Professor Helen Colley
BSc, PhD
School of Clinical Dentistry
Professor of Tissue Engineering
+44 114 215 9352
Full contact details
School of Clinical Dentistry
S10 2TA
19 Claremont Crescent
Sheffield
S10 2TA
- Profile
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I completed my PhD in 2007 in the Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield specialising in tissue engineering. After several years as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, I was appointed Lecturer in Oral Bioscience in 2012 and promoted to Professor of Tissue Engineering in 2024. I am the School lead for Postgraduate Research.
My current research combines my interests in tissue engineering and epithelial biology where I supervise various translational and interdisciplinary research projects at all levels.
I teach Human Anatomy and Principles in Tissue Engineering in the School of Clinical Dentistry and across other departments at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
- Research interests
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My main research interest is in tissue engineering of the oral mucosa and skin, particularly the generation of novel three-dimensional in vitro models to assist in understanding the fundamentals of disease processes and the development of novel diagnostic strategies, next-generation therapeutics and drug delivery mechanisms.
Current projects
Tissue-engineered three-dimensional in vitro models in health and disease
- The use of induced stem cells in modelling skin disease (funded by EPSRC).
- Development and characterisation of an in vitro immuno-competent oral mucosal model to evaluate xenobiotic metabolism and inducible allergic responses (funded by MRC).
- Modelling T-cell interactions in oral inflammatory disease.
- Understanding the role of the extracellular matrix in oral cancer progression.
- Development of an immune-competent human skin equivalent model of atopic dermatitis for pre-clinical drug testing (Industrial studentship with Almirall, S.A).
- Exploring the role of extracellular vesicles in chemotherapy resistance in head and neck cancer.
Novel drugs and novel methods of drug delivery
- Fabrication and toxicity testing of drug-loaded oral patches to expedite wound repair following tooth extraction (funded by EPSRC with Industrial collaborators AFYX Therapeutics, APS).
- Novel strategies for the transmucosal delivery of biofunctional peptides using electrospun polymer patches (funded by EPSRC with Industrial collaborators AFYX Therapeutics, APS).
Novel diagnostics
- Electric impedance spectroscopy and machine learning-based decision support system for early diagnosis of oral cancer (funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research Sheffield Pioneers Award).
- Publications
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Journal articles
- An advanced in silico model of the oral mucosa reveals the impact of extracellular spaces on chemical permeation. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 124827-124827.
- Controlled dual drug release from adhesive electrospun patches for prevention and treatment of alveolar osteitis. Journal of Controlled Release, 376, 253-265.
- A tissue-engineered model of T-cell mediated oral mucosal inflammatory disease. Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
- Targeting the Complexity of In Vitro Skin Models: A Review of Cutting-Edge Developments. Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
- Electrospinning polymersomes into bead-on-string polyethylene oxide fibres for the delivery of biopharmaceuticals to mucosal epithelia. Biomaterials Advances, 157. View this article in WRRO
- Bioactive protein and peptide release from a mucoadhesive electrospun membrane. Biomedical Materials & Devices. View this article in WRRO
- An advanced in silico model of the oral mucosa reveals the impact of extracellular spaces on chemical permeation. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 124827-124827.
- Research group
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Post-doctoral research assistants
- Dr Klaudia Slowik: Tissue-engineering strategies for investigating topical mRNA vaccine delivery (PI; BBSRC Mission Award).
- Dr Jake Edman: Investigating polymersome-mediated mRNA vaccine delivery (PI; BBSRC Mission Award).
- Dr Asma El Howati: Pre-clinical evaluation of cold atmospheric plasma-mediated drug delivery for the treatment of inflammatory skin disease (PI; MRC IAA Award).
Post-graduate research students
- Cerys Evans (primary supervisor with Professor P Hatton): Incorporation of microneedles into electrospun mucoadhesive patches.
- Claire Johnson (primary supervisor with Professor C Murdoch): Development of a multi-cellular tissue-engineered model of T-cell inflammatory disease.
- Faisal Alhedyan (primary supervisor with Dr Stuart Hunt and Professor Keith Hunter): Tissue-engineering strategies to investigate oral cancer progression by modelling the epigenome in oral dysplasia.
- Teaching interests
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I was previously the Theme Leader for the Human Body theme (DEN11001) for the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (2018-2023) and the Module Lead for Biomedical Science (HCS1010, HCS6301) on the BMedSci in Speech Therapy and MMedSci in Clinical Communication Studies (2012-2023).
My main teaching interest is in Human Anatomy. I currently teach and assess on:
- DEN11001: The Human Body (Bachelor of Dental Surgery)
- DEN11002: The Oral Cavity in Health and Disease (Bachelor of Dental Surgery)
- DEN123: Introduction to the Human Body (BSc Bio-Dental Science and Technology)
- DEN124: The Head and Oral Cavity in Health and Disease (BSc Bio-Dental Science and Technology)
- DEN223: Nutrition, Disease and Materials ((BSc Bio-Dental Science and Technology)
- DEN11004: Introduction to the Human Body (Diploma in Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy)
- Professional activities and memberships
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- COST- Action (OC-2021-1-25129) NETSKINMODELS: European Network for Skin Engineering and Modeling Management Committee member.
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
- School of Clinical Dentistry Executive Committee member.
- Committee member of the School of Clinical Dentistry Research Committee.
- Chair of the School of Clinical Dentistry Postgraduate Research Committee.
- Member of The Anatomical Society, British Society of Cell Biology and European Association of Oral Medicine.