Dr Richard Webb

Since joining Cardiff Met in 2003, I have been active in the design, development, delivery and evaluation of several taught programmes, both solely within the Biomedical Science subject area (MSc Biomedical Sciences, BSc Biomedical Science, BSc Healthcare Science, HND Biomedical Science, Foundation in Health Science), and also on an interdisciplinary basis (BSc Biomedical Sciences (Health, Exercise and Nutrition)). Specifically, I contribute teaching in the discipline areas of Cell Biology, Molecular Biology (including Bioinformatics and Biomolecular analysis), Biochemistry (including Medical Biochemistry), and Research Methods (including Translational Research, and Research Project supervision).

Also, I provide pastoral care/personal tutorship to personal tutees, and act as Teaching Advisor/Mentor for staff studying part-time on Cardiff Met's 'PGCE-Teaching in Higher Education' programme.

I contribute more than 150 hours of teaching per academic year to over 500 students, on the following modules:

Undergraduate

ASF3012 Key Skills in Health Science

APS4001/APS4007/SBM4006 Key Skills in Biomedical Science

APS4003/SBM4003 Cell Biology & Genetics - (Module lead)

APS5001 Molecular Cell Biology

APS6003 Biomolecular Analysis

SBM6001 Sports Medicine

SBM6005 Special Topics in Health, Exercise & Nutrition - (Module Lead)

APS6021 Translational Research

APS6022/APS6001 BSc Research Project

Postgraduate

MBS7000 Medical Biochemistry

MBS7001 Advanced Medical Biochemistry

MBS7022 Molecular Biology

MBS7010 MSc Research Project

My career has involved a PhD (1990-5), three post-doctoral researcher posts (1996-2003), and over a decade as a specialist researcher within Cardiff Met (2003-15). Thus, I have carried out research investigating cell signalling for >20 years in several different universities/research groups; during this period, I have obtained approximately £0.5M external research funding, supervised 9 PhD studies to completion, acted as examiner at 6 PhD viva examinations, and co-authored 28 peer-reviewed publications (as well as numerous conference presentations etc). These activities led to my inclusion in Cardiff Met's REF 2014 submission.

Current Research Themes:

a) Investigations of Ca²⁺ and/or lipid-related cell signaling events relevant to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and environmental risk.

These activities are a direct continuation of the research themes pursued earlier in my career. Particular interests include the impact of excess lipids ('lipotoxicity'), and of nanoparticles, on cellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis. They involve collaborations with Prof Malcolm East (Southampton University), Prof Marian Ludgate, and Drs Emyr Lloyd-Evans, Tim Hughes, Derek Lang and Chris George (Cardiff University), and Prof Shareen Doak and Dr Martin Clift (Swansea University).

b) Translational research/consultancy applying my expertise in cell signalling research to the investigation of cell signalling events triggered by participation in exercise, and therefore evaluation of exercise-associated health benefits.

These research activities involve collaboration/consultancy studies with regard to carrying out evaluation of exercise programmes, both in-house and those provided by several external community-based/clinical/commercial partners:

• Valleys Regional Park Ltd (2010-ongoing; contact: Dr David Llewellyn),
• Wales National Exercise Referral Scheme (2011-ongoing; contact: Mrs Jeannie Wyatt-Williams);
• Public Health Wales (2013-ongoing; contact: Dr Malcolm Ward).
• Sport Wales Ltd (2011-ongoing; contact: Mr B. Davies).

Publications (2014 onwards):

1. Maguire, E. Welton, J., Haslett, L., Knifton, H., Shrestha, R., Clark, E., Golke, J., Wager, K, Webb, R., Waller-Evans, H., Lloyd-Evans, E. "Differential effects of curcumin nanoformulations on cellular calcium homeostasis and lysosomal function in Niemann-Pick disease Type C astrocytes" J. Nanomaterials (under review, October 2015).
2. Tom Cullen^1,2*, Andrew W. Thomas³, Richard Webb³, T Phillips⁴, and Michael G. Hughes¹. "sIL-6R is related to weekly training mileage and psychological wellbeing in athletes" Med Sci Sport Exercise (under review, September 2016).
3. Ruffino, J.S., Davies, N.A., Morris, K., Ludgate, M.¹, Zhang, L.¹, Webb, R. and Thomas, A.W*. "Moderate-intensity exercise alters monocyte M1 and M2 marker gene expression in sedentary females: Putative roles for PPARγ and IL-6" Eur J Appl Physiol. 2016;116(9):1671-82. doi: 10.1007/s00421-016-3414-y.
4. Tom Cullen, Andrew Thomas, Richard Webb, and Michael Hughes "Interleukin-6 and associated cytokine responses to an acute bout of high intensity interval exercise: the effect of exercise intensity and volume" Applied Physiol Nut Metab 41: 1–6 (2016) (doi: 10.1139/apnm-2015-0640)
5. Webb R*, Thompson JES, Ruffino J-S, Davies, NA, Watkeys L, Hooper S, Jones PM, Walters G, Clayton, D. Thomas AW, Morris K, Llewellyn DH¹, Ward M², Wyatt-Williams J³, McDonnell BJ. "An Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk-Lowering Health Benefits Accruing from Laboratory-based, Community-based and Exercise-Referral Exercise Programmes" BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Med . 2016; 2: e000089. doi:10.1136/bmjsem-2015-000089
6. Davies, N.A., Watkeys, L., Butcher, L., Potter, S., Hughes, M.G., Moir, H., Morris, K., Thomas, A.W. and Webb, R. "The Roles of Oxidative Stress, Oxidised Lipoproteins and AMPK in Exercise-Associated PPARg Signalling within Human Monocytic Cells" Free Radical Research 2015 Jan; 49(1):45-56. doi: 10.3109/10715762.2014.978311.
7. Cullen, T. Thomas, A.W. Webb, R. Hughes, M.G. "The relationship between interleukin-6 in saliva, venous and capillary plasma, at rest and in response to exercise" Cytokine (2015 Feb) 71(2):397-400. doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2014.10.011.

Conference Presentations (2014 onwards):

1. Theodoulides MKT, Clift MJD, Adams R, Evans S, Webb R, Doak, SH. "Characterisation of dextran-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (dSPION) and their impact on cell viability" Poster presented at Life Sciences National Research Network annual conference, Welsh Government Life Sciences Hub, September 2016.
2. Theodoulides MKT, Clift MJD, Adams R, Brain SJ, Webb R, Doak, SH. "Investigating the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of alternative metal oxide nanoparticles on different cell types in vitro" Poster presented at UK Nanomedicine conference, Swansea University, August 2016.
3. Hicks S. and Webb, R. "Outreach Activities in University Biomedical Sciences Departments" Poster presented at Heads of University Biosciences spring conference, Leicester University, May 2016.
4. Armstrong MK, Singh C, Watkeys LJ, Thekkemuriyil L, Tucker J, Marshall Z, Webb R and McDonnell BJ. "Soluble IL6 Receptor Concentrations are Associated with Augmentation Index in Healthy Young Males". Poster presented at 'Artery' Conference, Krakow, October 2015
5. Richard Webb, Steve Potter, Steve Evans¹, Shareen H. Doak¹, Neenu Singh¹ "Fe₂O₃-USPION nanoparticles induce only transient effects on monocyte [Ca²⁺]_I homeostasis, and these do not appear to be sufficient to impact upon actin cytoskeletal integrity". Poster presented at Biochemistry Society "Calcium Signalling: the next generation" Conference (Charles Darwin House, London, October 2014).
6. Webb, R., Thompson, J.E.S., Hewlett, P., Llewellyn, D., McDonnell, B.J. "The Effect of an 8-week Green-Exercise Programme on Markers of Cardiovascular Risk". Poster presented at The Welsh Environment as a National Health Resource national conference (Snowdonia National Park Conference centre, April 2014). ​

I have held a PGCE qualification since 2005, and am a Fellow of both the Higher Education Academy and the Royal Society of Biology. I am also a member of the following research networks:

1. Welsh Cardiovascular Interdisciplinary Research Group (2004–ongoing).
2. Welsh Diabetes Research Network (2004-ongoing).
3. Wales Life Sciences National Research Network (2014-ongoing).
4. South-East Wales Applied Health Science Partnership (SEWAHSP; 2012-present)

I act as Assessor/Judge of submissions for the Public Health Wales 'Annual Welsh Public Health Conference', and as a reviewer for the following journals/awarding bodies:

1. ​Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB J)
2. Gerontology
3. Free Radical Biology and Medicine
4. Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism
5. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology
6. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports
7. Welsh Government/NISCHR PhD fellowship scheme