PhD, Biomedical Sciences, University of Bradford, UK (1990): Androgen Action in Cultured Dermal Papilla Cells Derived from Human Hair Follicles Funded by the Medical Research Council, UK, Examined by Professor F.J.G. Ebling, University of Sheffield. BSc Biochemistry (Joint Honors), University of East Anglia, UK Graduated PhD Students: Ola Kamala: A comparison of dermal fibroblasts from terminal and vellus hair bearing skin, graduated 2015 Marwa El Sayed: Up-regulated p53 w/w in vitiligo and its possible role in prevention of sun induced skin cancers compared to melanoma associated leukoderma (MAL), graduated 2015 Tareg Hadeiba: The role of iron in oxidative stress induced accelerated endothelial dysfunction in chronic kidney disease, graduated 2015 Elena Pomari: Local synthesis of sex steroids in human skin and the hair follicle, Funded by the University of Padova, Italy; graduated 2011 Khatera Zemaryalai: Investigations into the roles of potassium channels in hair growth, graduated 2010 Mohamed Salem: H2O2-mediated oxidation and nitration enhances DNA binding capacity/DNA repair via up-regulation of epidermal wild type p53 in vitiligo, graduated 2009 Aishia Meskiri: The role of oestrogens in skin and hair pigmentation, graduated 2007 Susan Stevenson: Oestrogens, dermal fibroblasts and the hair follicle in wound healing, graduated 2007 Louisa Nelson: The role of oestrogens in human skin and the pilosebaceous unit, graduated 2005 Gareth Davies: In vivo and in vitro models of hair growth for the assessment of potassium channel openers, graduated 2001 Alison Merrick: The role of paracrine factors in androgen-regulated hair growth, graduated 2000 Conference Organising Committees: 2019: British Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting, Bradford, UK 2016: Epigenetic Control of Skin Regeneration, Ageing and Disease. International Symposium, Bradford, UK 2015: Meeting of the Heads of University Centres of Biomedical Sciences, (HUCBMS), Annual Meeting, Bradford 2013: Meeting of the 7th World Congress for Hair Research, Edinburgh 2011: Wound Healing Society Basics Course, Dallas, USA, 2010: Wound Healing Society Basics Course, Orlando, USA, 2009: Wound Healing Society Basics Course, Dallas, USA, 2008: Wound Healing Society Basics Course, San Diego, USA, 2000:Meeting of theEuropean Hair Research Society, York, UK Chair Of Conference Sessions: 2016: Epigenetic Control of Skin Regeneration, Ageing and Disease. International Symposium, Bradford, UK 2013: The 7th World Congress for Hair Research, Edinburgh, Scotland 2010: Wound Healing Society, Orlando, USA 2006: European Hair Research Society, London, UK 2002: European Hair Research Society, Brussels, Belgium 2000: European Hair Research Society, York, UK 1998: First Intercontinental Meeting of Hair Research Societies, Melbourne, Australia

Skin and hair biology, wound healing, ageing, steroid hormones (estrogens, androgens, vitamin D), inflammation, photoreceptors and circadian regulation

Pomari E, Dalla Valle L, Pertile P, Colombo L & Thornton MJ (2015) Intracrine sex steroid synthesis and signaling in human epidermal keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts. FASEB J. 29: 508-524 Stevenson S, Sharpe DT, Thornton MJ (2009) Effects of oestrogen agonists on human dermal fibroblasts in an in vitro wounding assay. Exp Dermatol. 18: 988-990 Salem MM, Shalbaf M, Gibbons NC, Chavan B, Thornton MJ, Schallreuter KU (2009) Enhanced DNA binding capacity on up-regulated epidermal wild-type p53 in vitiligo by H2O2-mediated oxidation: a possible repair mechanism for DNA damage. FASEB J. 23: 3790-3807 Wood JM, Decker H, Hartmann H, Chavan B, Rokos H, Spencer JD, Hasse S, Thornton MJ, Shalbaf M, Paus R, Schallreuter KU (2009) Senile hair graying: H2O2-mediated oxidative stress affects human hair color by blunting methionine sulfoxide repair. FASEB J. 23: 2065-2075 Stevenson S, Taylor AH, Meskiri A, Sharpe DT, Thornton MJ (2008) Differing responses of human follicular and non follicular scalp cells in an in vitro wound healing assay: effects of estrogen on vascular endothelial growth factor secretion. Wound Repair Regen. 16: 243-253 Stevenson S, Nelson LD, Sharpe DT, Thornton MJ (2008) 17beta-estradiol regulates the secretion of TGF-beta by cultured human dermal fibroblasts. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed; 19: 1097-1109 ThorntonMJ, Nelson LD, TaylorAH, LaingI, Messenger AG (2006) The modulation of aromatase and estrogen receptor alpha (ERa) in cultured human scalp dermal papilla cells by dexamethsone: a novel mechanism for selective action of estrogen via estrogen receptor beta (ERb)? J Invest Dermatol 126: 2010-2018 Gopalan RC, Nelson LD, Thornton MJ and Anderson D (2006) Effects of the sex hormones and their modulators on DNA damage in skin cells measured in the Comet assay Journal of Preventive Medicine. 14:14-31 Davies GC, Thornton MJ, Jenner TJ, Chen YJ, Hansen JB, Carr RD, Randall VA (2005) Novel and established potassium channel openers stimulate hair growth in vitro: implications for their modes of action in hair follicles. J Invest Dermatol 124: 686-694 Thornton, MJ, Taylor, AH, Mulligan, K and Al-Azzawi F, Lyon C, O'Driscoll J, Messenger AG (2003) Estrogen receptor beta (ERb) is the predominant estrogen receptor in human scalp skin. Exp Dermatol 12: 181-190 Thornton, MJ, Taylor, AH, Mulligan, K and Al-Azzawi F, Lyon C, O'Driscoll J, Messenger AG (2003) The distribution of estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) is distinct to that of ERalpha and the androgen receptor in human skin and the pilosebaceous unit. J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc 8: 100-103 Thornton MJ, Nelson LD, Taylor AH, Mulligan KT, Al-Azzawi F, Messenger AG (2003) Human Non-Balding Scalp Dermal Papilla Cells Express Estrogen Receptor beta (ERb) Protein in vivo and in vitro.In: Hair Science and Technology, Editor D. Van Neste pp105-112 Thornton MJ, Hibberts NA, Street T, Brinklow BR, Loudon AS, Randall VA (2001) Androgen receptors are only present in mesenchyme-derived dermal papilla cells of red deer (Cervus elaphus) neck follicles when raised androgens induce a mane in the breeding season.J Endocrinol, 168: 401-408 Randall VA, Hibberts NA, Thornton MJ, Merrick AE, Hamada K, Kato S, Jenner TJ, de Oliveira I, Messenger AG (2001) Do androgens influence hair growth by altering the paracrine factors secreted by dermal papilla cells? Eur J Dermatol. 11:315-320 Randall VA, Hibberts NA, Thornton MJ, Hamada K, Merrick AE, Kato S, Jenner TJ, De Oliveira I, Messenger AG (2000) The hair follicle: a paradoxical androgen target organ. Horm Res. 54: 243-250 Thornton, MJ, Taylor, AH, Mulligan, K and Al-Azzawi F (2000) Oestrogen receptor beta is not present in the pilosebaceous unit of red deer skin during the non-breeding season. Horm Res. 54: 259-262 Thornton, M J, Hamada, K, Messenger, A G and Randall, V A (1998) Androgen-dependent beard dermal papilla cells secrete autocrine growth factor(s) in response to testosterone unlike scalp cells. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 111: 727-732 Hamada, K, Thornton, M J, Laing, I, Messenger, A G and Randall, V A (1996) The metabolism of testosterone by dermal papilla cells cultured from human pubic and axillary follicles concurs with hair growth in 5a-reductase deficiency. Journal of Investigative Dermatology.106: 1017-1022 Thornton, M J, Brinklow, B R, Loudon, A S I and Randall, V A (1996) The ability to culture dermal papilla cells from red deer (Cervus elaphus) hair follicles with differing hormonal responses in vivo offers a new model for studying the control of hair follicle biology. Journal of Experimental Zoology.275: 452-458 Thornton, MJ, Thomas, DG, Jenner, TJ, Brinklow, BR, Loudon, ASI and Randall, V A (1996) Testosterone or IGF-1 stimulated hair growth in whole organ culture only in androgen-dependent red deer hair follicles. In:Hair research in the next Millenium. Proceedings of the 1st Tricontinental Meeting of Hair Research Societies, Brussels, 1995. Springer-Verlag. Editors D van Neste & VA Randall