Dr John Connelly
Reader in Bioengineering
CPM grant funding strategy lead and manager of CREATE lab
Blizard Institute
Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London
Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London
Research
skin, 3D bioprinting, mechanobiology, regenerative medicine
Interests
My research group focuses on the repair and regeneration of human skin. We develop novel biomaterials and engineered biosystems to model the skin and employ technologies such as micro-fabrication, engineered hydrogels, and 3D bioprinting. This approach has allowed to uncover fundamental mechanisms of tissue homeostasis and wound repair, and a key are of interest is the role of mechanical and biophysical cues in skin regeneration.Publications of specific relevance to Predictive in vitro Models
2021
Laly AC, Sliogeryte K, Pundel OJ, Ross R, Keeling MC, Avisetti D, Waseem A, Gavara N and Connelly JT (2021). The keratin network of intermediate filaments regulates keratinocyte rigidity sensing and nuclear mechanotransduction. Science Advances vol. 7, (5) 10.1126/sciadv.abd61872019
Di Cio S, Iskratsch T, Connelly JT and Gautrot JE (2019). Contractile myosin rings and cofilin-mediated actin disassembly orchestrate ECM nanotopography sensing. Elsevier Biomaterials vol. 232, 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2019.119683Almeida FV, Gammon L, Laly AC, Pundel OJ, Bishop CL and Connelly JT (2019). High‐Content Analysis of Cell Migration Dynamics within a Micropatterned Screening Platform. Wiley Advanced Biosystems 1900011-1900011. 10.1002/adbi.2019000112018
Ghetti M, Topouzi H, Theocharidis G, Papa V, Williams G, Bondioli E, Cenacchi G, Connelly JT and Higgins CA (2018). Subpopulations of dermal skin fibroblasts secrete distinct extracellular matrix: implications for using skin substitutes in the clinic. British Journal of Dermatology vol. 179, (2) 381-393. 10.1111/bjd.16255Kenny FN, Drymoussi Z, Delaine-Smith R, Kao AP, Laly AC, Knight MM, Philpott MP and Connelly JT (2018). Tissue stiffening promotes keratinocyte proliferation through activation of epidermal growth factor signaling. Journal of Cell Science vol. 131, (10) 215780-215780. 10.1242/jcs.2157802017
Pearce OMT, Delaine-Smith R, Maniati E, Nichols S, Wang J, Böhm S, Rajeeve V, Ullah D, Chakravarty P, Jones RR, Montfort A, Dowe T, Gribben J, Jones JL, Kocher HM, Serody JS, Vincent BG, Connelly J, Brenton JD, Chelala C, Cutillas PR, Lockley M, Bessant C, Knight M and Balkwill FR (2017). Deconstruction of a metastatic tumor microenvironment reveals a common matrix response in human cancers. Cancer Discov 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-17-02842016
Sharili AS, Kenny FN, Vartiainen MK and Connelly JT (2016). Nuclear actin modulates cell motility via transcriptional regulation of adhesive and cytoskeletal genes. Sci Rep vol. 6, 33893-33893. 10.1038/srep33893Kao AP, Connelly JT and Barber AH (2016). 3D nanomechanical evaluations of dermal structures in skin. Journal of The Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials vol. 57, 14-23. 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2015.11.017Theocharidis G, Drymoussi Z, Kao AP, Barber AH, Lee DA, Braun KM and Connelly JT (2016). Type VI Collagen Regulates Dermal Matrix Assembly and Fibroblast Motility. J Invest Dermatol vol. 136, (1) 74-83. 10.1038/JID.2015.3522015
Almeida FV, Walko G, McMillan JR, McGrath JA, Wiche G, Barber AH and Connelly JT (2015). The cytolinker plectin regulates nuclear mechanotransduction in keratinocytes. Journal of Cell Science vol. 128, (24) 4475-4486. 10.1242/jcs.1734352014
Costa P, Gautrot JE and Connelly JT (2014). Directing cell migration using micropatterned and dynamically adhesive polymer brushes. Acta Biomater vol. 10, (6) 2415-2422. 10.1016/j.actbio.2014.01.0292012
Driskell RR, Juneja VR, Connelly JT, Kretzschmar K, Tan DW-M and Watt FM (2012). Clonal growth of dermal papilla cells in hydrogels reveals intrinsic differences between Sox2-positive and -negative cells in vitro and in vivo. J Invest Dermatol vol. 132, (4) 1084-1093. 10.1038/jid.2011.428Trappmann B, Gautrot JE, Connelly JT, Strange DGT, Li Y, Oyen ML, Cohen Stuart MA, Boehm H, Li B, Vogel V, Spatz JP, Watt FM and Huck WTS (2012). Extracellular-matrix tethering regulates stem-cell fate. Nature Materials 10.1038/nmat33392010
Connelly JT, Gautrot JE, Trappmann B, Tan DWM, Donati G, Huck WTS and Watt FM (2010). Actin and serum response factor transduce physical cues from the microenvironment to regulate epidermal stem cell fate decisions. Nature Cell Biology vol. 12, (7) 711-718. 10.1038/ncb2074Connelly JT, Vanderploeg EJ, Mouw JK, Wilson CG and Levenston ME (2010). Tensile loading modulates bone marrow stromal cell differentiation and the development of engineered fibrocartilage constructs. Tissue Eng Part A vol. 16, (6) 1913-1923. 10.1089/ten.TEA.2009.05612008
Connelly JT, García AJ and Levenston ME (2008). Interactions between integrin ligand density and cytoskeletal integrity regulate BMSC chondrogenesis. J Cell Physiol vol. 217, (1) 145-154. 10.1002/jcp.214842007
Connelly JT, García AJ and Levenston ME (2007). Inhibition of in vitro chondrogenesis in RGD-modified three-dimensional alginate gels. Biomaterials vol. 28, (6) 1071-1083. 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2006.10.006Grants
Grants of specific relevance to Predictive in vitro Models
PhD studentship: Biophysical effects of Physiogel on human skin equivalentsConnelly JT
£116,000 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (01-10-2019 - 01-10-2023)
PhD studentship: Development of an immune-responsive human skin modelConnelly JT
Medical Research Council (01-10-2019 - 01-03-2023)
Expert technical support for CREATE Lab pump-priming projectsConnelly JT
£240,000 Barts Charity (01-10-2018 - 30-09-2022)
Understanding the mechnobiology of senescence and ageingConnelly JT
£134,000 Dunhill Medical Trust (15-04-2019 - 14-06-2021)
Multiscale nuclear mechanobiology within the skin: from biophysical cues to epigenetic effectsConnelly JT and Gavara N
£469,683 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (01-05-2017 - 30-04-2020)