Dr Roger Grand

Dr Roger Grand

Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences
Honorary Lecturer

Contact details

Telephone
0121 414 2805
Email
r.j.a.grand@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences
College of Medical and Dental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Roger Grand is an Honorary Lecturer in the Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences.  Roger has published over 160 research papers, mainly in the fields of adenovirus virology and muscle biochemistry. He has held numerous research grants including those from Cancer Research UK, MRC, Breast Cancer Campaign and AICR. 

His research has always been focused on the underlying causes of human disease with an emphasis on understanding the structure/function relationship of the proteins involved. Most recently, he has concentrated on understanding the role on novel proteins involved in the DNA damage response.

Qualifications

D.Sc. 1986, University of Birmingham
Ph.D. 1972 University of Leeds
B.Sc. 1969 Biochemistry, University of Sheffield

Biography

Roger Grand gained his B.Sc. in biochemistry at the University of Sheffield, in a department much influenced by Professor Hans Krebs. Roger moved to Leeds for his Ph.D. in the field of physical biochemistry. After a short post-doctoral fellowship at the University of London (Royal Holloway College) he joined Professor Sam Perry’s ‘muscle research group’ in the Department of Biochemistry in Birmingham. 

A decade later Roger changed tack and moved to the Department of Cancer Studies to join the `adenovirus research group’ with Professor Phil Gallimore. They directed the group together until Phil Gallimore retired, since which time Roger has led a group, mainly focussed on adenovirus research, but latterly with a considerable interest in its relationship to the DNA damage response. At present his main interest is in the CNOT complex and its relationship to DNA replication stress. He has also worked on, and has a continued interest in, KSHV. He now is an honorary member of staff but continues to work full time.

Teaching

  • BMedSci Y3 DNA damage pathways and human disease module (Co-director)
  • BMedSci Y2 module Stem cells and genetic inheritance (Co-Director)
  • MSc Clinical Oncology
  • MRes Cancer Sciences
  • BMedSci Y2 Cancer and stratified medicine module

Postgraduate supervision

Roger Grand has supervised about 20 PhD students, all of whom have successfully gained their degrees and most have gone on to do post-doctoral research.

He has also supervised a number of Masters students.

In his honorary role, Roger no longer supervises research students.

Research

Roger Grand’s (RG) main research interest for the past thirty years has been in adenovirus virology with particular emphasis on the roles of the early region1 (E1) proteins in viral infection and in adenovirus-mediated cell transformation. While this has led to considerable progress in our understanding of the modes of action of the E1 proteins – in particular, the E1A and E1B55K oncoproteins it has also helped in our understanding of various cellular pathways which are affected during viral infection or cellular transformation. Thus, RG has also published research papers dealing with the properties of p53, the retinoblastoma protein Rb, Ras, C-terminal binding protein (CtBP), C-terminal binding protein interacting protein (CtIP) and hnRNPUL-1.

Over the last ten years RG has developed an interest in the DNA damage response, in both adenovirus and KSHV infected cells and in the absence of viral infection. This work has concentrated on the characterization of relatively recently isolated DNA damage response proteins hnRNPUL-1 (also known as E1B-AP5), Tab182, and the CNOT complex, all of which appear to function in RNA metabolism, transcriptional regulation and, importantly, the DNA damage response. It has been found that the hnRNPUL1 gene is mutated in a number of inherited diseases such as ALS and early onset myocardial infarction. To what extent this is related to a role in the DNA damage response is not clear at present and is the subject of ongoing investigation. The CNOT complex seems to function in the cellular response to DNA replication stress-this is also an ongoing project.

Projects

The role of the adenovirus E1B55K protein. (2019-2022). Roger Grand. Government of Saudi Arabia.

The role of the CNOT complex. (2019-2021). Roger Grand. Charitable donations through the University of Birmingham, justgiving.

Publications

Chalabi Hagkarim N, Grand RJ. (2020) The Regulatory Properties of the Ccr4-Not Complex.Cells.;9(11):2379. doi: 10.3390/cells9112379

Hollingworth R, Stewart GS, Grand RJ. (2020) Productive herpesvirus lytic replication in primary effusion lymphoma cells requires S-phase entry. J Gen Virol. ;101(8):873-883. doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.001444

Molloy DP, Grand RJ. (2020) Structural Determinants within the Adenovirus Early Region 1A Protein Spacer Region Necessary for Tumorigenesis. J Virol.;94(21): e01268-20. doi: 10.1128/JVI.01268-20

Chalabi Hagkarim N, Ryan EL, Byrd PJ, Hollingworth R, Shimwell NJ, Agathanggelou A, Vavasseur M, Kolbe V, Speiseder T, Dobner T, Stewart GS, Grand RJ. (2018). Degradation of a Novel DNA Damage Response Protein, Tankyrase 1 Binding Protein 1, following Adenovirus Infection.J Virol. 2018; 92(12). pii: e02034-17. doi: 10.1128/JVI.02034-17.

Hollingworth R, Horniblow RD, Forrest C, Stewart GS, Grand RJ. (2017). Localization of Double-Strand Break Repair Proteins to Viral Replication Compartments following Lytic Reactivation of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus. J Virol. 2017; 91(22). pii: e00930-17. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00930-17.

Ryan EL, Hollingworth R, Grand RJ. (2016) Activation of the DNA damage resp[onse by RNA viruses Biomolecules. ;6(1). pii: E2. doi: 10.3390/biom6010002

Hollingworth R, Grand RJ. (2015) Modulation of DNA damage and repair pathways by human tumour viruses. Viruses.;7(5):2542-91

Hollingworth R, Skalka GL, Stewart GS, Hislop AD, Blackbourn DJ, Grand RJ.(2015)  Activation  of DNA Damage Response Pathways during Lytic Replication of  KSHV  Viruses; 7(6):2908-27.

Olcina M.M., Grand R.J. Hammond E.M. (2014) ATM activation in hypoxia-causes  and consequences. Mol Cell Onc . 1:1, e29903.

Thomas A., Perry T., Berhane S., Oldreive C., Zlatanou A., Williams L. R., Weston V.J., Stankovic T., Kearns P., Pors K., Grand R.J., StewartG.S. The dual acting anthraquinone Alchemix induces cell death independently ATM and p53. Oncogene  34, 3336-48

Sedgwick G.G., Townsend K., Martin A., Shimwell N.J., Grand R.J.,  Stewart G.S., Nilsson J., Turnell A.S. (2014) Transcriptional intermediary factor 1γ binds to the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome to regulate mitosis. Oncogene 32. 4622-33.

Forrester N.A., Patel R.N., Speiseder T., Groitl P., Sedgwick G.G., Shimwell N.J., Seed R.I., Catnaigh P.Ó., McCabe C.J., Stewart G.S., Dobner T., Grand R.J., Martin A., Turnell A.S. (2012) Adenovirus E4orf3 targets transcriptional intermediary factor 1γ for proteasome-dependent degradation during infection. J Virol. 86, 3167-79.

Polo S.E., Blackford A.N., Chapman J.R., Baskcomb L., Gravel S., Rusch A., Thomas A., Blundred R., Smith P., Kzhyshkowska J., Dobner T., Taylor A.M., Turnell A.S., Stewart G.S., Grand R.J., Jackson S.P.(2012) Regulation of DNA-end resection by hnRNPU-like proteins promotes DNA double-strand break signaling and repair. Mol Cell, 45, 505-4.

Turnell AS, Grand RJ. (2012) DNA viruses and the cellular DNA-damage response.   J Gen Virol.  2012 ;93(Pt 10):2076-97.

Miller M.S., Pelka P., Fonseca G.J., Cohen M.J., Kelly J.N., Barr S.D., Grand R.J., Turnell A.S.,Whyte P., Mymryk J.S.(2012) Characterization of the 55-residue protein encoded by the 9S E1A mRNA of species C adenovirus. J Virol., 86, 4222-33.

Berhane S., Aresté C., Ablack J.N., Ryan G.B., Blackbourn D.J., Mymryk J.S., Turnell A.S., Steele J.C., Grand R.J.(2011). Adenovirus E1A interacts directly with, and regulates the level of expression of, the immunoproteasome component MECL1. Virology. 421, 149-58.

Forrester, N.A., Sedgwick, G.G., Thomas, A., Blackford, A.N., Speiseder, T., Dobner, T., Byrd, P.J., Stewart, G.S., Turnell, A.S. and Grand, R.J. (2010) Serotype-specific inactivation of the cellular DNA damage response during adenovirus infection. J. Virol. 85, 2201-2211.

Ablack, J.N., Pelka, P., Yousef, A.F., Turnell, A.S., Grand, R.J. and Mymryk, J.S. (2010) Comparison of E1ACR3 transcriptional activation across 6 different human adenovirus subgroups. J. Virol. 84, 12771-12781.

Blackford,  A.N., Patel, R.N., Forrester, N.A., Theil, K., Groitl, P., Stewart, G.S., Taylor, A.M., Morgan, I.M., Dobner, T., Grand R.J., and Turnell, A.S. (2010) Adenovirus 12 E4orf6 inhibits ATR activation by promoting TOPBP1 degradation. Proc Natl. Acad Sci USA, 107  12251-6.

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