About

I obtained my BSc and PhD from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Birmingham before embarking on postdoctoral research dissecting host-pathogen interactions in epithelial cells at the University of Birmingham (Cancer Sciences) and then at the University of Sheffield (Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease). I was appointed as a Lecturer in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Derby in 2017 and promoted to Senior Lecturer in September 2019. I became Associate Professor and the lead of the Metabolic Disorders and Cancer Research Centre in 2023.

Research interests

My research interests are rooted in host-pathogen interactions and innate immunity. I utilise a basic science approach to probe the host response to pathogenic infection in order to identify and explore the potential of targeting specific interactions for their therapeutic potential in infectious diseases. 

My PhD studies utilised molecular and survival analyses to describe immunological gene ‘trade-offs’ during infection with the bacteria Salmonella Typhimurium and fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans in the model host Caenorhabditis elegans. During my first post-doctoral research in the CRUK (Cancer Research UK) Institute for Cancer Sciences at Birmingham, I utilised an organotypic raft model to dissect the interaction between the human papillomavirus (HPV) oncoprotein E6 and host PDZ proteins in cervical cancer.

I moved to the University of Sheffield in 2014 to continue my interest in virus-host interactions. I developed a complementary approach of epithelial cell and murine models to describe the role of a TLR3 effector, Pellino-1, in controlling the inflammatory response to respiratory viruses (rhinovirus and influenza A). 

I now lead projects investigating the natural history and epidemiology of HPV in head and neck cancer.

Recent publications

• Marsh, E., (2023) Human papillomavirus as a risk factor for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. In: Harding, J.J. (ed) Care of the head and neck cancer patient for dental hygienists and dental therapists.  John Wiley & Sons. pp 36-43
• White, J.R., Ragunath, K., Whitton, A., Marsh, E., Kaye, P., Knight, G., (2022) Study to investigate the prevalence of human papillomavirus in Barrett’s oesophagus using a novel screening methodology. BMJ Open Gastroenterology 9: e000840
• Marsh, E.K., Prestwich, E.C., Marriott, H.M., Williams, L., Hart, A.R., et al., (2020) Pellino-1 regulates the responses of the airway to viral infection. Frontiers Cellular and Infection Microbiology 10: 456
• Hughes, B., Burton, C., Reese A., Jabeen, M., Wright, C., Wright, J., Khoshawein, N., Marsh, E. et al., (2019) Pellino-1 regulates immune responses to Haemophilus influenzae in models of inflammatory lung disease. Frontiers in Immunology 10: 1721
• Mills, J.T., Schwenzer, A., Marsh, E.K., et al., (2019) Airway Epithelial Cells Generate Pro-inflammatory Tenascin-C and Small Extracellular Vesicles in Response to TLR3 Stimuli and Rhinovirus Infection. Frontiers in Immunology 10: 1987
• Manley, GCA., Stokes, CA., Marsh, E.K., Sabroe, I., Parker L.C. (2019) DUSP10 negatively regulates the inflammatory response to rhinovirus through IL-1β signalling. Journal of Virology 93(2): e01659-18
• Marsh E.K., Delury, C.P., Davies, N.J., Weston, C.J., Miah, M.A.L., Banks, L., Parish, J.L., Higgs, M.R., Roberts, S. Mitotic Control of human papillomavirus genome-containing cells is regulated by the function of the PDZ-binding motif of the E6 oncoprotein. (2017) Oncotarget 8:19491-19506 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.14469
• Roberts J.A., Miguel-Escalada I., Slovik K.J., Walsh K.T., Yavor Hadzhiev, Sanges R., Stupka E., Marsh E.K., Balciunene J., Balciunas D., Müller F. (2014) Targeted transgene integration overcomes variability of position effects in zebrafish.  Development 141(3): 715-24
• Delury C.P.¹, Marsh E.K.¹, James C.D., Boon S.S., Banks L., Knight G.L., Roberts S. (2013) The role of protein kinase A regulation of the E6 PDZ-binding domain during the differentiation-dependent life cycle of human papillomavirus type 18.  Journal of Virology 87(17): 9463-72  ¹Joint first author
• Roberts S., Delury C., Marsh E. (2012) The PDZ protein discs-large (DLG): the ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ of the epithelial polarity proteins. FEBS Journal 279(19): 3549-58
• Marsh E. K., May, R. C. (2012) Caenorhabditis elegans: a model organism for investigating immunity. Applied Environmental Microbiology 78(7): 2075-81
• Marsh, E.K., van den Berg, M.C.W., May, R.C. (2011) A two-gene balance regulates Salmonella Typhimurium tolerance in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS One 6(3): e16839

Membership of professional bodies

• Higher Education Academy, Fellow
• Microbiology Society, Full Member
• Royal Society of Biology, Member

Qualifications

• University of Sheffield (2017), PGCert Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
• University of Birmingham (2010), PhD Biological Sciences
• University of Birmingham (2007), BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences

Recent conferences

• February 2023 (Commended Poster) BACO International, Birmingham: "The Pathogenesis of HPV in Oropharyngeal Cancer"
• January 2021 (Poster) BACO International, Virtual: "The Natural History of HPV in Tonsils"
• December 2018 (Oral) BTS Winter Meeting, London: "Pellino-1 regulates the responses of the airway to viral infection"
• July 2016 (Oral) BALR Conference, Sheffield: “The role of Pellino-1 in the host response to viral stimuli in airway epithelial cells”
• May 2016 (Poster Discussion) ABSTRACT SCHOLARSHIP AWARD, ATS Conference, San Francisco: “The role of Pellino-1 in modulating signalling pathways controlling the inflammatory response to viruses in airway epithelial cells”
• July 2013 (Poster) FIRST PRIZE, DNA Tumour Virus Meeting, Birmingham, UK: “An essential role for the E6-PDZ binding function in the HPV18 life cycle”
• November 2012 (Oral) HPV UK Meeting, Rydal Hall, UK: “E6-PDZ interactions in the HPV18 life cycle”
• November 2009 (Oral) Department of Molecular Biology Graduate Seminars, Harvard Medical School, USA: “Balanced immunity in C. elegans”
• June 2009 (Oral) 17 International C. elegans Meeting, University of California, Los Angeles, USA: “Single-gene immunological trade-offs in the nematode C. elegans”
• April 2009 (Poster) FIRST PRIZE, Society of General Microbiology, Cork, Ireland: “Single-gene immunological trade-offs in the nematode C. elegans”
• October 2007 (Oral) Universitas 21 Undergraduate Research Conference, McGill University, Montréal, Canada: “The elegance of C. elegans in investigating immunity”

Experience in industry

Industrial Collaborators

• HistologiX Ltd.  (Nottingham BioCity)

Research posts

• June 2014 – June 2017, The University of Sheffield, PI: Prof. Ian Sabroe
  Postdoctoral Research Associate, The roles of Pellino-1 in the control of airway viral infection
• January 2011 – May 2014, The University of Birmingham, PI: Dr. Sally Roberts
  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The role of oncogenic HPV E6-PDZ interactions in the viral life cycle and in HPV-induced malignancy

In the media

July 2023 - We produced a video raising awareness of, and highlighting a self-check for the early signs of Head and Neck Cancer

June 2023 - BBC East Midlands Today covered our Head and Neck Cancer Awareness and Oral Screening Day

July 2018 - My response to the Government's announcement for gender-neutral vaccination was covered by both The Independent and the Huffington Post.

International experience

I like to work collaboratively and have worked in the labs of Professor Fred Ausubel and Dr Javier Irazoqui at Harvard Medical School, Dr Lawrence Banks at the ICGEB, Trieste, and Professor Paul Moynagh at NUI Maynooth.

Teaching responsibilities

I teach on and lead modules across our Biosciences Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes, including Concepts of Health and Disease, Microbiology, Oncology and Immunology, Biomedical Biotechnology, and the Research Project. I supervise Undergraduate and Masters students in their project work.

Additional interests and activities

I lead the Metabolic Disorders and Cancer Research Centre.