David Thompson

Biography

I was appointed as a lecturer at Keele in August 2012. Prior to this I had completed a PhD in analytical chemistry in a collaborative project between Keele University and  AstraZeneca. This focused on developing novel analytical methods, using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), for the early stage detection of cancer biomarkers. My first degree was in chemistry and forensic science which was obtained in 2007 from Keele University. My current research interests focus on the forensic applications of global metabolic profiling techniques, particularly applications associated with the putrefaction of organic material.

Research and scholarship

My previous research has focused on the development of novel analytical techniques for the detection of blood-borne biomarkers related to early stage tumour formation. Mainly this involved using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) but also included some time of flight-mass spectrometry. This research led to the development of both single and multi-analyte immunoassay systems that incorporated novel metal labels and were detected by ICP-MS. One of these systems has also been validated for clinical use. Other research focused on the application of metabonomics to aid biomarker discovery for a range of conditions. This work included the development of phosphorus specific metabonomics using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) ICP-MS.

My current research interests include the application of metabonomics to forensic analysis, particularly in the discovery of buried remains and determination of post-mortem interval.

Teaching

• CHE-10039: Forensic Science Principles (module leader)
• CHE-10042: Forensic Identification
• CHE-30029: Forensic Dissertation
• CHE-40026: MSci Independent Project
• CHE-40027: MSc Independent Research Project: Portfolio
• CHE-40028: MSc Independent Research Project: Report
• CHE-40028: MSc Independent Research Project: Research Communication
• CHE-40031: Research in Industry (module leader)