Dr Lisa J Hill BSc (Hons.) PhD FHEA MRSB

Image of Lisa Hill

Department of Biomedical Sciences
Associate Professor in Translational Neuroscience
Affiliated with the Department of Inflammation and Ageing
Affiliated with the Department of Metabolism and Systems Science

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 414 6620
Email
l.j.hill@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
@Neuroscience_Dr
View my research portal
Address
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Associate Professor Lisa Hill is a Translational Neuroscientist within the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Birmingham. She is the Pre-Clinical lead of the Translational Brain Science Research Group  and PI/Lead of the Neuro-Ocular Inflammation and Matrix Research Group within Neuroscience, Trauma and Ophthalmology . Completing her PhD at the University of Birmingham in 2015, A/Prof Hill has since undertaken research placements at Queen’s University Belfast (UK), University California Irvine (USA) and the University of Melbourne (Australia). A/Prof Hill is now conducting pioneering research in the fields of extracellular matrix biology, drug delivery, neurodegeneration and traumatic brain injury (TBI).  Over the last decade, she has focussed on understanding how inflammation and dysfunctions in extracellular matrix can lead to neurodegenerative and sight-threatening diseases including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and uveitis.  This has led to her identifying and developing new immuno- and anti-scarring therapies to treat blinding diseases and she has developed and patented technologies used for delivering drugs into the eye. A/Prof Hill is the Associate Consortium Director and the  biofluid Theme Lead for mTBI PREDICT.  mTBI-PREDICT is a long-term, multicentre study that aims to identify the most accurate, reproducible and clinically practical biomarkers to better identify those at risk of long-term health issues after a head injury.

Associate Prof Hill teaches on the Biomedical Science and Clinical Medicine undergraduate degrees (BSc, MBChB, MSci) and hosts multiple post-graduate PhD research projects. She is also the Access to Birmingham Lead Tutor for Biomedical Science as part of the widening participation programmes.  

Qualifications

  • Member of the Royal Society of Biology (MRSB), 2020
  • Post-graduate Certificate in Higher Education, 2020
  • PhD in Medicine, 2015
  • BMedSc Neuroscience, 2010

Teaching

Postgraduate supervision

Dr Hill supervises Masters and PhD students in projects relating to:

  • Ocular inflammatory/fibrotic diseases
  • Degenerative diseases of the eye (AMD, Glaucoma)
  • Technologies to enhance ocular drug delivery
  • Tissue Engineering in vitro models of the eye
  • Assessing the efficacy of new therapies using pre-clinical models of ocular disease

If interested in undertaking research in Lisa’s laboratory, please contact her on l.j.hill@bham.ac.uk

Research

Research Interests

  • Identifying novel biomarkers for neurological diseases
  •  Developing in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models of neurodegenerative disease
  •  Understanding extracellular matrix dynamics in the healthy and diseased eye
  •  Developing new therapies for ocular disease
  •  Developing methods to deliver drugs into the eye

Current Projects

  •  Developing anti-fibrotic and neuroprotective treatments for neurodegenerative disease (glaucoma)
  •  Investigating mechanisms of extracellular matrix dysfunctions in glaucoma
  •  Development of Immunotherapies for Age-related Macular Degeneration
  •  Identifying novel fluid and hormone biomarkers after brain injury

Related Research

For additional information on research and publications please visit Lisa's Google Scholar Profile and Research Gate Profile.

Other activities

Awards:

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Authority 2020
  • Institute of Clinical Sciences Director’s Award 2019
  • IChemE Global Awards Finalist for Biotechnology 2017
  • House of Commons “SETforBRITAIN” finalist, Westminster UK 2016
  • Members-In-Training Outstanding Award,  ARVO, USA 2012

Citizen/Patient Engagement and Outreach

  • Current ‘Access to Birmingham’ Lead Tutor for widening participation
  • Research featured in Fight for Sight funding campaign 2019
  • Regular presenter at Macular Society patient groups
  • Current student/post-graduate mentor.

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Cox, K, Shi, C, Read, N, Patel, MT, Ou, K, Liu, Z, Wu, J, Cendananawati, S, Le Brun Powewll, J, Goldberg Oppenheimer, P, Hill, LJ, Nicholson, L, Dick, AD & Liu, J 2025, 'Age-Associated Decline in Autophagy Pathways in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium and Protective Effects of Topical Trehalose in Light-Induced Outer Retinal Degeneration in Mice', Aging Cell. https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.70081

Grech, O, Rubio-Beltran, E, Stanyer, EC, Labastida-Ramirez, A, Lavery, GG, Hill, LJ, Holland, PR & Sinclair, AJ 2025, 'Raised intracranial pressure alters cortical vascular function and cephalic allodynia', Brain. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awae415

Wu, Y, Liu, Y, Feng, Y, Li, X, Lu, Z, Gu, H, Li, W, Hill, LJ & Ou, S 2024, 'Evolution of therapeutic strategy based on oxidant-antioxidant balance for Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy', The Ocular Surface, vol. 34, pp. 247-261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtos.2024.08.003

Lamont, HC, Wright, AW, Devrie, K, Okur, KE, Jones, M, Masood, I, Hill, LJ, Nazhat, SN, Grover, LM, Haj, AJE & Metcalfe, AD 2024, 'Trabecular meshwork cell differentiation in response to collagen and TGFβ-2 spatial interactions', Acta Biomaterialia. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2024.08.046

Awuson-David , B, Williams, AC, Wright, B, Hill, LJ & Di Pietro, V 2023, 'Common microRNA regulated pathways in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease', Frontiers in Neuroscience, vol. 17, 1228927. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.1228927

Britten-Jones, AC, Mack, HG, Vincent, AL, Hill, LJ, Edwards, T & Ayton, LN 2023, 'Genetic testing and gene therapy in retinal diseases: Knowledge and perceptions of optometrists in Australia and New Zealand', Clinical Genetics. https://doi.org/10.1111/cge.14415

Wu, M, Downie, LE, Hill, LJ & Chinnery, HR 2023, 'Topical Decorin Reduces Corneal Inflammation and Imparts Neuroprotection in a Mouse Model of Benzalkonium Chloride-induced Corneal Neuropathy', Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS), vol. 64, no. 2, 20. https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.64.2.20

Letter

Britton, J, Mack, HG, Vincent, A, Hill, LJ, Edwards, T, Ayton, L & Britten-Jones, AC 2025, 'Retinal Gene Therapy: Perceptions of Ophthalmologists in Australia and New Zealand', Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology. https://doi.org/10.1111/ceo.14537

Preprint

Hewitt, BJ, Ali, M, Hubbard, J, Hill, LJ & Botfield, H 2024 'The double-edged sword of transforming growth factor β 1: a systematic review of pre-clinical stroke models' Research Square. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4687466/v1

Review article

UK mTBI Predict Consortium, Sassani, M, Ghafari, T, Arachchige, PRW, Idrees, I, Gao, Y, Waitt, A, Weaver, SRC, Mazaheri, A, Lyons, HS, Grech, O, Thaller, M, Witton, C, Bagshaw, AP, Wilson, M, Park, H, Brookes, M, Novak, J, Mollan, SP, Hill, LJ, Lucas, SJE, Mitchell, JL, Sinclair, AJ, Mullinger, K & Fernandez-Espejo, D 2025, 'Current and prospective roles of magnetic resonance imaging in mild traumatic brain injury', Brain Communications. https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcaf120

UK mTBI Predict Consortium, Lyons, HS, Sassani, M, Thaller, M, Yiangou, A, Grech, O, Mollan, SP, Wilson, DR, Lucas, SJE, Mitchell, JL, Hill, LJ & Sinclair, AJ 2024, 'Evaluating the Phenotypic Patterns of Post-Traumatic Headache: A Systematic Review of Military Personnel', Military medicine. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usae353

Anwar, R, Bellamy Plaice, G, Geddes, A, Botfield, HF, Hill, LJ & Masood, I 2024, 'Understanding Factors Contributing to Glaucoma in Populations of African Descent', Journal of Clinical & Translational Ophthalmology, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 155-170. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcto2040013

Khatkar, P, Hubbard, JC, Hill, L, Sinclair, AJ & Mollan, SP 2023, 'Experimental drugs for the treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH): shedding light on phase I and II trials', Expert opinion on investigational drugs. https://doi.org/10.1080/13543784.2023.2288073

Shahzad, H, Mahmood, S, McGee, S, Hubbard, J, Haque, S, Paudyal, V, Denniston, AK, Hill, LJ & Jalal, Z 2023, 'Non-adherence and non-persistence to intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis', Systematic Reviews, vol. 12, no. 1, 92. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-023-02261-x

Thomas, CN, Sim, DA, Lee, WH, Alfahad, N, Dick, AD, Denniston, A & Hill, LJ 2022, 'Emerging therapies and their delivery for treating age-related macular degeneration', British Journal of Pharmacology, vol. 179, no. 9, pp. 1908-1937. https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.15459

View all publications in research portal