Dr Laurence Seabra

Senior Lecturer

Chester Medical School
l.seabra@chester.ac.uk
Dr Laurence Seabra

I have strong links with the north west of England having studied at Liverpool and Manchester. I am a cell and molecular biologist with many years of experience and arrived at the University of Chester in 2014. Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Life Sciences is a welcoming and friendly environment and all staff work hard to achieve success. 

I primarily teach in the honours and foundation degrees modules in biomedical science but also teach at the Master and PhD levels. I specialise and derive great satisfaction in investigating protein and gene expression in molecular oncology, cell cycling and molecular genetics. Previously I was the lead post-doctoral fellow discovering gene function in genetic disorders and have completed post-doctoral studies and worked as a teaching fellow studying cell death and cancer therapeutics at Manchester University and the University of Birmingham. As a member of the American Association for Cancer Research for over 10 years I regularly attended and presented at cancer research conferences and have collaborations with worldwide researchers. I have produced research for publications and have a broad level of analytical laboratory practice and adapt quickly to new cutting edge research innovations.

I am the lead for the Health Care Sciences programme and lecture across all academic levels. My teaching areas include clinical medicine, clinical skills, biology of disease and research methods but what I enjoy most is teaching molecular biology. 

My primary area is molecular oncology whereby I research into changes in cell division and cell death following exposure to anti-cancer agents. I also studied medical and molecular genetics by identification of genes involved in genetically inherited disorders. I have acquired a broad range of experimental skills including mammalian transfection and siRNA analysis, DNA sequence analysis, cell culture, DNA and mRNA analysis, cloning and protein expression.

Suggested MPhil/PhD projects:

  • Cell division systems
  • Cancer cell analysis
  • Mutational analysis
  • Tumour Biology
  • Cell signalling

Knockdown of Slingshot 2 (SSH2) serine phosphatase induces Caspase3 activation in human carcinoma cell lines with the loss of the Birt–Hogg–Dube´ tumour suppressor gene (FLCN)
X Lu, U Boora, L Seabra, EM Rabai, J Fenton, A Reiman, Z Nagy and ER Maher.
Oncogene (2013), 1–10

Gene expression and protein array studies of folliculin-regulated pathways. Anne Reiman, Xiaohong Lu, Laurence Seabra, Uncaar Boora, Michael S Nahorski, Wenbin Wei , Eamonn R Maher. Anticancer Research 32: 4663-4670 2012

Folliculin interacts with p0071 (plakophilin-4) and deficiency is associated with disordered RhoA signalling, epithelial polarization and cytokinesis.
Nahorski MS, Seabra L, Straatman-Iwanowska A, Wingenfeld A, Reiman A, Lu X, Klomp JA, Teh BT, Hatzfeld M, Gissen P, Maher ER. Human Molecular Genetics. 2012 Oct 5. .
 
Birt Hogg-Dubé syndrome-associated FLCN mutations disrupt protein stability.
Nahorski MS, Reiman A, Lim DH, Nookala RK, Seabra L, Lu X, Fenton J, Boora U, Nordenskjöld M, Latif F, Hurst LD, Maher ER.
Human Mutation 2011 Aug; 32(8):921-9.
 
Selective anticancer activity of a hexapeptide with sequence homology to a non-kinase domain of Cyclin Dependent Kinase 4.
Hilmar M Warenius, Jeremy D Kilburn, Jon W Essex, Richard I Maurer, Jeremy P Blaydes, Usha Agarwala and Laurence A Seabra.
Molecular Cancer 2011 10; 72 (Funding Cancer Research UK)
 
Therapeutic Targeting the Loss of the Birt-Hogg-Dubé Suppresser Gene
Xiaohong Lu, Wenbin Wei, Janine Fenton, Michael S. Nahorski, Erzsebet Rabai, Anne Reiman, Laurence Seabra, Suzsanna Nagy, Farida Latif and Eamonn R. Maher. Molecular Cancer Therapy 2011 10(1):80-9 (Funding Cancer Research UK)
 
Spontaneous regression of human cancer cells in vitro: potential role of disruption of Cdk1/Cdk4 co-expression. Warenius H, Kyritsi L, Grierson I, Howarth A, Seabra L, Jones M, Thomas C, Browning P, White R. Anticancer Research. 2009 Jun; 29(6):1933-41.
 
Dynamic heterogeneity of proteomic expression in Dynamic heterogeneity of proteomic expression in human cancer cells does not affect Cdk1/Cdk4 co-expression. Warenius H, Howarth A, Seabra L, Kyritsi L, Dormer R, Anandappa S, Thomas C.
Journal of experimental therapeutics & oncology 2008; 7(3):237-54.
 
Theranostic proteomic profiling of cyclins, cyclin dependent kinases and Ras in human cancer cell lines is dependent on p53 mutational status.
Warenius HM, Seabra L, Kyritsi L, White R, Dormer R, Anandappa S, Thomas C, Howarth A. International journal of oncology 2008 Apr;32(4):895-907.
 
Proteomic Co-Expression of Cyclin Dependent Kinases 1 and 4 in Human Cancer Cells.
Seabra, L. Warenius H. European Journal of Cancer 2007 Jun; 43(9):1483-92. 2007.
 
Increase in S100A4 metastatic protein expression in established human malignant rectal carcinoma is linked to increased expression in cell cycle protein.
Seabra L, Warenius H.
GASTROENTEROLOGY 124 (4): S APR 2003.
 
Transfected human CDK4 induces elevated levels of human S100A4 in established malignant ovarian carcinoma cell line.
Seabra L, Jones M, Warenius H
Cancer epidemiology biomarkers & prevention 11 (10): Oct 2002.
 
Combined RAF1 protein expression and p53 mutational status provides a strong predictor of cellular radiosensitivity
Warenius HM, Jones M, Gorman T, McLeish R, Seabra L, Barraclough R, Rudland P
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER 83 (8): 1084-1095 OCT 2000.
 
High cyclin D1 protein expression in the context of p53 mutational status relates to CDDP resistance in human cancer cells.
Warenius HM, Seabra LA, Barraclough R, Rudland PS
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER 78: P42 Suppl. 2 1998 .
 
Late G(1) accumulation after 2 Gy of gamma-irradiation is related to endogenous Raf-1 protein expression and intrinsic radiosensitivity in human cells. Warenius HM, Jones M, Jones MD, Browning PG, Seabra LA, Thompson CCM
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER 77 (8): 1220-1228 APR 1998
 
 
 
PRESENTATIONS AND MEETINGS
 
103rd AACR annual meeting. Chicago Illinois. USA. April 2012
 
4th Annual Birt Hogg Dubé meeting Cincinnati. Ohio USA. March 2012 Altered Wnt pathway signalling in folliculin deficient cells.
Seabra Laurence. Rieman Anne. Uncaar Boora. Xiaohong Lu, Nahorski Michael, Derek Lim, Wenbin Wei, Eamonn Maher.
 
Idebell cancer conference. Mouse models in cancer. Barcelona Spain 7th October 2010
 
101st AACR Washington. USA April 17-21 2010. FLCN-tumor suppressor.
Seabra L. Nahorski M. Rienmann A. Xiaohong Lu. Uncaar B. Lim D. Maher E.
 
4th NCRI Cancer Conference. Birmingham. 4th October 2009.
Investigation of FLCN mutations in renal and colorectal cancers. Nahorski, M. Seabra, L. Lim,D.
 
95th AACR annual Meeting March 27-31, 2004 Orlando, Florida. Changes in cancer cell proliferation by short peptide sequences derived for cell cycle kinases. Seabra L and Warenius H.
 
American gastroenterology association May 17-22, 2003. Orange County Convention Centre. Orlando, FL. USA Increase in S100A4 Metastatic Protein Expression in Established Human Malignant Rectal Carcinoma is linked to Increased Expression in Cell Cycle Protein. Seabra, L. Warenius, H. 2003
 
93rd AACR, Boston, Mass, USA, October 14th-18th 2002. Transfected human CDK4 induces elevated levels of human S100A4 in established malignant ovarian carcinoma cell line. Seabra, L; Jones, M; Warenius, H.
 
ISREC. CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF CANCER. Lausanne, Switzerland 2001 January 18 – 22, 2001. p16INK4A expression is not altered by changes in P53 binding domain following radiation. Seabra, L.A. Warenius, H.M.

International Conference on Basic and Clinical Aspects of Cell Cycle Control. 29-31 May 2000, Sienna, Italy. Changes in cyclin expression following therapeutic radiation and P53 status. Seabra, L.A. Gorman, T. Warenius, H.M.

PhD Medicine Molecular Oncology. University of Liverpool.

MSc Medicine. University of Manchester.

BSc (Hons) Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. University of Manchester.

PG Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Keele University.