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Staff Profile

Dr Ruchi Shukla

Associate Lecturer

  • Email: ruchi.shukla@ncl.ac.uk
  • Address: Biosciences Institute
    Paul O'Gorman Building
    Framlington Place
    Medical Faculty
    Newcastle upion Tyne
Background

Current Position:

     Assistant Professor BioSciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK.

Associate Lecturer, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK.


Previous positions:

Newcastle University Research Fellow at Newcastle University Cancer Centre, Biosciences Institute.

      Postdoctoral Fellow : MRC Human Genetics Unit, IGMM, Edinburgh University, UK.

      Postdoctoral Fellow : The Roslin Institute, Edinburgh University, UK.

      Postdoctoral Fellow : INSERM U1052, Lyon, France.

      Postdoctoral Fellow : International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France. 


Qualifications :

      Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK.

      Ph D : National Center for Cell Science, Pune, India. 

      Masters in Biotechnology : Devi Ahilya University, Indore, India.

      Bachelor of Science (Hons. in Microbiology) : Delhi University, India.

Research

Research Interest: Understanding the factors and mechanisms affecting genetic instability and epigenetic remodelling in the context of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) 

Summary: HCC is the sixth most common type of cancer and the second most frequent cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Over 70% of patients have incurable disease at presentation, due to late detection.  The combination of rising incidence and lack of treatments has contributed to marked increases in HCC mortality – which is predicted to continue increasing for the next 20 years. Hence, much clinical research is focused on developing novel more effective therapeutic options for these patients. It is widely recognized that to have a major impact on survival, early detection and better treatment strategies are urgently required. Hence my focus is the identification of novel therapeutic target(s) and diagnostic and treatment stratification biomarkers for HCC patients.

The main focus of the lab is to identify and characterise epigenetically deregulated therapeutic targets, primarily L1 autonomous retrotransposons. Also, we are exploring DNA methylation patterns in HCC samples to identify potential Synthetic Lethal genes and evaluate them as novel therapeutic targets for HCC. Activation of retrotransposons has been well documented in cancers of different origins leading to an increase in genetic instability by promoting gene deletions/duplications and genomic rearrangements. Active retrotransposons can influence gene expression patterns, generate truncated or antisense gene transcripts and alter splicing patterns. I have demonstrated that active retrotransposition is associated with activation of oncogenic pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the mechanism/factors leading to activation of retrotransposons during cancer development are unclear. Hence the research questions we are addressing are: the relationship between the activation of L1s and HCC status and the mechanism (s) of retrotransposons activation in the context of HCC.

In parallel, we are aiming to identify diagnostic, prognostic and treatment stratification biomarkers by focusing on gene expression changes and DNA methylation in peripheral immune cells and circulating cell-free DNA and RNA to develop 'liquid biopsy tools'. The ultimate aim is to develop potential therapeutic strategies and biomarkers for HCC patients in order to reduce lethality associated with the disease.


Funding secured:

     

  • Sep 2022-Aug 2025: Alice Stephenson Bequest Fund PhD studentship as co-PI (Laboratory/Scientific development Lead). ‘Identification of ‘liquid biopsy’ predictictive biomarkers in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma’.
  • Sep 2022-Aug 2025: Dame Margaret Barbour Foundation PhD studentship as PI. ‘Exploration of extracellular RNA (exRNA) from hepatocellular carcinoma patients serum for biomarker discovery’.
  • Oct 2021-Sep 2024: MRC DiMEN iCASE PhD studentship as CoI (Laboratory/Scientific development Lead). ‘Liver Cancer – Developing DNA-PK as a predictive biomarker and clinical target’.
  • Aug 2020-Jan 2022: JGW Patterson Foundation Pump Priming Award Grant as PI. ‘LINE1 and TGFβ axis in hepatocellular carcinoma’.
  • Jan 2018: International PhD Studentship from the Government of Thailand as PI. ‘Analysis of DNA methylation patterns in Hepatocellular Carcinoma to identify novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers that predict response to therapy’.
  • Dec 2017-Dec 2019: JGW Patterson Foundation Special Research Grant as PI.   ‘Understanding factors involved in regulation of Long-Interspersed-Nuclear-Elements (LINE1) retrotransposons in context of hepatocellular carcinoma’.
  • Sep 2017: Newcastle University Overseas Research Scholarship for a PhD Student. ‘Understanding factors involved in regulation of Long-Interspersed-Nuclear-Elements retrotransposons in context of Hepatocellular Carcinoma’.
  • 2016 - 2022: Newcastle University Research Fellowship


Full list of publications can be found at Google scholar profile: https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=TuX5z44AAAAJ&hl=en



Teaching

Undergraduate Teaching

Supervision of research projects of undergraduate students in Biomedical Sciences

Lectures

  • Genetics and Human Disease UG course Stage 3 (BMS3010) – ‘Epigenetics’.

Seminars

  • Genetics module (BGM1004) since 2019.
  • Cell biology module (CMB1004) since 2020.


Postgraduate Teaching

Supervision of the Faculty of Medical Sciences MRes and MPharm students


Lectures

  • MRes Genetic Medicine Module (MMB8030) – ‘Epigenetics’.
  • MRes-Cell Signalling-Module: Therapeutic Applications of Cell Signalling Pathways (MMB 8050) – ‘Repeat elements in health and disease’.


Ph. D Students

Bassier Zadran:  Role of retrotransposons in hepatocellular carcinoma origin and progression – potential biomarker and therapeutic target? Passed Nov 2021

Praveen D Sudhindhar: Understanding factors involved in regulation of Long-Interspersed-Nuclear-Elements retrotransposons in the context of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Passed Mar 2022

Chalermsin Permtermsin: Jan 2018 – July 2022:  Analysis of DNA methylation patterns in Hepatocellular Carcinoma to identify novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers that predict response to therapy.

Fanni Palinkas: Sep 2021 - Jan 2021: ‘Liver Cancer – Developing DNA-PK as a predictive biomarker and clinical target’ 

Salem Nizami: Sep 2022-Aug 2025: ‘Exploration of extracellular RNA (exRNA) from hepatocellular carcinoma patients serum for biomarker discovery’.

Ranjeet Singh: Sep 2022-Aug 2025: ‘Identification of ‘liquid biopsy’ predictictive biomarkers in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma’.


Other teaching related activities

·  Markings: UG Stage 1 essay setting and marking; MRes and UG dissertations, oral presentations, abstracts; MBBS Stage I and II assignments, mini-reviews and patient leaflets.

·      Ph. D assessment panels

·      Tutor within School of Biomedical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences, Newcastle University.

·      Ph. D external examination for the University of Edinburgh.

 

Publications