{"id":160,"date":"2026-08-01T23:26:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T22:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/life-health-and-chemical-sciences\/?page_id=160"},"modified":"2026-08-01T23:27:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T22:27:11","slug":"research-interests","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/life-health-and-chemical-sciences\/research\/research-interests\/","title":{"rendered":"Research in LHCS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The School of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences brings together world-class researchers with expertise in neurobiology, psychology, immunology, genetics, and cellular and molecular biology, as well as organic, medicinal, inorganic and materials chemistry.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our research benefits from modern laboratories based at our central Milton Keynes campus. Our facilities include core qPCR, gel docs, FACS, time-lapse imaging and microinjection equipment. The School houses a fully-equipped histology suite, and facilities for bright-field, DIC, wide-field and confocal fluorescence microscopy as well as a renowned electron microscopy facility available to all research groups. We also have centrally managed analytical facilities and cell and tissue culture laboratories up to containment level 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"OU research into diseases of the brain such as Alzheimer\u2019s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis awarded\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/azpH44xc-hA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"OU academic awarded for research in the autism field\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rC-e8PZ49ZM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our research is organised into clusters. Click on the images below to find out more about each cluster&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"ou-hero__link\" href=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/research\/neuroscience-research-cluster\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/sites\/www.open.ac.uk.stem.life-health-chemical-sciences\/files\/images\/MRI%20rat%20coronal.jpeg\" alt=\"Neuroscience research cluster\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/research\/neuroscience-research-cluster\">Neuroscience research cluster<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"ou-hero__link\" href=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/research\/materials-chemistry-research-cluster\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/sites\/www.open.ac.uk.stem.life-health-chemical-sciences\/files\/images\/Materials-Chemistry.jpg\" alt=\"Chemistry and materials research cluster\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/research\/materials-chemistry-research-cluster\">Chemistry and materials research cluster<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"ou-hero__link\" href=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/research\/cardiovascular-research-cluster\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/sites\/www.open.ac.uk.stem.life-health-chemical-sciences\/files\/images\/Cell-molecular-Bio-medicine.jpg\" alt=\"Cardiovascular research cluster\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/research\/cardiovascular-research-cluster\">Cardiovascular research cluster<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/sites\/www.open.ac.uk.stem.life-health-chemical-sciences\/files\/images\/Course-materials-IMG002068-lowres-0.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/research\/discipline-based-educational-research-and-scholarship-cluster\">Discipline based educational research cluster<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/sites\/www.open.ac.uk.stem.life-health-chemical-sciences\/files\/images\/Map-with-board-pins-IMG001598-lowres-0.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/research\/global-health-and-development-cluster\">Global health and development cluster<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/sites\/www.open.ac.uk.stem.life-health-chemical-sciences\/files\/images\/PastedGraphic-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/research\/cancer-research-cluster\">Cancer research cluster<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/sites\/www.open.ac.uk.stem.life-health-chemical-sciences\/files\/images\/danio-rerio-4996610_1280(1)_368x163.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/research\/comparative-and-integrative-biology-research-cluster\">Comparative and Integrative Biology research cluster<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"ou-hero__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/about-us\/our-facilities\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/university.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/sites\/www.open.ac.uk.stem.life-health-chemical-sciences\/files\/images\/em.jpg\" alt=\"Our Facilities\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/stem\/life-health-chemical-sciences\/about-us\/our-facilities\">Our facilities<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Director of research<\/strong><br><a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.open.ac.uk\/kate-nixon\">Dr Kate Nixon<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The School of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences brings together world-class researchers with expertise in neurobiology, psychology, immunology, genetics, and cellular and molecular biology, as well as organic, medicinal, inorganic and materials chemistry.&nbsp; Our research benefits from modern laboratories based at our central Milton Keynes campus. Our facilities include core qPCR, gel docs, FACS, time-lapse [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":82,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_unity_review_frequency":"","_unity_review_next_due":0,"_unity_review_reset_requested":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-160","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/life-health-and-chemical-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/life-health-and-chemical-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/life-health-and-chemical-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/life-health-and-chemical-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/life-health-and-chemical-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/life-health-and-chemical-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/160\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":161,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/life-health-and-chemical-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/160\/revisions\/161"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/life-health-and-chemical-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/82"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/life-health-and-chemical-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}