Research Experience

PhD Bath University (1990)

Post Doctoral Positions (1990-2009)

Bristol University, Oxford University & The Buck Institute

for Research on Aging

Consultancy & Committees

London Technology Business Fellow (2006-2010)

Oxford Metabolism Committee (2014-)

MitOX (2009-)

Current Research Funding

ME Association UK, UK Spine Bridge and  MLSTF Oxford

Group Members

Tiffany Lodge (Post Doctoral Researcher)

Inga Williams  (PhD  Student)

Jamie Strong (Data Assistant)

Sarah Hutchinson ( Post Doctoral Researcher)

Megan Stoker (MRes Student)

James Hulit ( Post Doctoral Fellow)

Edie Guo (PhD Student)

Morten Group ME/CFS Research Website

https://www.mortengroup.org.uk/

New Crowd funding

A call for funding for five new projects allows us to generate new data following on from our current research. This will take us closer to being competitive in open funding calls with the larger funding bodies.

We are currently working hard to publish our research generated over the last 3-4 years funded by grants from the ME Association. The papers and crowd funding will allow us to expand our research and bring in the experienced people we need to turn Oxford into a leading research centre for ME/CFS, Long Covid, Chronic Lyme Disease and PANS PANDAS

I  run an active research group with a focus on understanding the role  of mitochondria in health and disease.

Current projects include

• targeting energy metabolism as a therapeutic strategy in cancer and
• identifying fatigue associated blood factors in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)
• development of Raman Microscopy as a tool to study energy metabolism and drug accumulation

Establishing collaborative research projects is one of my major passions and I am always interested in discussing exciting new projects.

Individuals interested in research in any of the areas mentioned are welcome to email me.

Enquiries from prospective PhD students are also welcome 

Collaborations within NDWRH

• Professor Joanna Poulton:  Investigating the pathogenesis and treatment strategies in patients with mitochondrial disease. Joanna and I have worked together on a wide range of projects for over 20 years
• Dr Helen Townley:  Nanotherapeutic delivery of anti-cancer therapeutics. Project supported by Williams fund. Helen and I work closely developing novel nanoparticle drug combinations which can target cancer cell metabolism. Helen is part of NDWRH and  runs a laboratory at the Begbroke Science Park.
• Dr  Suzannah Williams: Developing metabolic tools to study follicular development.

Collaborations within Oxford

• Professor James McCullagh (Department of Chemistry). Using plasma mass spectrometry analysis to increase our understanding of ME/CFS.
• Professor Wei Huang (Department of Engineering). Exploring the use of Raman Microscopy as a diagnostic tool in ME/CFS and as a tool to study the biology of aging in vitro in collaboration with Horiba.
• Professor Helen Dawes and Dr Ryan Pink (Oxford Brookes University). Investigating the impact of plasma factors generated during exercise on cellular energetics from healthy controls and Parkinson's disease patients.

National  and International Collaborators

• Professor Jeung Sang Go (Pussan National University, South Korea). Various microfluidic projects including i) Continual synthesis of protein-loaded nanoparticles, ii) microvesicle separation, and iii) 3D perfusion models for continual cell culture.
• SoftCell Biologicals and the Dove Clinic: Understanding the changes in plasma L-form bacterial load in ME/CFS patients following faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and the link to clinical improvement.
• Professor Elisa Oltra (Catholic University of Valencia San Vincente Martir): The role of exosomes and plasma factors in ME/CFS.
• Dr Pawel Zalewski (Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland): Pawel is an essential clinical collaborator for our ME/CFS research programme providing us with clinically diagnosed patient plasma samples for our various research studies. The impact of a structured exercise programme and cryotherapy on clinical and biological markers of ME/CFS is also being explored.

Mitox event

The MitOX meeting at John Radcliffe Hospital is an annual meeting which brings together mitochondrial enthusiasts from Oxford and the South East. With around 150 delegates attending, the event is a fusion of face-to-face and online delegates and talks.

New cutting Edge research IN diagnostics and the identification of causal factors in ME/CFs, Long Covid and PANS PANDAS

We are looking to maintain momentum with a series of small research projects that build on our promising research.

1. Intervention and Longitudinal studies which aim to move beyond simple associations and identify causal elements in ME/CFS and Long Covid 
2. Diagnostic projects looking to identify a diagnostic signature in ME/CFS, Long Covid and PANS PANDAS

Donations

Your donation will help fund vital research into the causes of ME/CFS, Long Covid, and PANS/PANDAS — bringing us closer to earlier diagnosis, better treatments, and improved care.

With 20–30 million people affected worldwide, and countless more impacted through family and friends, your support can help us reach our target and make a real difference.