Dr Sushila Rigas

Professional biography

Current Research Projects

PhD student: Stephen Chandler

Title: Identification of functional variants in breast and other cancers with putative shared aetiology.

Funding: The Open University

Supervisors: Dr Sushila Rigas, Dr Mark Hirst, Dr Francesco Crea, Professor Angela Cox (University of Sheffield)

Overview: 

The role or function of DNA and RNA variants associated with cancers, as identified in genome wide association studies (GWAS) and candidate gene approaches, are largely unknown. There is evidence that they may be involved in the regulation of gene expression e.g. as expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) or splicing quantitative trait locus (sQTL) variants, or involved in certain cellular pathways such as: apoptosis, signal transduction, angiogenesis, cell motility, communication and development, DNA repair and replication, metabolism, and endocrine or nervous system development. There are also multiple genes that are associated with breast, ovarian and prostate cancers which suggests there may be a shared aetiology. Most of the low-penetrance genes that are underlying these 'shared' cancers are largely unknown. This project aims to identify the candidate functional variants, and their putative role across 'shared cancers'.

See Stephen's description of his project at: http://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/biology/big-data-and-bioinformatics-powerful-tools-decoding-dna

PhD student: Perla Pucci

Title:  Epigenetics and non-coding RNAs as novel therapeutic targets for incurable neuroendocrine prostate cancer.

Funding: The Open University

Supervisors: Dr Francesco Crea, Professor Ignacio (Nacho) Romero, Dr Sushila Rigas, Professor Yuzhuo Wang (BC Cancer Agency, University of British Columbia, Canada)

OU Undergraduate students:  Andrew Ainsworth, Emma Goodwin, Dani Tebo and Johanna Dornell.

Title: Identification of lncRNAs that drive liver cancer development and metastases using the cBioPortal database and R programming. 

Supervisors: Dr Sushila Rigas, Dr Francesco Crea, and Stephen Chandler.

Students: Priyadarshini Nambiar and Rupashree (Shelly) Choudhury

Title: Identification of variants in Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and related disorders.

Supervisors: Dr Sushila Rigas, Dr Christopher Heath, Dr Francesco Crea.

Externally funded projects

Identification of regulatory DNA variants in apoptosis genes associated with breast cancer risk, Yorkshire Cancer Research, pump prime award, co-applicant 80%, 2012-13

The role of apoptosis genes in breast cancer susceptibility, Wellcome Trust Value in People award, principal investigator, 2009.

I have taught on Undergraduate and Graduate degree programmes in the Medical School of Sheffield University, and in Clinical Sciences at the University of Bradford; designing and delivering active learning into the curriculums. I now use active learning strategies in the design and production of eLearning modules at the Open University:

SK299 Human Biology (level 2, 60 points)

Teaching Qualifications

PGC HEP, Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice, University of Bradford, 2016

Fellow of the Higher education Academy (FHEA) from 2016

Associate Fellow of the Higher Education (AFHEA) from 2013

In collaboration with Professor Angela Cox (Breast Cancer Consortium, UK) we are currently aiming to work towards developing personalised screening tools (blood tests) and therapies, including identifying novel target therapies; by characterising DNA and RNA variants and identifying novel putative variants that are functional in the risk of breast cancer and other cancers with shared aetiology.

Professor Angela Cox, University of Sheffield, UK

​Professor Nicola J. Camp, University of Utah, USA

Dr Luca Quagliata, University of Basel, Switzerland

Professor Yuzhuo Wang, BC Cancer Agency, University of British Columbia, Canada