Dr Richard Mort

Senior Lecturer in Cell and Developmental Biology

Profile

My resreach interests are in applying imaging based methods to understand development, tissue homoeostasis and disease with a particular interest in pigmentation and melanoma.

Lab web pages: http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/mortlab/

Research Interests

Melanocytes and melanoma: Melanocytes are the cells in our skin and hair that produce pigment. Melanoma, a cancer of melanocytes, is one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer. Its incidence has increased 7-fold in men and 4-fold in women in the last 40-years. The risk of developing melanoma is exacerbated by exposure to UV radiation in sunlight/sunbed lamps. My research is concerned with the early development of the melanocyte lineage and the lineage relationships and behaviour of the adult melanocyte populations and their roles in melanoma.

Biosensors of tissue homoeostasis: Biosensors that mark cell cycle stage allow real time visualisation of cell cycle dynamics in cell culture, during embryonic development and in tissue homoeostasis. Fucci was developed by Prof. Atsushi Miyawaki and Dr. Asako Sakaue-Sawano (RIKEN, Japan) and incorporates genetically encoded probes that highlight G1 and S/G2/M phases of the cell cycle allowing live imaging. In collaboration with Prof. Miyawaki and Dr. Sakaue-Sawano I have developed polycistronic versions of these cell cycle probes allowing the generation of single Cre-inducible mouse strains. The first line developed (R26R-Fucci2a) is now available through the Riken BRC (RBRC06511) and EMMA (EM:08395) mouse repositories.

Current Teaching

Biol 124 – Hormones and Development

Biol 272 – Cell Biology Techniques (Module Organiser)

Biol 211 – Cell Biology

PhD Supervision Interests

I can offer PhD and MSc by research projects on either melanocytes and melanoma or cell/tissue biosensors. Please contact me for further details.

DSI: Machine learning & mathematical modelling to predict cell cycle kinetics in fixed tissues
01/01/2026 → 31/12/2026
Research
C-Trap for the North West: Visualization of single moleculebiomolecular dynamics for the biosciences.
01/08/2025 → 31/07/2026
Research
Exploring the genetics of pigmentation in dairy cattle to build resilience to climate change induced heat stress
01/10/2024 → 30/09/2028
Research
The role of Gli similar transcription factors and the primary cilium in melanocyte development and melanoma phenotype switching
01/10/2024 → 31/03/2028
Research
p27-FucciCA - A next-generation Quiescence and Cell Cycle indicator for functional studies in mouse
01/10/2024 → 30/09/2025
Research
Spot the Difference: The Cellular and Clonal Basis of Dalmatian and Mouse Spots
01/09/2024 → 29/02/2028
Research
Building and optimisation of a microscope stage mounted stretch apparatus to investigate the role of physical forces in melanoblast behaviour
01/11/2021 → 31/10/2022
Research
The generation and validation of novel molecular biology tools for the study of 'protective protein' combination therapies in Alzheimer's disease
01/10/2021 → 30/09/2023
Research
LIC has identified a structural variant of interest that is assumed to cause white spotting in the coats of bovine and wishes to undertake a model development project to demonstrate causality of this variant
27/08/2021 → 26/08/2024
Research
MSI:iCASE: Electrically conductive biomaterials for the preservation and regeneration of soft tissue
01/10/2020 → 30/09/2024
Research
A next generation Quiescence and Cell Cycle Indicator (QuCCi) for the refinement and reduction of animal usage in proliferation assays
07/01/2020 → 06/07/2023
Research
NWCR Equipment grant: Spinning Disc Confocal Microscope for superfast multichannel live imaging
01/10/2019 → 31/03/2020
Research
Investigating the thermosensitivity of cancer cell division dynamics: toward cancer thermotherapies?
01/07/2019 → 30/09/2020
Research
MSI: Feasibility of developing light emitting wound care dressing
01/08/2018 → 31/03/2020
Research
Proximity to Discover: Industry Engagement for Impact
31/03/2018 → 30/11/2019
Research

Queen Elizabeth School
School Engagement

UK Society for Biomaterials Conference 2025
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Anne Ferguson-Smith
Hosting a Non-Academic Visitor

World Wide Sires
Business Engagement

MARS Mathematics in the Life Sciences Workshop
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

JMP
Business Engagement

Tangent Works
Business Engagement

Genus ABS Global
Business Engagement

In Microns
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition

Patterns in Biology: mechanisms, analysis and utility
Symposium

North West Melanoma Interest Group
Symposium

Stimuli-responsive materials for drug delivery
Oral presentation

Ruman Rahman
Hosting an academic visitor

Lancaster mini melanocyte Symposium 2022
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

National Centre for the Replacemnt Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research (External organisation)
Membership of committee

Benedicte Thiebaut
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor

Meeting with Livestock Improvement Corporation
Types of External academic engagement - Hosting an academic visitor

Meeting re: collaborative PhD studentship
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor

Meeting with Livestock Improvement Corporation
Types of External academic engagement - Hosting an academic visitor

Meeting with Norbreck Genetics
Types of External academic engagement - Hosting an academic visitor

Knowledge Exchange activity with Advanced Medical Solutions
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor

Meeting with Advanced Medical Solutions
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor

MRC Proximity to Discovery Project Evaluation Interviews
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor

Meeting with Advanced Medical Solutions
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor

Farm of James Parker
Business Engagement

Helen Barker
Hosting a Non-Academic Visitor

Meeting with Advanced Medical Solutions
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor

North West Cancer Research, Lunesdale Area Annual meeting.
Other

Society for Mathematical Biology Lee A.Segel Prize 2021
Prize (including medals and awards)

Ageing and Neuroscience
Cancer Biology and Genome Stability