Contact Us
E: science@ulster.ac.uk
T: +44(0)28 7032 4159

You are here : Ulster Homepage / School of Biomedical Sciences / Research Institute / Transcriptional Regulation and Epigenetics / People > Dr Diane Lees-Murdock

Dr Diane Lees-Murdock

Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences

Academic and Professional Qualifications:

2001 Ph.D. in Molecular Pharmacology, University of Ulster

1997 B.Sc. (Hons) Biological Science (Biotechnology) 1st Class, University of Ulster

Career Summary:

2007- present Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, Transriptional Regulation & Epigenetics Research Group, University of Ulster

2004-2007 BBSRC-funded Post-doctoral Research Associate, Integrated Epigenetics (INTEP) Initiative, Univeristy of Ulster

2000-2003 BBSRC-funded Post-doctoral Research Associate, Gene Technologies Underpinning Healthcare (GTUH) Initiative, University of Ulster

1999-2001 Part-time Lecturer, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster

1995-1996 Research Assistant (Placement Year), Cancer and Ageing Research Group, University of Ulster

Research Interests:

My research interests are in the area of epigenetic reprogramming and in particular:

Methylation dynamics in the mouse oocyte

Establishment of paternal imprints in male primordial germ cells

Methylation of various classes of repeat sequences in the mouse germ line

Post-transciptional control of DNA methyltransferases and DNA methylation reprogramming

Role of DNA methylation in stem cell plasticity

Publications:

Lees-Murdock DJ, Lau HT, Castrillon DH, De Felici M, Walsh CP. (2008) DNA methyltransferase loading, but not de novo methylation, is an oocyte-autonomous process stimulated by SCF signalling. Dev Biol. 321:238-50.

Lees-Murdock, D.J., Shovlin, T.C., Gardiner, T., De Felici, M. and Walsh, C.P. (2005) DNA methyltransferase expression in the mouse germ line during periods of de novo methylation. Dev Dyn. 232(4):992-1002.

Li, J-Y, Lees-Murdock, D.J., Xu, G.L. and Walsh C.P. (2004) Timing and establishment of paternal imprints in the mouse. Genomics, 84(6):952-60.

Lees Murdock, D.J., Barnett, C.R. and Barnett, Y.A. (2004) DNA damage and cytotoxicity in pancreatic B-cells expressing human CYP2E1. Biochemical Pharmacology 68; 523-530.

Lees-Murdock D.J., G.A. McLoughlin, J.R. McDaid, L.M. Quinn, A. O’Doherty, L. Hipiri, C.J. Hack and C.P. Walsh. (2004) Identification of eleven pseudogenes in the DNA methyltransferase gene family in rodents and humans and implications for the functional loci. In press, Genomics 84; 193-204.

Lees Murdock, D.J., Clarke, J., Flatt, P.R., Barnett, Y.A. and Barnett, C.R. (2004) Role of CYP2E1 in ketone-stimulated insulin release from pancreatic B-cells. Biochemical Pharmacology 67; 874-884.

Lees Murdock, D.J., De Felici, M. and Walsh, C.P. (2003) Methylation dynamics of repetitive DNA elements in the mouse germ cell lineage. Genomics 82; 230-237.

Book chapters / Invited Reviews:

C.E. Rutledge, D.J. Lees-Murdock, C.P.Walsh (2010) DNA methylation in Development. In: Encyclopaedia of Life & Health Sciences (ELS). john Wiley & Sons: Chichester.

D.J. Lees-Murdock and C.P. Walsh (2008) DNA methylation reprogramming in the germ line. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008;626:1-15. Review.

D.J. Lees-Murdock and C.P. Walsh (2006) Developmental Regulation of DNA methyltransferases. In Encyclopedia of Genetics, Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics. Wiley & Sons, Sussex, UK.