Dr Anestis Tsakiridis

School of Biosciences

Lecturer

Profile photo of Anestis Tsakiridis
Profile picture of Profile photo of Anestis Tsakiridis
a.tsakiridis@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 2367

Full contact details

Dr Anestis Tsakiridis
School of Biosciences
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
Profile
  • 2020-present: Lecturer
  • 2016-2019: Vice Chancellor's Fellow
  • 2009-2015: Post-doctoral researcher, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh (Advisor: Prof. Val Wilson)
  • 2006-2009: Post-doctoral researcher, Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh (Advisor: Prof. Josh Brickman)
  • 2002-2006: PhD, University of Edinburgh (Advisors: Prof. Lesley Forrester, Prof. Josh Brickman)
  • 2001-2002: MSc (Res), University of Edinburgh
  • 1998-2001: BSc (Hons), University of Edinburgh
Research interests

My group aims to understand how human embryonic cells adopt different fates as they transit from pluripotency to lineage commitment, and exploit this knowledge for regenerative medicine and disease modelling applications. We focus particularly on defining the determinants of anteroposterior (A-P) axial identity (i.e. the position cells occupy along the head-tail axis) and how this influences cell fate decision-making in various multipotent progenitors of the central and peripheral nervous system. To address our questions we employ predominantly human pluripotent stem cell (hPSCs) differentiation as an in vitro model of early human embryonic development and utilise protocols we have recently established for the production of spinal cord progenitors and neural crest cells (the precursors of various specialised cell types including peripheral neurons) that correspond to distinct axial levels.
Current projects in our lab include:

  1. Understanding how various cellular components of the trunk (e.g. motor neurons, paraxial mesoderm, trunk neural crest) are derived from multipotent axial progenitors
  2. Defining the molecular/signalling basis of A-P axial identity acquisition/maintenance in distinct neural cell types
  3. Deciphering the molecular/signalling logic of cell fate decisions in vagal neural crest derivatives focusing on the enteric nervous system
  4. Determining how abnormal trunk neural crest development is linked to the initiation of neuroblastoma, the most common extra-cranial solid tumour of childhood
Publications

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Journal articles

All publications

Journal articles

Conference proceedings papers

Preprints

Research group
  • Katy Boswell, PhD student (jointly with Dan Bose's group, School of Biosciences)
  • James Birch, PhD student (jointly with Ivana Barbaric group, School of Biosciences)
  • Fay Cooper, PDRA
  • Antigoni Gogolou, PhD student
  • Ingrid Maricel Saldana Guerrero, PDRA (jointly with Helen Bryant's group, Department of Oncology and Metabolism)
  • Rebecca Lea, PDRA
  • Sude Uyulgan, PhD student (jointly with Matt Towers' group, School of Biosciences)

We welcome speculative applications. Please email your CV and research interests to: a.tsakiridis@sheffield.ac.uk

Grants
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
  • The Royal Society
  • Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group/Little Princess Trust
  • MRC Discovery Medicine North Doctoral Training Partnership
  • EU Horizon2020
  • Neuroblastoma UK
  • BBSRC White Rose Mechanistic Biology DTP
  • Medical Research Council
Teaching activities
  • Stem cells, ageing and cancer (BMS243/247) (Module joint co-ordinator)
  • Stem Cell Biology (BMS382/6056)
  • Literature Review and Research Proposal (BIS405/BMS61005)
  • Research Project (BMS61006)
  • Patients as educators/Research project (BIS303)
Professional activities and memberships
  • Communications Lead for Development, Regeneration and Neuroscience Research Cluster, School of Bioscience, University of Sheffield.
  • Elected member of the British Society for Developmental Biology committee.
  • Member of International Society for Stem Cell Research, British Society for Gene and Cell Therapy and Mercia Stem Cell Alliance.
  • Research Advisory Group, Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group/Little Princess Trust.
  • Advisor editor for StemJournal and member of Advisory Board of Cells & Development.