Mhairi Morris

Mhairi (“Vari”) Morris graduated from the University of Glasgow with a degree in Medical Biochemistry in 2004, then took up a PhD scholarship with Professor Lawrence Young at the University of Birmingham, investigating the role of the viral oncoprotein, latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), in modulating epithelial cell invasion and metastasis. On completion of her PhD in 2008, Mhairi continued her LMP1 research at Birmingham.

Following a brief career break from 2010-2013, Mhairi returned to academia as a Lecturer at De Montfort University, Leicester, where she attained her Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCertHE) with distinction. Mhairi was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2014, and awarded DMU Teacher Fellow status in 2016, prior to joining Loughborough University in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences in February 2017.

Mhairi currently supervises 2 PhD students at Loughborough University. She previously held an Eric Reid Methodology Award from The Biochemical Society, and currently sits on the editorial board for the Pathogens and Frontiers in Physiology journals.

Her current research interests include understanding the interactions between cancer cells and stromal cells in the tumour microenvironment, and how exercise may impinge on these interactions. In particular, Mhairi has an interest in using a novel 3D model system developed by her recently qualified PhD student for investigating the interactions between mesenchymal stem cells and 3D tumour spheroids.