Dr Selvambigai Manivannan

Dr Selvambigai Manivannan

Department of Metabolism and Systems Science
Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Selvambigai Manivannan is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow working with Associate Professor Vicki Smith in the Department of Metabolism and Systems Science (MSS). Her current research interests include elucidating the dysregulated signaling pathways and downstream targets implicated in promoting thyroid cancer metastasis and invasion. In particular, by using advanced microscopy, proteomics and cell biological techniques, Selvambigai is investigating the precise role of proto-oncogene signaling [e.g. PTTG1-Binding Factor (PBF)] in thyroid cancer cell motility. This work aims to identify novel therapeutic targets and approaches for improving thyroid cancer treatment.

Qualifications

  • Associate Fellow of Higher Education Academy (AFHEA), 2018
  • PhD (Molecular Cell Biology) University of Groningen, Netherlands, 2014
  • MSc (University Rank Holder with Honours in Life Sciences), Bharathidasan University, Trichy, India, 2009

Teaching

  • Medicine and Surgery MBChB Year 2 - Understanding Thyroid Function
  • MRes - Cancer Metastasis and Invasion
  • Pharmacy MPharm - Understanding Thyroid Function
  • Medicine and Surgery MBChB Year 1 - Research Taster
  • Biomedical Science BSc & MSc - Research Supervision

Other activities

Current member of the following societies

  • American Thyroid Association (ATA)
  • The British Endocrine Society (BES)
  • British Society of Cell Biology (BSCB)
  • European Association for Cancer research (EACR)
  • British Association of Cancer Biology (BACR)
  • British Mass Spectrometry Society (BMSS)
  • Editorial Board Member for Journal of Biomolecular Concepts.
  • Editorial Board Member for International Journal of Biotechnology and Biomaterials Engineering.

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Poole, VL, Alshahrani, M, Manivannan, S, Landa, I, Hariharan, A, Thompson, RJ, Kocbiyik, M, Thornton, CEM, Brookes, K, Fletcher, A, Boelaert, K, Read, ML, McCabe, CJ & Smith, VE 2025, 'Targeting Src Tyrosine Kinase to Enhance Radioiodide Uptake in Breast Cancer', Endocrine-related cancer, vol. 32, no. 8, e240312. https://doi.org/10.1530/ERC-24-0312

Manivannan, S, Kocbiyik, M, Banga, D, Nieto, H, Thomas, S, Read, M, McCabe, C & Smith, V 2024, 'Proto-oncogene regulation of thyroid cancer cell motility through altered focal adhesions', Thyroid, vol. 34, no. S1, Poster 0208, pp. A52-A52. https://doi.org/10.1089/thy.2024.89756.rc.abstracts

Read, M, Brookes, K, Zha, L, Manivannan, S, Kim, J, Kocbiyik, M, Fletcher, A, Gorvin, CM, Firth, G, Fruhwirth, G, Nicola, J, Jhiang, S, Ringel, M, Campbell, M, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Boelaert, K, Nieto, H, Smith, V & McCabe, C 2023, 'Combined Vorinostat and Chloroquine Inhibit Sodium Iodide Symporter Endocytosis and Enhance Radionuclide Uptake In Vivo', Clinical Cancer Research. https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-2043

Abstract

Banga, D, Manivannan, S, Hariharan, A, Nieto, H, Brookes, K, Read, M, McCabe, C, Heath, V & Smith, V 2025, 'A potential new role for the proto-oncogene PBF in endocrine cancer as a regulator of endothelial cells and angiogenesis', Endocrine Abstracts, vol. 109, P94. https://doi.org/10.1530/endoabs.109.P94

Read, M, Brookes, K, Fear, J, Wongsanit, S, Small, B, Jones, A, Pham, T, Khine, M, Manivannan, S, Nieto, H, Stover, D, Jhiang, S, Kannappan, V, Wang, W, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Ringel, M, Campbell, M, Boelaert, K, Smith, V & McCabe, C 2025, 'Combinatorial drug strategy targeting sodium iodide symporter (NIS) activity enhances radionuclide uptake in breast and thyroid settings in vivo', Endocrine Abstracts, vol. 109, OC2.6. https://doi.org/10.1530/endoabs.109.OC2.6

Read, M, Brookes, K, Fear, JS, Wongsanit, S, Small, B, Jones, A, Manivannan, S, Khine, MT, Pharm, T, Nieto, H, Stover, D, Kannappan, V, Wang, W, Blower, P, Sunassee, K, Ringel, M, Campbell, M, Boelaert, K, Smith, VE & McCabe, CJ 2025, 'Dual targeting of sodium iodide symporter (NIS) maximises radionuclide uptake in breast and thyroid cancer with implications for stratifying patient recurrence risk', Thyroid Research, vol. 18, no. Suppl 1, OR5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13044-025-00258-3

Read, ML, Brookes, K, Fear, JS, Wongsanit, S, Khine, MT, Small, B, Thornton, CEM, Moolla, M, Jones, A, Kim, J, Manivannan, S, Pharm, TT, Nieto, HR, Stover, DG, Kannappan, V, Wang, W, Blower, PJ, Sunassee, K, Ringel, MD, Campbell, MJ, Boelaert, K, Smith, VE & McCabe, CJ 2025, 'Dual Targeting using SAHA and Diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC)-Metal Complexes Augments Sodium Iodide Symporter Function in Thyroid and Breast Cancer', Thyroid, vol. 35, no. S1, Oral 028, pp. e10-e10. https://doi.org/10.1177/10507256251379060

Manivannan, S, Kocbiyik, M, Banga, D, Nieto, H, Thomas, S, Read, ML, McCabe, CJ & Smith, VE 2025, 'PBF-Mediated Focal Adhesion Dynamics: A Key Driver of Thyroid Cancer Cell Motility', Thyroid, vol. 35, no. S1, Poster 174, pp. e39-e39. https://doi.org/10.1177/10507256251379060

Manivannan, S, Kocbiyik, M, Banga, D, Nieto, HR, Thomas, S, Read, ML, McCabe, CJ & Smith, VE 2025, 'PBF‑Mediated Focal Adhesion Dynamics: A Key Driver of Thyroid Cancer Cell Motility', Thyroid Research, vol. 18, no. Suppl 1, OR3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13044-025-00258-3

Manivannan, S, Kocbiyik, M, Banga, D, Hariharan, A, Nieto, H, Thomas, S, Read, M, McCabe, C & Smith, V 2025, 'PBF-mediated focal adhesion dynamics: a key driver of thyroid cancer cell motility', Endocrine Abstracts, vol. 109, OP5.1. https://doi.org/10.1530/endoabs.109.OP5.1

Manivannan, S, Kocbiyik, M, Banga, D, Afzal, A, Zha, L, Brookes, K, Nieto, HR, Thomas, S, Read, ML, McCabe, CJ & Smith, VE 2024, 'Proto-oncogene PBF regulation of cell adhesion and motility', Thyroid Research, vol. 17, no. S1, PO3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13044-024-00203-w

Brookes, K, Zha, L, Small, B, Kim, J, Manivannan, S, Thornton, C, Kannappan, V, Wang, W, Nieto, H, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Smith, V, Read, M & McCabe, C 2023, 'A copper-based metabolite of disulfiram upregulates sodium iodide symporter (NIS) gene expression to enhance thyroidal uptake of radionuclides in vivo', Endocrine Abstracts, vol. 94, OC7.1. https://doi.org/10.1530/endoabs.94.OC7.1

Manivannan, S, Banga, D, Kocbiyik, M, Read, M, Zha, L, Brookes, K, Nieto, H, McCabe, C & Smith, V 2023, 'A critical role for the proto-oncogene PBF in regulating cellular adhesion and motility in thyroid cancer', Endocrine Abstracts, vol. 94, OC2.6. https://doi.org/10.1530/endoabs.94.OC2.6

Brookes, K, Zha, L, Kim, J, Small, B, Kocbiyik, M, Manivannan, S, Kannappan, V, Wang, W, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Nieto, H, Smith, V, Read, M & McCabe, C 2023, 'Copper-based therapeutics increase sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) transcription and enhance radioiodide uptake in thyroid cancer cells', Endocrine Abstracts, vol. 90, OC11.1. https://doi.org/10.1530/endoabs.90.OC11.1

Preprint

Read, M, Brookes, K, Zha, L, Manivannan, S, Kim, J, Kocbiyik, M, Fletcher, A, Gorvin, CM, Firth, G, Fruhwirth, G, Nicola, J, Jhiang, S, Ringel, M, Campbell, M, Sunassee, K, Blower, P, Boelaert, K, Nieto, H, Smith, V & McCabe, C 2023 'Dissecting endocytic mechanisms reveals new molecular targets to enhance sodium iodide symporter activity with clinical relevance to radioiodide therapy' bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.05.22.541733

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