Summary
In late 2017 I took up the post as Director of Research Strategy for the Faculty of Medicine with the remit to shape the Faculty of Medicine’s research portfolio. This involves enabling our best research and researchers, maximizing funding opportunities and bringing together different disciplines to address some of the key health challenges facing humanity.
I bring to Imperial a wealth of experience gained from previous positions as Head of Infections and Immunity and then Head of Population & Systems Medicine, at the UK’s Medical Research Council where I lead on developing the UK's research strategies for antimicrobial resistance, nutrition and vaccines. I have worked with large, complex national and international funding bodies to develop support for research impact – from basic research to population health and translation. I also have experience of developing academic/industry research collaborations - developing the stratified medicine research consortia as a model of cross sector working.
I completed my PhD at the National Heart & Lung Institute under the supervision of Sussan Nourshargh and Tim Williams, investigating the role of neuropeptides in inflammation. I undertook my postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford, working alongside Hugh Perry on brain inflammation before returning to Imperial to work with Steve Gentleman and Ling Sun Jen on furthering our understanding of inflammatory mechanisms in the CNS. I have successfully competed for fellowships from the Alzheimer's Society and American Alzheimer's Society as well as co-applicant on awards from the Wellcome Trust.
Publications
Journals
Anderson PJB, Watts HR, Jen S, et al., 2009, Differential effects of interleukin-1beta and S100B on amyloid precursor protein in rat retinal neurons., Clin Ophthalmol, Vol:3, ISSN:1177-5467, Pages:235-242
Watts HR, Vince V, Walsh DT, et al., 2007, Alterations in presenilin 1 processing by amyloid-β peptide in the rat retina, Experimental Brain Research, Vol:181, ISSN:0014-4819, Pages:69-77
Swales KE, Korbonits M, Carpenter R, et al., 2006, The farnesoid X receptor is expressed in breast cancer and regulates apoptosis and aromatase expression, Cancer Research, Vol:66, ISSN:0008-5472, Pages:10120-10126
Walsh DT, Bresciani L, Saunders D, et al., 2005, Amyloid beta peptide causes chronic glial cell activation and neuro-degeneration after intravitreal injection, Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, Vol:31, ISSN:0305-1846, Pages:491-502
Conference
Walsh DT, Kung K, Legg E, et al., 2006, Induction of possible progenitor cells within nonneurogenic regions of the brain, 107th Meeting of the British-Neuropathological-Society, BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, Pages:240-241, ISSN:0305-1846