Heidi Fuller

Biography

Professor Heidi Fuller is Head of School for Pharmacy and Bioengineering and research group leader within the Wolfson Centre for Inherited Neuromuscular Disease, based at Keele’s partner site, the RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital.

Heidi received her first degree in Biomolecular Science at the University of Wales, Bangor, and during her second year was awarded a North West Wales NHS-funded research scholarship under the supervision of Professor Michael Doenhoff. She then completed an industry-sponsored PhD studentship at the University of Wales, North East Wales Institute, where she developed expertise in proteomics technology, under the supervision of Professor Glenn Morris. Following a period of postdoctoral research within the NHS focused mainly on neuromuscular disorders and proteomics technology, Heidi joined Keele as an independent Research Fellow in 2013 and as a part-time Teaching Fellow in the School of Medicine in 2014. In 2016, she was appointed as a Lecturer in the School of Medicine, promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2019, and become Professor in 2024. From 2016 – 2021, Heidi was the Course Director for the Masters in Medical Sciences programmes within Postgraduate Medicine, before taking up the role of Dean of Education for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences from 2021 - 2024.

Research and scholarship

Research theme: Cardio-Respiratory, Neuroscience & Neurology

Professor Fuller’s research group is based at the Wolfson Centre for Inherited Neuromuscular Disease (RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital), where they focus on several of the most severe muscle-wasting diseases, including muscular dystrophy, and the childhood form of motor neuron disease, spinal muscular atrophy. By combining the use of cutting edge proteomics and bioinformatics tools with biochemical approaches their aim is to understand disease mechanisms and to identify novel proteins and pathways that can be modulated by drug treatment.

Further details about Professor Fuller’s research projects can be found at:

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2858-869X

Teaching

Professor Fuller regularly supervises research students from the School of Medicine and the School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering. Any prospective students are welcome to get in touch to discuss potential project availability.

Previous teaching roles include:

Director for the Masters in Medical Science (MMedSci), School of Medicine (2016 – 2021)

MMedSci dissertation module lead (2013 – 2019)