

Laura Booth (funded by MRC Integrative Toxicology Training Partnership):

Identification of molecular mechanisms of late-occurring cardiotoxicity induced by oncology therapeutics. 

[Co-supervised with Dr Gavin Richardson]

Ray Alsuhaibani (Funded by Saudi Government)

Identification of  the molecular mechanisms of Anthracycline-Induced Cardiotoxicity and Development of Strategies to Circumvent this Toxicity in the Clinic.

• Articles

  • Booth L, Redgrave R, Camacho Encina M, Tual-Chalot S, Folaranmi O, Martin-Ruiz C, Spyridopoulos I, Gill J, Richardson GD. The senescence-associated secretory phenotype as a biomarker for age-related myocardial remodelling and cardiovascular disease. Heart 2023, 109(Supp. 3), A265-A266.
  • Redgrave R, Dookun E, Booth LK, Camacho Encina M, Folaranmi O, Tual-Chalot S, Gill JH, Owens WA, Spyridopoulos I, Passos JF, Richardson GD. Senescent cardiomyocytes contribute to cardiac dysfunction following myocardial infarction. npj Aging 2023, 9, 15.
  • Abdelghany TM, Hedya SA, De Santis C, Abd El-Rahman SS, Gill JH, Abdelkader NF, Wright MC. Potential for cardiac toxicity with methylimidazolium ionic liquids. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2023, 249, 114439.
  • Philip LJ, Findlay SG, Gill JH. Baseline blood pressure and development of cardiotoxicity in patients treated with anthracyclines: A systematic review. International Journal of Cardiology Cardiovascular Risk and Prevention 2022, 15, 200153.
  • Brown AK, Aljohani AKB, Alsalem FMA, Broadhead JL, Gill JH, Lu Y, Sellars JD. Identification of Substituted Amino Acid Hydrazides as Novel Anti-Tubercular Agents, Using a Scaffold Hopping Approach. Molecules 2020, 25(10), 2387-2411.
  • Gill JH, Rockley KL, De Santis C, Mohamed AK. Vascular Disrupting Agents in cancer treatment: Cardiovascular toxicity and implications for co-administration with other cancer chemotherapeutics. Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2019, 202, 18-31.
  • Mansley MK, Roe AJ, Francis SL, Gill JH, Bailey MA, Wilson SM. Trichostatin A blocks aldosterone-induced Na+ Transport and control of serum- and gulcocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 in cortical collecting duct cells. British Journal of Pharmacology 2019, 176(24), 4708-4719.
  • Brown AK, Aljohani AKB, Gill JH, Steel PG, Sellars JD. Identification of novel benzoxa-[2,1,3]-diazole substituted amino acid hydrazides as potential anti-tubercular agents. Molecules 2019, 24(4), 811.
  • Oldershaw R, Owens WA, Sutherland R, Linney M, Liddle R, Magana L, Lash GE, Gill JH, Richardson G, Meeson A. Human Cardiac-Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Like Cells, a Novel Cell Population with Therapeutic Potential. Stem Cells and Development 2019, 28(9), 593-607.
  • Walker ES, Roberts RA, Gill JH. Collaboration, Competition and Publication in Toxicology: views of British Toxicology Society Members. Toxicology Research 2019, 8(4), 480-488.
  • Findlay SG, Gill JH, Plummer R, De-Santis C, Plummer C. Chronic cardiovascular toxicity in the older oncology patient population. Journal of Geriatric Oncology 2019, 10(5), P685-689.
  • Jain M, Harburn JJ, Gill JH, Loadman PM, Falconer RA, Mooney C, Cobb SL, Berry DJ. Rationalized Computer-Aided design of Matrix Metalloprotease-Selective Prodrugs. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2017, 60(10), 4496-4502.
  • Rockley K, Gill JH. Characterisation of Novel Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Anthracycline-Induced Cardiotoxicity. Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological Methods 2017, 88(Part 2), 202.
  • Mansley MK, Roe AJ, Francis SL, Gill JH, Bailey MA, Wilson SM. Aldosterone-induced Na+ Absorption is Regulated by Protein Acetylation in a Cellular Model of the Cortical Collecting Duct. The FASEB Journal 2017, 31(suppl. 1), 857.17-857.17.
  • Cross JM, Gallagher N, Gill JH, Jain M, McNeillis AW, Rockley KL, Tscherny FH, Wirszycz NJ, Yufit DS, Walton JW. Pyridylphosphinate Metal Complexes: Synthesis, Structural Characterisation and Biological Activity. Dalton Transactions 2016, 45(32), 12807-12813.
  • Jamie K, Bows H, Gill J. Integration of pharmacogenetic principles as a core thread in the undergraduate pharmacy curriculum. Pharmacy Education 2016, 16, 64-66.
  • Cross JM, Blower TR, Gallagher N, Gill JH, Rockley KL, Walton JW. Anticancer RuII and RhIII Piano-Stool Complexes that are Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors. ChemPlusChem 2016, 81(12), 1276-1280.
  • Gill JH, Loadman PM, Shnyder SD, Cooper P, Atkinson JM, Ribeiro-Morais G, Patterson LH, Falconer RA. The Tumor-Targeted Prodrug ICT2588 Demonstrates Therapeutic Activity Against Solid Tumors and Reduced Potential For Cardiovascular Toxicity. Molecular Pharmaceutics 2014, 11(4), 1294-1300.
  • Mitchell A, Giménez-Warren J, Shnyder SD, Gill JH, Falconer RA, Loadman PM. MT-MMP cleavage profiling using rapid endopeptidase profiling library (REPLi). Cancer Research 2014, 74(19), 5391-5391.
  • Ansari C, Tikhomirov GA, Hong SH, Falconer RA, Loadman PM, Gill JH, Castaneda R, Hazard FK, Tong L, Lenkov OD, Felsher DW, Rao J, Daldrup-Link HE. Development of Novel Tumor-Targeted Theranostic Nanoparticles Activated by Membrane-Type Matrix Metalloproteinases for Combined Cancer Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Therapy. Small 2014, 10(3), 566-575.
  • O'Farrell AC, Shnyder SD, Marston G, Colletta L, Gill JH. Non-invasive molecular imaging for preclinical cancer therapeutic development. British Journal of Pharmacology 2013, 169, 719-735.
  • Sutherland M, Gill JH, Loadman PM, Laye JP, Sheldrake HM, Illingworth NA, Alandas MN, Cooper PA, Searcey M, Pors K, Shnyder SD, Patterson LH. Antitumour activity of a duocarmycin analogue rationalised to be metabolically activated by cytochrome P450 1A1 in human transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 2013, 12(1), 27-37.
  • Boissinot M, Inman M, Hempshall A, James SR, Gill JH, Selby P, Bowen DT, Grigg RE, Cockerill PN. Induction of differentiation and apoptosis in leukaemic cell lines by the novel benzamide family histone deacetylase 2 and 3 inhibitor MI-192. Leukemia Research 2012, 36, 1304-1310.
  • Mardaryev AN, Ahmed MI, Vlahov NV, Fessing MY, Gill JH, Sharov AA, Botchkareva NV. Micro-RNA-31 controls hair cycle-associated changes in gene expression programs of the skin and hair follicle. FASEB journal 2010, 24, 3869-3881.
  • Atkinson JM, Falconer RA, Edwards DR, Pennington CJ, Siller CS, Shnyder SD, Bibby MC, Patterson LH, Loadman PM, Gill JH. Development of a novel tumor-targeted vascular disrupting agent activated by Membrane-Type Matrix Metalloproteinases. Cancer Research 2010, 70, 6902-6912.
  • Atkinson JM, Siller CS, Gill JH. Tumour endoproteases: the cutting edge of cancer drug delivery?. British Journal of Pharmacology 2008, 153, 1344-1352.
  • Shnyder SD, Cooper PA, Millington NJ, Gill JH, Bibby MC. Sodium Pancratistatin 3,4-O-Cyclic Phosphate, a water soluble synthetic derivative of Pancratistatin, is highly effective in a human colon tumour model. Journal of Natural Products 2008, 71, 321-324.
  • Krippner-Heidenreich A, Grunwald I, Zimmermann G, Kühnle M, Gerspach J, Sterns T, Shnyder SD, Gill JH, Männel DN, Pfizenmaier K, Scheurich P. Single-Chain TNF, a TNF Derivative with Enhanced Stability and Antitumoral Activity. Journal of Immunology 2008, 180(12), 8176-8183.
  • Atkinson JM, Pennington CJ, Martin SW, Anikin VA, Mearns AJ, Loadman PM, Edwards DR, Gill JH. Membrane Type Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) Show Differential Expression in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Compared to Normal Lung: Correlation of MMP-14 mRNA Expression and Proteolytic Activity. European Journal of Cancer 2007, 43, 1764-1771.
  • Behrens D, Gill JH, Fichtner I. Loss of tumourigenicity of stably ERβ-transfected MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Molecular an Cellular Endocrinology 2007, 274, 19-29.
  • Seargent JM, Loadman PM, Martin SW, Naylor B, Bibby MC, Gill JH. Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-10 in human bladder transitional cell carcinoma. Urology 2005, 65, 815-820.
  • Jensen SS, Andresen TL, Hoyrup P, Davidsen J, Shnyder SD, Bibby MC, Gill JH, Jorgensen K. Secretory phospholipase A2 as a tumor specific trigger for targeted delivery of liposomal prodrug anticancer etherlipids. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 2004, 3, 1451-1458.
  • Basu S, Brown JE, Flannigan GM, Gill JH, Loadman PM, Martin SW, Naylor B, Puri R, Scally AJ, Seargent JM, Shah T, Phillips RM. NAD(P)H:Quinone oxidoreductase-1 C609T polymorphism analysis in human superficial bladder cancers: relationship of genotype status to NQO1 phenotype and clinical response to Mitomycin C. International. Journal of Oncology 2004, 25, 921-928.
  • Gill JH, Kirwan IG, Seargent JM, Martin SW, Tijani S, Anikin VA, Mearns AJ, Bibby MC, Anthoney A, Loadman PM. MMP-10 is overexpressed, proteolytically active and a potential target for therapeutic intervention in human lung carcinomas. Neoplasia 2004, 6, 777-785.
  • Basu S, Brown JE, Flannigan GM, Gill JH, Loadman PM, Martin SW, Seargent JM, Shah T, Puri R, Phillips RM. Immunohistochemical analysis of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase and NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase in human superficial bladder tumours: Relationship between tumour enzymology and clinical outcome following intravesical mitomycin C therapy. International Journal of Cancer 2004, 109, 703-709.
  • Seargent JM, Yates EA, Gill JH. GW9662, a potent antagonist of PPARγ, inhibits growth of breast tumour cells and promotes the anticancer effects of the PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone, independently of PPARγ activation. British Journal of Pharmacology 2004, 143, 933-937.
  • Fichtner I, Slisow W, Gill JH, Becker M, Elbe B, Hillebrand T, Bibby MC. Anticancer drug response and expression of molecular markers in early-passage xenotransplanted colon carcinomas. European Journal of Cancer 2004, 40, 298-307.
  • Laye JP, Gill JH. Phospholipase A2 expression in tumours: a target for therapeutic intervention?. Drug Discovery Today 2003, 8, 710-716.
  • Gibson P, Gill JH, Khan PA, Seargent JM, Martin SW, Batman PA, Griffith J, Bradley C, Double JA, Bibby MC, Loadman PM. Cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) Is Overexpressed in Human Colon Adenocarcinomas Relative to Normal Colon: Implications for Drug Development. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 2003, 2, 527-534.
  • Nishiyama H, Gill JH, Pitt E, Kennedy W, Knowles MA. Negative regulation of G1/S transition by the candidate bladder tumour suppressor gene DBCCR1. Oncogene 2001, 20, 2956-2964.
  • Gill JH, Brickell P, Dive C, Roberts RA. The rodent non-genotoxic hepatocarcinogen nafenopin suppresses apoptosis preferentially in non-cycling hepatocytes but also elevates CDK4, a cell cycle progression factor. Carcinogenesis 1998, 19, 1743-1747.
  • Gill JH, James NH, Roberts RA, Dive C. The non-genotoxic hepatocarcinogen nafenopin suppresses rodent hepatocyte apoptosis induced by TGF-beta1, DNA damage and Fas. Carcinogenesis 1998, 19, 299-304.
  • James NH, Gill JH, Brindle R, Woodyatt NJ, MacDonald N, Rolfe M, Hasmall SC, Tugwood JD, Holden PR, Roberts RA. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha-regulated growth responses and their importance to hepatocarcinogenesis. Toxicology Letters 1998, 102-103, 91-96.
  • Gill JH, Molloy CA, Shoesmith KJ, Bayly AC, Roberts RA. The rodent non-genotoxic hepatocarcinogen nafenopin and EGF alter the mitosis/apoptosis balance promoting hepatoma cell growth. Cell Death and Differentiation 1995, 2, 211-217.
  • Roberts RA, Soames AR, Gill JH, James NH, Wheeldon EB. Non-genotoxic hepatocarcinogenesis stimulate DNA synthesis and their withdrawal induces apoptosis, but in different hepatocyte populations. Carcinogenesis 1995, 16, 1693-1698.
  • Roberts RA, Soames AR, James NH, Gill JH, Wheeldon EB. Dosing-Induced Stress Causes Hepatocyte Apoptosis in Rats Primed by the Rodent Nongenotoxic Hepatocarcinogen Cyproterone Acetate. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 1995, 135, 192-199.

• Authored Book

  • Todd A, Groundwater PW, Gill JH. Anticancer Therapeutics: From Drug Discovery to Clinical Applications. Wiley-Blackwell, 2018.

• Book Chapters

  • Gill JH, Shnyder SD. Oncology Pharmacology. In: Hock, FJ; Gralinski, MR; Pugsley, MK, ed. Drug Discovery and Evaluation: Safety and Pharmacokinetic Assays. Springer, 2022. In Preparation.
  • Gill JH, Shnyder SD. Oncology Activity. In: Hock, FJ, ed. Drug Disovery and Evaluation: Pharmacological Assays. Springer, 2016, pp.4157-4200.
  • Gill JH. Oncology Pharmacology. In: Vogel,HG;Maas,J;Hock,FJ;Mayer,D, ed. Drug Discovery and Evaluation: Safety and Pharmacokinetic Assays. Springer, 2013.
  • Gill JH, Loadman PM. Development of Tumour-Selective and Endoprotease-Activated Anticancer Therapeutics. In: Edwards D, Hoyer-Hansen G, Blasi F, Sloane BF, ed. The Cancer Degradome. Springer-Verlag New York, 2008, pp.853-876.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Rockley KL, Richardson GD, Gill JH. Characterisation of novel molecular mechanisms involved in anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. In: British Toxicology Society Annual Congress 2016. 2016.
  • Basu S, Brown JE, Puri R, Shah T, Flannigan GM, Naylor B, Martin S, Loadman PM, Gill J, Phillips RM. DT Diaphorase and Cytochrome P450 reductase protein localisation in archived bladder tumour specimens: correlation with clinical response following mitomycin therapy. In: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER. 2002, THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD.

• Review

  • Scott HM, Acuff G, Bergeron G, Bourassa MW, Gill J, Graham DW, Kahn LH, Morley PS, Salois MJ, Simjee S, Singer RS, Smith TC, Storrs C, Wittum TE. Critically important antibiotics: criteria and approaches for measuring and reducing their use in food animal agriculture. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2019, 1441(1), 8-16.