Professor Harries gained her PhD from University College London in November 1994 and has since worked at several institutions including the Biomedical Research Centre at the University of Dundee, the MRC Cell Mutation Unit at the University of Brighton and the Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences at the University of Exeter Medical School working with Professor Andrew Hattersley and Professor Sian Ellard. Following the award of an RCUK fellowship in 2006, She is now an Associate Professor in Molecular Genetics at UEMS.

Lorna has developed an interest in gene regulation and alternative messenger RNA processing in endocrine disease and human ageing. She now heads the ‘RNA-mediated mechanisms of disease’ group at UEMS. She has written over 90 peer-reviewed articles and was awarded the Diabetes UK RD Lawrence Prize Lectureship in 2011. She is co-ordinator of the annual UEMS ‘Men in White’ school outreach with Dr, John Chilton. This event brings in year 9 students from schools stretching from South Devon to North Somerset and gives them hands-on experience of work in a research laboratory. Lorna is a STEMnet ambassador and also an Exeter Catalyst Champion for Public Engagement.

Prof Harries has interests in -omics approaches to the study of normal physiology or on disease processes in man. Her specific focus is on the impact of alternative messenger RNA processing or small RNA gene regulation, with particular reference to diabetes and metabolism, human ageing and endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Locke JM, da Silva Xavier G, Rutter, GA, Harries LW (In Press). An alternative polyadenylation signal in TCF7L2 generates isoforms that inhibit T cell factor/lymphoid-enhancer factor (TCF/LEF)-dependent target genes. Diabetologia Abstract. Full text. Harries LW, Melzer D, Cipelli R, Henley W, Money C, McCormack P, Young A, Guralnik J, Ferrucci L, Bandinelli S, et al (In Press). Bisphenol a exposure is associated with in vivo estrogenic gene expression in adults. Environ Health Perspect, 12(119), 1788-1793. Abstract. Pilling LC, Joehanes R, Kacprowski T, Peters M, Jansen R, Karasik D, Kiel DP, Harries LW, Teumer A, Powell J, et al (2016). Gene transcripts associated with muscle strength: a CHARGE meta-analysis of 7,781 persons. Physiol Genomics, 48(1), 1-11. Abstract. Author URL. Article has an altmetric score of 19 Tugay K, Guay C, Marques AC, Allagnat F, Locke JM, Harries LW, Rutter GA, Regazzi R (2016). Role of microRNAs in the age-associated decline of pancreatic beta cell function in rat islets. Diabetologia, 59(1), 161-169. Abstract. Article has an altmetric score of 5 Tugay K, Guay C, Marques AC, Allagnat F, Locke JM, Harries LW, Rutter GA, Regazzi R (2016). Role of microRNAs in the age-associated decline of pancreatic beta cell function in rat islets. Diabetologia, 59(1), 161-169. Abstract. Author URL. Full text. Article has an altmetric score of 5 Locke JM, Wei FY, Tomizawa K, Weedon MN, Harries LW (2015). A cautionary tale: the non-causal association between type 2 diabetes risk SNP, rs7756992, and levels of non-coding RNA, CDKAL1-v1. Diabetologia, 58(4), 745-748. Abstract. Full text. Blackwell J, Harries LW, Pilling LC, Ferrucci L, Jones A, Melzer D (2015). Changes in CEBPB expression in circulating leukocytes following eccentric elbow-flexion exercise. J Physiol Sci, 65(1), 145-150. Abstract. Author URL. Full text. Article has an altmetric score of 1 Holly AC, Grellscheid S, van de Walle P, Dolan D, Pilling LC, Daniels DJ, von Zglinicki T, Ferrucci L, Melzer D, Harries LW, et al (2015). Comparison of senescence-associated miRNAs in primary skin and lung fibroblasts. Biogerontology, 16(4), 423-434. Abstract. Author URL. Pilling LC, Joehanes R, Melzer D, Harries LW, Henley W, Dupuis J, Lin H, Mitchell M, Hernandez D, Ying SX, et al (2015). Gene expression markers of age-related inflammation in two human cohorts. Exp Gerontol, 70, 37-45. Abstract. Author URL. Article has an altmetric score of 2 Galloway TS, Fletcher T, Thomas OJ, Lee BP, Pilling LC, Harries LW (2015). PFOA and PFOS are associated with reduced expression of the parathyroid hormone 2 receptor (PTH2R) gene in women. Chemosphere, 120, 555-562. Abstract. Author URL. Article has an altmetric score of 2 Locke JM, Hysenaj G, Wood AR, Weedon MN, Harries LW (2015). Targeted allelic expression profiling in human islets identifies cis-regulatory effects for multiple variants identified by type 2 diabetes genome-wide association studies. Diabetes, 64(4), 1484-1491. Abstract. Author URL. Full text. Article has an altmetric score of 2 Munkley J, Livermore KE, McClurg UL, Kalna G, Knight B, McCullagh P, McGrath J, Crundwell M, Leung HY, Robson CN, et al (2015). The PI3K regulatory subunit gene PIK3R1 is under direct control of androgens and repressed in prostate cancer cells. Oncoscience, 2(9), 755-764. Abstract. Author URL. Full text. Munkley J, Oltean S, Vodák D, Wilson BT, Livermore KE, Zhou Y, Star E, Floros VI, Johannessen B, Knight B, et al (2015). The androgen receptor controls expression of the cancer-associated sTn antigen and cell adhesion through induction of ST6GalNAc1 in prostate cancer. Oncotarget, 6(33), 34358-34374. Abstract. Author URL. Article has an altmetric score of 1 Locke JM, Lango Allen H, Harries LW (2014). A rare SNP in pre-miR-34a is associated with increased levels of miR-34a in pancreatic beta cells. Acta Diabetologica, 51(2), 325-329. Abstract. Full text. Locke JM, Lango Allen H, Harries LW (2014). A rare SNP in pre-miR-34a is associated with increased levels of miR-34a in pancreatic beta cells. Acta Diabetol, 51(2), 325-329. Abstract. Author URL. Full text. Cipelli R, Harries L, Okuda K, Yoshihara S, Melzer D, Galloway T (2014). Bisphenol a modulates the metabolic regulator oestrogen-related receptor-α in T-cells. Reproduction, 147(4), 419-426. Abstract. Author URL. Hogg DR, Harries LW (2014). Human genetic variation and its effect on miRNA biogenesis, activity and function. Biochem Soc Trans, 42(4), 1184-1189. Abstract. Author URL. Locke JM, Da Silva Xavier G, Dawe HR, Rutter GA, Harries LW (2014). Increased expression of miR-187 in human islets from individuals with type 2 diabetes is associated with reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Diabetologia, 57(1), 122-128. Abstract. Full text. Lunnon K, Smith R, Hannon E, De Jager PL, Srivastava G, Volta M, Troakes C, Al-Sarraj S, Burrage J, Macdonald R, et al (2014). Methylomic profiling implicates cortical deregulation of ANK1 in Alzheimer's disease. Nat Neurosci, 17(9), 1164-1170. Abstract. Author URL. Full text. Article has an altmetric score of 156 Harries LW (2014). MicroRNAs as Mediators of the Ageing Process. Genes (Basel), 5(3), 656-670. Abstract. Author URL. Full text.