Director of the Centre for Skin Sciences

University of Bradford

Biography

Julie Thornton is Professor of Cutaneous Biology and the Director of the Centre for Skin Sciences (https://www.bradford.ac.uk/css/), at the University of Bradford, one of the most well-known UK academic centres for research and teaching in skin science. She also leads the recently established Skin Microbiome in Healthy Ageing (SMiHA), a multi-disciplinary network which is a member of the new UK Ageing Network, a joint initiative funded by the BBSRC and MRC (https://www.ukanet.org.uk). Julie’s research focuses on developing relevant human skin and hair follicle ex vivo models to study ageing, inflammation, and wound healing. She has a particular interest in regulation of skin by sex steroids, particularly oestrogen and post-menopausal skin ageing. Her current projects encompass impaired wound healing, including issues around radiotherapy, burns, diabetes, and infection with antimicrobial resistant bacteria; molecular changes driving ageing skin and hair (including inflammation and hormonal impact); the impact of light and the circadian clock on skin homeostasis (UV and vitamin D and visible light); the effect of hair growth promoting supplements (phytoestrogens) on breast cancer treatment; and the development of the first 3-cell pigmented skin equivalent using melanocytes, fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Julie has published widely in the field of skin and hair biology and is recognised as an expert in this field.