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Staff Profile

Dr Bill Scott

Senior Lecturer

  • Email: bill.scott3@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: (0) 7530 743693
  • Address: 1.08 Bio-Medicine West Wing
    Centre for Life
    Times Square
    Newcastle Upon Tyne
    NE14EP
Background

I serve as the Faculty of Medical Sciences Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells, and Transplantation 'Theme Lead' including representing the theme at the institute and faculty leadership levels. I'm Scientific Director for the Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory at Newcastle University. My research interests span a wide range of activities focused on improving care in the fields of Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine. I’m particularly focused on translation of scientific advancements into care. This has led to a particular focus on improved access to critical research tissues, working with regulatory bodies to adapt to emergent scientific developments, as well as understanding the commercial aspects of clinical translation. This has led to forging a Strategic Partnership with Eurofins focused on innovation for posttransplant care. Beyond research, I’ve contributed to the establishment and commissioning of an auto-islet transplantation service; including design of all relevant documentation to establish this clinical programme. I serve as vice-Chair for the European Society of Organ Transplantation Basic Science Comittee (https://esot.org/basic-science/structure/) where I help plan and organise academic meetings, helped launch a webinar series, and organising a new ESOT Transplant Scince Summer School. I lecture at the University and contribute to a number of degree programmes including acting as programme and module leader for the Transplantation MRes at Newcastle University. I'm a co-Founder, Board Member, and Chief Scientific Officer for a VC-funded spin out from Newcastle University (www.scubatx.com) focused on developing a medical device for enhanced organ preservation, that meets the real-world constraints of transplant personnel, money, logistics and physical space.

Research

I serve as the Scientific Director for the Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory at Newcastle University. My research interests span a wide range of activities focused on improving care in the fields of Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine. I’m particularly focused on translation of scientific advancements into care. This has led to a particular focus on improved access to critical research tissues, working with regulatory bodies to adapt to emergent scientific developments, as well as understanding the commercial aspects of clinical translation. Beyond research, I’ve contributed to the establishment and commissioning of an auto-islet transplantation service; including design of all relevant documentation to establish this clinical programme. Ongoing work includes:

 

  • Establishment of a Newcastle University spin-out company to commercially leverage oxygen persufflation to improve transplantation outcomes.

 

2020-           Innovate UK North East Angel R&D Programme Regional Angel Investment Accelerator: round 6 ‘ScubaTx - Saving More Lives, Giving Transplant Organs Air to Breath’ (£299,690)

-Principal Investigator

 

2020-     European Regional Development Fund Intensive Industrial Innovation Programme ‘Mathematical Techniques for Dependable Medical Device Software Automation’ (£92,978)

-Principal Investigator

 

2019      SETsquared Partnership, Innovate UK and BEIS: Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research (ICURe) Cohort 15 ‘Commercialization of an automated persufflation device to improve transplantation outcomes.’ (£31,325.25)

-Principle Investigator

 

 

2018            MRC Proximity to Discovery ‘Industrial Collaboration Workshop.’ (£800)

-Principal Investigator

 

2018-2019  MRC Proximity to Discovery ‘Development of a prototype medical device and consumable for organ persufflation.’ (£25,000)

-Principle Investigator

 

  • National Tissue and Cell Processing Coordinator and co-Investigator for the Quality in Organ Donation (QUOD) MRC Tissue Bank – Expansion to Include Pancreas/Islets, Heart and Lungs’ (£1.6M). Including helping to design and implement all collection protocols to provide tissues for this work.

 

2017-              MRC Capital Investment in Human Tissue Banking and Linked Data in Partnership with Charities June 2017 of Biobanks ‘Quality and Safety in Organ Donation Tissue Bank – Expansion to Include Pancreas/Islets, Heart and Lungs’ (£1.6M)

                        -co-Principal Investigator

 

 

  • Exploring the potential for the ex vivo modulation of donor organs with a variety of therapeutics including cell and gene therapies. Activities span several funding initiatives including ongoing discussions with NHS-BT and National regulatory bodies for how to responsibly translate such interventions.

2019-        Australian Research Council ‘Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Cell and Tissue Engineering Technologies.’ (£2.74M)

-co-Principal Investigator

 

2017         Wellcome Trust ISSF Small Grant Scheme ‘Translation of the Method of Production for Human Amniotic Epithelial Cells (AMECs) and Their Derivatives for Ex-Vivo Reconditioning of Donor Organs Prior to Transplantation’ (£5,500)

-Principal Investigator

 

 2014-       NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit (BTRU) - 'Organ Donation and Transplantation'; Collaboration between Newcastle University and Cambridge University (£4.95M)

- Project Manager (Newcastle)

-co-Principal Investigator

 

I’m also working closely with colleagues in Computing towards the development of novel methodologies to assess real-time medical data towards software which can help inform clinical decision making including: aspects of the ScubaTX device and improving lung allocation; with more to come as this exciting research progresses.
Teaching

Programme and Module Leader for MMB8025 Transplantation Master of Research Course

I oversee both the research and teaching elements of the programme including overseeing the design and delivery of the module and assessments.

The module covers subject-specific content spanning the field of Transplantation. Subject-based modules provide a broad exposure to diverse aspects of transplantation, from clinical concepts to cutting edge scientific development. Teaching insights into the speciality of transplantation sciences in the context of transplantation of haematopoietic stem cells, corneal/limbal stem cells and a variety of solid organs.

The module aims to:

  • provide sound understanding of the scientific basis underlying the therapeutic benefits and adverse effects of clinical transplants
  • highlight the research areas where applications of immunology and cell biology can improve transplant outcome and patient wellbeing
  • provide a view of bench to bedside translational links between scientific research and clinical practice

The course emphasises the clinical practice driven research, which prepares students for a future career in either medical practice or broad biomedical research. 

Main topics covered include:

  • transplantation immunology related to cellular and molecular basis of allogeneic immune responses, tolerance, immunosuppression
  • the genetic and molecular basis of HLA system, non-HLA immunogenetics, histocompatibility, impact of HLA matching in choice of donor and transplant outcome
  • transplantation pathology related to graft-versus-host disease following haematopoietic stem cell transplant, rejection following solid organ transplant, tissue damage and loss of graft function
  • manipulation of haematopoietic stem cells for clinical use

development of novel therapeutic strategies to aid improvement of clinical transplant outcome

In addition, I also lecture for a number of other courses in Newcastle including: Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust Employee Trainee Clinical Scientist MSc Module; Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust Congenital Heart Training Programme; MMB8022 Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Mres; BGM3039 Medical Biotechnology undergraduate course; and BMS2012 Clinical Immunology and Viral Pathogens undergraduate course at Newcastle University.


 

Publications