Professor Helen McGettrick PhD, MSc, BSc, FHEA

Helen McGettrick

Department of Inflammation and Ageing
Professor of Inflammation and Vascular Biology
Department Head of Research

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 371 3228
Email
h.m.mcgettrick@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
Department of Inflammation and Ageing
College of Medicine and Health
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK
Therapeutic avenues in bone repair: PEPITEM

As an experimental biologist with over 18 years research experience, Professor Helen McGettrick has gained a recognised international reputation for her innovative and distinctive research in the fields of inflammation, vascular and stromal biology in health and disease, and in particular the use of innovative experimental approaches to develop our understanding of clinically significant conditions.

She leads the Inflammation, Vascular and Bone research group at the University of Birmingham. With her team, she has developed a portfolio of novel 3D multi-cellular, multi-layered in vitro models (co-cultures, organoids, organ/tissue-on-chip) and combines these with ex vivo patient sample analysis, preclinical models of disease and big-data to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning inflammation and tissue repair in health, with age and in disease with the view of translating these findings for patient benefit.

Her team focuses on numerous different diseases spanning immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease); musculoskeletal disorders (including osteoporosis and scoliosis) and cancers (namely pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma).

She has received funding from UKRI (Medical Research Council), UK Charities (e.g., Wellcome Trust, Versus Arthritis, British Heart Foundation, Chernavojsky Foundation), International Funders (e.g., Wellcome Leap, National Institute for Health) and Pharma companies (e.g., F Hoffmann-La Roche Ag, Pfizer, Novartis).

Qualifications

  • Professional Certificate in Academic Practice - University of Birmingham, 2016
  • PhD in Medical Science - University of Birmingham, 2006
  • MSc in Immunology – Distinction, University of Birmingham, 2002
  • BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry - First Class, University of Lancaster, 2001

Biography

Helen graduated from the University of Lancaster in 2001 with a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry, during this course she spent a year studying aboard at Oregon State University, USA.

She obtained a MSc in Immunology from the University of Birmingham in 2002, undertaking a research project looking at neutrophil apoptosis (cell death) with Janet Lord and Dagmar Scheel-Toellner in the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing. She subsequently joined Gerard Nash’s Cardiovascular Rheology Group in the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, where she completed her PhD in Medical Sciences in 2006.

In 2011, she was appointed as a University Fellow in Inflammation Biology within the System Science for Health multidisciplinary translational research consortium at Birmingham and subsequently was was awarded a five year Arthritis Research Career Development Fellowship to explore the role of synovial fibroblasts in regulating leukocyte accumulation during the development of persistent arthritis. Moreover, she was awarded the prestigious “Garrod Prize” by the British Society for Rheumatology in 2016.

Helen continued her research at Birmingham where she successfully established the Inflammation, Vascular and Bone (IVB) research group. IVB focuses on dissecting the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning inflammation and tissue repair in health, with age and in disease, with the view of translating these findings for patient benefit. For more information on the on-going projects in the team see the Research Tab below.

In 2017, Helen was appointed as a Senior Research Fellow (Associate Professor) in Inflammation Biology, and was promoted to Reader in Inflammation and Vascular Biology in 2021.

Helen was the the Director of the Integrated PhD in Life Sciences Doctoral Training Programme (iDTP) in Life Sciences for Health from 2018 - 2024. 

During her time as elected England Representative on the British Society of Immunology (BSI) Members Forum, a member of the BSI Annual Congress Committee, the Deputy President for the UK Cell Adhesion Society and Associate Editor for the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, she is/has been actively involved in supporting others to shape the immunology and leukocyte biology research landscape. She continues to act as a mentor for researchers at all stages of their careers and hosts staff/students as part of research mobility exchange programmes.

Helen was promoted to Professor of Inflammation and Vascular Biology in 2024.

Teaching

Postgraduate

  • Director of the Integrated PhD in Life Sciences Doctoral Training Programme
  • Immunology and Immunotherapy MSc
  • Cardiovascular Science

Undergraduate

  • Medical Science BMedSc - Year 3 Immunity and Inflammatory Diseases
  • Medical Science BMedSc - Year 3 Cardiovascular Sciences
  • Medicine and Surgery MBChB - Personal Academic Tutor

Widening Participation

Academic Lead

Access to Birmingham – Biomedical Sciences

Assignment Tutor

Access to Birmingham – Biomedical Sciences

Professor McGettrick and her team continue to support the research development of students interested in joining the team for either summer placements, undergraduate or postgraduate dissertation projects or as part of student mobility from partner organisations.

Postgraduate supervision

Helen currently supervises PhD students on the following projects:

  • Characterising the therapeutic potential of a novel peptide in age-related bone loss, skeletal remodelling and repair 
  • Regulators of endothelial cell galectin expression in health and disease
  • PEPITEM regulation of innate immune cell phenotype and function in health, with age and in disease
  • Investigating the role of Galectin-9 on macrophage polarisation and function

Anyone interested in joining the team please see opportunities on find-a-phd:

For researchers who are considering undertaking a PhD in Life Sciences at Birmingham and have secured funding or are eligible for funding from local sources, please contact idtp@contacts.bham.ac.uk. 

Research

IVB is currently seeking to further our understanding of resilience to stress events (inflammation, age, surgery, menopause) over the life-course and develop innovative biomarkers and/or therapeutics to tackle “stress event” induced frailty within the population.

This research portfolio includes 5 major themes:

  • Dissecting the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning resilience to a “stress” event over the life-course, with the view of identifying hallmarks of resilience and/or frailty and potential therapeutic targets/interventions to take into clinical trials [currently funded by Wellcome Leap Dynamic Resilience].
  • Characterising the role of PEPITEM in regulating leukocyte and stromal cell biology under homeostatic conditions, in response to tissue injury, acute or chronic inflammation or natural ageing [currently funded by MRC and Connect Immune].
  • Dissecting the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning pathology in IBD and identification of novel targets for therapeutic intervention and/or patient stratification [currently funded by F Hoffmann-La Roche Ag].
  • Understanding the importance of galectins in regulating endothelial and leukocyte function in health, during inflammation or infection or in cancer [currently funded by Wellcome Trust].
  • Creating a stable PEPITEM derivate and conducting a preclinical translational pipeline, for use in rheumatological and/or musculoskeletal disorders.

Other activities

Editoral Board

  • Journal of Leukocyte Biology (2022-present)
  • Scientific Reports (2015 - 2021) 
  • Annals of Autoimmunity and Research

Committee Membership

External (last 10 years)

  • Royal Free London– Research Panel Member (2023 - present)
  • European Commission Expert Panel Member and Rapporteur (H2020-DIAMOND) (2023 - present)
  • British Society of Immunology Congress Committee (2022-2027)
  • Versus Arthritis – Priorities 2023 – Accelerating Diagnosis and Treatment Funding Recommendation Panel (2022-2023)
  • Arthritis Research UK – Career Development Fellowship Committee (2022 - present)
  • Arthritis Research UK – Foundation Fellowship Committee (2022 - 2023)
  • British Society of Immunology Forum Regional Representative for England (2018 - 2023)
  • Arthritis Research UK – PhD Studentship Committee (2017 - 2021)
  • British Society of Rheumatology – Mentor for Rheumatology researchers mentoring scheme (2017 - 2020)
  • European Commission Expert Evaluator and Panel Member (H2020-MSCA-IF) (2016 - present)
  • Arthritis Research UK – College of Experts (2016 - present)
  • UK Cell Adhesion Society Committee Member (2014 - 2023)
  • BSI Leukocyte Migration Affinity Group Committee Member (2013 - 2022)

Internal (last 5 years)

  • I&A PGR Committee – International Lead (2023 - present)
  • CMH Research Development Fund – Panel Member (2023 - present)
  • CMH Global Engagement Group – Member (2021 - present)
  • Department of Inflammation and Ageing (IIA) Head of Global Engagement (2021 - present)
  • Academic Mentor for CMH ECR (2019 - present)
  • CMH Internationalisation Strategy and Recruitment Steering Group – Member (2019 - 2020)
  • I&A Committee for Education – Member (2019 - present)
  • CMH College Education Committee – Member (2019 - 2023)
  • Integrated PhD DTP Management Committee – Chair (2018 - present)
  • Director of the Integrated Doctoral Training Programme (DTP) (2018 - present)
  • CMH Postgraduate Research Committee – Member (2018 - present)
  • I&A Deputy Lead for Education (2018 - 2023)

Conference Organisation (last 6 years)

  • BSI - Annual Congress – Belfast (2023)
  • BSI - Annual Congress – Liverpool (2022)
  • UK Cell Adhesion Society Monthly Seminar Series (2021 - 2023)
  • Birmingham Inflammation, Repair and Ageing Conference (BIRA) - Birmingham, UK (2021)
  • BSI - “Autoimmunity, Metabolism and Migration” - Liverpool (2019)
  • 31st UK Adhesion Society Meeting - Birmingham, UK (2019)
  • 3rd BSI Leukocyte Migration Group (LMG) Meeting - Leeds, UK (2017)
  • 1st British Microcirculation Society and UK Cell Adhesion Society Joint Meeting - Birmingham, UK (2017)
  • BSI/NVVI Congress Session - “Anatomy of an immune response” - jointly hosted by LMG - Manchester (2016)

Membership and Affiliation

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • British Society of Rheumatology
  • British Society of Immunology
  • Society of Leukocyte Biology

Prizes and Awards

  • Garrod Prize - British Society of Rheumatology, 2016
  • European League of Rheumatism - Basic Science Oral Highlights Session, 2015
  • Enterprise Birmingham Innovation Competition - 2nd Place, 2015

Publications

Highlight publications

Croft, AP, Campos, J, Jansen, K, Turner, JD, Marshall, J, Attar, M, Savary, L, Wehmeyer, C, Naylor, AJ, Kemble, S, Begum, J, Dürholz, K, Perlman, H, Barone, F, Mcgettrick, HM, Fearon, DT, Wei, K, Raychaudhuri, S, Korsunsky, I, Brenner, MB, Coles, M, Sansom, SN, Filer, A & Buckley, CD 2019, 'Distinct fibroblast subsets drive inflammation and damage in arthritis', Nature, vol. 570, no. 7760, pp. 246–251 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1263-7

Filer, A, Ward, LSC, Kemble, S, Davies, C, Munir, H, Rogers, R, Raza, K, Buckley, C, Nash, G & McGettrick, H 2017, 'Identification of a transitional fibroblast functional phenotype in very early rheumatoid arthritis', Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, vol. 76, no. 12, pp. 2105-2112. https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-211286

Hopkin, SJ, Pezhman, L, Begum, J, Kavanagh, D, McGettrick, HM, Iqbal, AJ & Chimen, M 2023, 'Aging modulates homeostatic leukocyte trafficking to the peritoneal cavity in a sex-specific manner', Journal of Leukocyte Biology, pp. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1093/jleuko/qiad053

Saviano, A, Manosour, AA, Raucci, F, Merlino, F, Marigliano, N, Schettino, A, Wahid, M, Begum, J, Filer, A, Manning, JE, Casillo, GM, Piccolo, M, Ferraro, MG, Marzano, S, Russomanno, P, Bellavita, R, Irace, C, Amato, J, Alfaifi, M, Rimmer, P, Iqbal, T, Pieretti, S, Vellecco, V, Caso, F, Costa, L, Giacomelli, R, Scarpa, R, Cirino, G, Bucci, M, McGettrick, HM, Grieco, P, Iqbal, AJ & Maione, F 2023, 'New biologic (Ab-IPL-IL-17) for IL-17-mediated diseases: identification of the bioactive sequence (nIL-17) for IL-17A/F function', Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, vol. 82, no. 11, pp. 1415-1428. https://doi.org/10.1136/ard-2023-224479

Recent publications

Article

Lightfoot, A, Lewis, JW, Patten, DA, Shetty, S, Hewett, PW, Mansour, AA, McGettrick, HM & Iqbal, AJ 2025, 'Differential expression of endothelial derived galectins in response to shear stress', Experimental Cell Research, vol. 447, no. 2, 114521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yexcr.2025.114521

Ferapontov, A, Mellemkjær, A, McGettrick, HM, Vorup-Jensen, T, Kragstrup, TW & Juul-Madsen, K 2025, 'Large soluble CD18 complexes with exclusive ICAM-1-binding properties are shed during immune cell migration in inflammation', Journal of translational autoimmunity, vol. 10, 100266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtauto.2025.100266

Saviano, A, Apta, B, Tull, S, Pezhman, L, Fatima, A, Sevim, M, Mete, A, Chimen, M, Schettino, A, Marigliano, N, McGettrick, HM, Iqbal, AJ, Maione, F & Rainger, GE 2025, 'PEPITEM, its tripeptide pharmacophores and their peptidomimetic analogues regulate the inflammatory response through parenteral and topical dosing in models of peritonitis and psoriasis', Pharmacological Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2025.107624

Lewis, JW, Frost, K, Neag, G, Adams, H, Powell, E, Gallagher, O, Bellantuono, I, Naylor, AJ & McGettrick, HM 2025, 'Protocol for assessing the structural architecture, integrity, and cellular composition of murine bone ex vivo', STAR Protocols, vol. 6, no. 2, 103843. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2025.103843

Welch, C, Acharjee, A, Birch, R, Lourenco Rocha De Magalhaes, JP, Duggal, NA, Hainsworth, A, R. Hombrebueno, J, Jones, SW, Lewis, J, Mazaheri, A, McGettrick, HM, Nicholson, T, Partridge, J, Pinkney, T, Steves, CJ, Tomkova, K, Wilson, D & Jackson, TA 2025, 'Protocol for the REBOUND study: a cohort study to uncover fundamental mechanisms of accelerated ageing and impaired resilience following cancer surgery and treatment', BMC Geriatrics, vol. 25, 502. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06109-y

Saviano, A, Schettino, A, Iaccarino, N, Abo Mansour, A, Begum, J, Marigliano, N, Raucci, F, Romano, F, Riccardi, G, Mitidieri, E, d'Emmanuele di Villa Bianca, R, Bello, I, Panza, E, Smimmo, M, Vellecco, V, Rimmer, P, Cheesbrough, J, Zhi, Z, Iqbal, TH, Pieretti, S, D'Amore, VM, Marinelli, L, La Pietra, V, Sorrentino, R, Costa, L, Caso, F, Scarpa, R, Cirino, G, Randazzo, A, Bucci, M, McGettrick, HM, Iqbal, AJ & Maione, F 2024, 'A reverse translational approach reveals the protective roles of Mangifera indica in inflammatory bowel disease', Journal of Autoimmunity, vol. 144, 103181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaut.2024.103181

Abudu, O, Nguyen, D, Millward, I, Manning, JE, Wahid, M, Lightfoot, A, Marcon, F, Merard, R, Margielewska-Davies, S, Roberts, K, Brown, R, Powell-Brett, S, Nicol, SM, Zayou, F, Croft, WD, Pearce, H, Moss, P, Iqbal, AJ & McGettrick, HM 2024, 'Interplay in galectin expression predicts patient outcomes in a spatially restricted manner in PDAC', Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, vol. 172, 116283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116283

Manning, JE, Harris, E, Mathieson, H, Sorensen, L, Luqmani, R, McGettrick, HM, Morgan, AW, Young, SP & Mackie, SL 2024, 'Polymyalgia rheumatica shows metabolomic alterations that are further altered by glucocorticoid treatment: Identification of metabolic correlates of fatigue', Journal of Autoimmunity, vol. 147, 103260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaut.2024.103260

Hopkin, SJ, Nathan, P, Pezhman, L, Begum, J, Manning, JE, Quinn, LM, Rainger, GE, McGettrick, HM, Iqbal, AJ & Chimen, M 2024, 'Rejuvenation of leukocyte trafficking in aged mice through PEPITEM intervention', npj Aging, vol. 10, no. 1, 33. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41514-024-00160-6

Lewis, JW, Frost, K, Neag, G, Wahid, M, Finlay, M, Northall, E, Abudu, O, Davis, E, Powell, E, Palmer, C, Lu, J, Rainger, E, Iqbal, A, Chimen, M, Mahmood, A, Jones, S, Edwards, J, Naylor, A & McGettrick, H 2024, 'Therapeutic avenues in bone repair: Harnessing an anabolic osteopeptide, PEPITEM, to boost bone growth and prevent bone loss', Cell Reports Medicine, vol. 5, no. 5, 101574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101574

Frost, K, Lewis, JW, Jones, SW, Edwards, JR, Naylor, AJ & McGettrick, HM 2024, 'The Species Effect: Differential Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Responses in the Bone in Human Versus Mouse', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 25, no. 10, 5118. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25105118

Neag, G, Lewis, J, Turner, J, Manning, J, Dean, I, Finlay, M, Poologasundarampillai, G, Woods, J, Arham Sahu, M, Khan, KA, Begum, J, McGettrick, H, Bellantuono, I, Heath, V, Jones, S, Buckley, C, Bicknell, R & Naylor, A 2024, 'Type-H endothelial cell protein Clec14a orchestrates osteoblast activity during trabecular bone formation and patterning', Communications Biology, vol. 7, 1296. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06971-3

Baruah, P, Marshall, J, Jones, PN, Major, T, Pucino, V, O'Neil, JD, Nefla, M, McGettrick, H, Monksfield, P, Irving, R & Buckley, CD 2023, 'Fibroblasts Derived From Vestibular Schwannoma Express Protumorogenic Markers', Otology & Neurotology. https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0000000000004011

Review article

Northall, E, Grover, L, McGettrick, H, Newton Ede, M, Naylor, A & Jones, S 2025, 'Integrating intrinsic musculoskeletal pathology and genetics: Recent advances in unravelling the causative factors of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis', Bone Reports, vol. 27, 101882. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bonr.2025.101882

Chidomere, CI, Wahid, M, Kemble, S, Chadwick, C, Thomas, R, Hardy, RS, Mcgettrick, HM & Naylor, AJ 2023, 'Bench to Bedside: Modelling Inflammatory Arthritis', Discovery Immunology, vol. 2, no. 1, kyac010. https://doi.org/10.1093/discim/kyac010

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