Dr Benjamin Pickard

Senior Lecturer

Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences

Personal statement

Ben Pickard obtained a BSc in Biochemistry from Imperial College London (1992), and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh (1996). Before coming to the University of Strathclyde, he worked at the Babraham Institute, Cambridge on factors regulating DNA methylation, and at the Molecular Medicine Centre, Edinburgh, identifying genetic risk factors for common psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression.

Publications

Genes associated with amyloid-beta-induced inflammasome-mediated neuronal death identified using functional gene trap mutagenesis approach: Yap Jeremy Kean Yi, Pickard Benjamin Simon, Gan Sook Yee, Chan Elaine Wan Ling; International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology Vol 136 (2021); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocel.2021.106014
The role of neuronal NLRP1 inflammasome in Alzheimer's disease : bringing neurons into the neuroinflammation game: Yap Jeremy Kean Yi, Pickard Benjamin Simon, Chan Elaine Wan Ling, Gan Sook Yee; Molecular Neurobiology Vol 56, pp. 7741-7753 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-019-1638-7
PEGylation of polypropylenimine dendrimers : effects on cytotoxicity, DNA condensation, gene delivery and expression in cancer cells: Somani Sukrut, Laskar Partha, Altwaijry Najla, Kewcharoenvong Paphitchaya, Irving Craig, Robb Gillian, Pickard Benjamin S, Dufès Christine; Scientific Reports Vol 8 (2018); https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-27400-6
Specialised information processing deficits and distinct metabolomic profiles following TM-domain disruption of Nrg1: O'Tuathaigh Colm M P, Mathur Naina, O'Callaghan Matthew J, MacIntyre Lynsey, Harvey Richard, Lai Donna, Waddington John L, Pickard Benjamin S, Watson David G, Moran Paula M; Schizophrenia Bulletin Vol 43, pp. 1100–1113 (2017); https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbw189
Genomics of lithium action and response: Pickard Benjamin S; Neurotherapeutics Vol 14, pp. 582-587 (2017); https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-017-0554-7
Brain changing tubers : gene expression changes following mediaeval tuber consumption: Woods N, Gebril A, Simpson Ann, Iannetta Ppm, Kenicer G, Tate R J, Pickard B, Gray A I, Ferro V A; Planta Medica Vol 81, pp. S1-S381 (2016); https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0036-1596241

More publications

Teaching

Director of Postgraduate (Taught) Programmes: oversight of MSc courses
Course Director: new MSc Global Public Health
Deputy, undergraduate Biomedical Sciences student-staff committee
Teaching/class co-ordination across Biomedical Science classes: BM101, 102, 104, 305, 407, 410 (genetics, genomics, human disease, clinical biochemistry, neurdegeneration
Teching on MSc Generic Skills: MP931 (Bioethics)
Personal Development Advisor
Internal/external examiner PhD theses
External examiner MSc Neuroscience, UCL, (2013-2015)

Certificates of Recognition in University of Strathclyde Student Union Teaching Excellence Awards: 2012, 2013, 2014.

Research interests

The role of the NPAS3 and ABCA13 genes in psychiatric illness
Metabolomic markers of mental illness
A novel stem cell type, and it potential use in research and therapeutics
A new gene trap-based mutation screening methodology to identify genes participating in specific aspects of cell function or response to drug treatment.
Functional genetics of neuroinflammation and pathogen infection
Oxidative stress biology
Telomere manipulation to produce new cell lines for research
Environmental factors influencing epigenetic marks on the genome

Projects

Development of a long-lifetime dye for gated-STED microscopy: Edkins, Robert (Principal Investigator) Pickard, Ben (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2020 - 31-Jan-2021
Biomedical Vacation Scholarships: Coats, Paul (Principal Investigator) Jiang, Hui-Rong (Principal Investigator) Lawrence, Catherine (Principal Investigator) McDonald, James (Principal Investigator) Pickard, Ben (Principal Investigator); 09-Jan-2018 - 31-Jan-2018
Biomedical Vacation Scholarships / R180191-5: Pickard, Ben (Principal Investigator); 02-Jan-2018 - 17-Jan-2018
Pharmacells contribution to IAA Secondment: Carswell, Hilary (Principal Investigator) Pickard, Ben (Co-investigator) McKittrick, Craig (Research Co-investigator); 25-Jan-2016 - 31-Jan-2017
Development of novel gene delivery systems for brain targeting by intravenous administration: Dufès, Christine (Principal Investigator) Pickard, Ben (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2016 - 30-Jan-2019
Development of starting materials for cell-based treatments (project plan for SMART grant): Carswell, Hilary (Principal Investigator) Carter, Katharine (Co-investigator) Currie, Susan (Co-investigator) Pickard, Ben (Co-investigator) Williams, Roderick (Co-investigator) McKittrick, Craig (Researcher); 01-Jan-2015 - 31-Jan-2016

More projects

Address

Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences
Hamnett Wing

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