Professor Anne Ridley
BA Hons (Cantab.), PhD(London)
Expertise
I study how cells migrate through their environment, using cell surface receptors to change their internal cytoskeleton dynamically to move faster or more slowly. I currently work on cancer progression and cancer spreading.
Current positions
Contact
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Biography
I started my independent laboratory at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University College London, UK, progressing to a Professorship. I moved to King's College London in 2007 to become Professor of Cell Biology. At the University of Bristol, UK, I have been Head of the School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine since January 2018.
My laboratory studies cell migration, cell adhesion, and their links to cancer invasion and metastasis. We focus on intracellular signalling by Rho family GTPases and protein kinases, including how they are activated by cell surface receptors.
I am an elected Member of EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization), a Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and a Fellow of the Royal Society.
My laboratory studies cell migration, cell adhesion, and their links to cancer invasion and metastasis. We focus on intracellular signalling by Rho family GTPases and protein kinases, including how they are activated by cell surface receptors.
I am an elected Member of EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization), a Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Projects and supervisions
Research projects
Discovering the in vivo platelet-forming state using cellular barcoding and single-cell transcriptomics
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School of Cellular and Molecular MedicineDates
01/02/2024 to 31/01/2029
Regulation of epithelial and endothelial cell-cell junctions by mechanical forces
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School of Cellular and Molecular MedicineDates
01/04/2021 to 31/03/2026
Nuclear actin assembly in chromatin structure and dynamics for cell cycle control and reprogramming
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School of Cellular and Molecular MedicineDates
01/06/2016 to 31/05/2019
MRC_NIRG_2015
Principal Investigator
Description
Understanding and targeting chromatin surveillance mechanisms in human ageingManaging organisational unit
School of Cellular and Molecular MedicineDates
05/10/2015 to 04/10/2018
Wellcome Trust Seed Award in Science
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School of Cellular and Molecular MedicineDates
01/07/2015 to 31/12/2016
Thesis supervisions
Investigating the role of RhoH in 3D prostate cancer spheroids
Supervisors
Investigating the Role of a Putative Chaperone Complex in Ciliary Dynein Assembly
Supervisors
Investigating the function of RhoH in prostate cancer cells
Supervisors
A new method of evaluating cytotoxic drug efficacy using sub-cellular fluctuation imaging
Supervisors
Investigating the Role of zDHHC Palmitoyl Transferases in the Transendothelial Migration of T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia
Supervisors
Investigating the role of inflammation on other cell lineages at the wound repair site
Supervisors
Publications
Recent publications
15/01/2025Pharmacological inhibition of ezrin reduces proliferative and invasive phenotype in acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells
European Journal of Pharmacology
Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors reduce vascular inflammation in vitro and in vivo
British Journal of Pharmacology
Sos1 ablation alters focal adhesion dynamics and increases Mmp2/9-dependent gelatinase activity in primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts
Cell communication and signaling : CCS
IQGAP1 and NWASP promote human cancer cell dissemination and metastasis by regulating β1-integrin via FAK and MRTF/SRF
Cell Reports
RhoU forms homo-oligomers to regulate cellular responses
Journal of Cell Science
Teaching
My teaching focuses on cell signalling in normal and tumour cells. I teach first year undergraduate students on how receptors on the surface of cells lead to immediate and long-term cellular responses. In the second year, I teach about the importance of the tumour microenvironment to cancer growth and progression to metastasis.
I teach third year students on the two cancer units, Cancer Mechanisms and Therapeutics, and Developmental Genetics and Embryonal Cancers. My teaching concerns oncogenic and tumour suppressor pathways that involve small GTPases such as Ras and Rho, and lipid and protein kinases.
I host undergraduate, Masters and PhD students for research projects in my laboratory.
I teach third year students on the two cancer units, Cancer Mechanisms and Therapeutics, and Developmental Genetics and Embryonal Cancers. My teaching concerns oncogenic and tumour suppressor pathways that involve small GTPases such as Ras and Rho, and lipid and protein kinases.
I host undergraduate, Masters and PhD students for research projects in my laboratory.
