Dr John Mercer
- Senior Lecturer (Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health)
telephone:
01413302929
email:
John.Mercer@glasgow.ac.uk
Bhf, Cardiovascular Research Centre, G12 8ta
Biography
John is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health (SCMH) at the University of Glasgow. He has successfully developed cross-disciplinary and applied research projects with the School of Engineering, Computer Sciences, and the NHS. He has networked across national and international boundaries towards developing new types of cardiovascular implantable devices. He is an expert in leading the design concept, prototyping and biologically validating his group’s prototyping and has led preclinical testing of devices with commercial potential. His basic research projects investigated the role of nuclear DNA damage and mitochondrial dysfunction in transgenic models of atherosclerosis with the goal of developing new translational therapies.
John graduated from Oxford Brookes with a BSc (Hons) in Cell and Molecular biology in 1995 and then undertook an MPhil/PhD investigating the emerging role of p53 in radiation induced mutations in thyroid cancer at the radiobiology labs at Berkeley, graduating from the University of St Andrews in 2000. He was recruited to Glasgow in 2013.
For his postdoctoral research, John joined the University of Cambridge, Department of Medicine at Addenbrooke’s hospital. At this British Heart Foundation (BHF) Cardiovascular Research Centre of Excellence where he investigated the inducible role of p53 in vascular smooth muscle cell (vsmc) biology, with a significant emphasis of developing transgenic mouse models of disease. In 2003 John won a British Atherosclerosis Society (BAS) Young Investigator award and an International travel award in 2004. His research led to further investigations into the upstream DNA damage repair kinase, Ataxia Talengectasia (ATM) in the ApoE model of atherosclerosis. This work was supported by BHF program grants, and as well as investigating the mechanism of vsmc senescence and nuclear DNA damage, it also highlighted the emerging role mitochondrial DNA damage in vsmc bioenergetics. Collaborations with Dr Mike Murphy at the MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit on the role of mitochondrial targeted antioxidants, such as MitoQ and the role of DNA damage in promoting metabolic syndrome with Prof.Toni-Vidal Puig led to him being awarded the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) Young Investigator Award in Gothenburg in 2011.
As Senior Lecturer his goal is to exploit this area of investigation and John has developed a strong multidisciplinary team in collaboration with Prof Steve Neale from the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre (JWNC), Glasgow and Prof Hadi Heidari. The group includes vascular biologists, micro and nano engineers and clinical leads from the NHS. John is based at the British Heart Foundation Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre (BHF GCRC). This is a BHF Translational Centre of Research Excellence with a focus on primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. To help accelerate development of transformative technologies related to cardiovascular disease John was awarded a Lord Kelvin Adam Smith PhD scholarship in 2015 and an EPSRC-DTP PhD scholarship in 2019, MRC Precision Medicine PhD 2023.
Research interests
Current Research: Active and self-reporting Vascular implants. Using advanced bioengineering techniques towards developing novel cardiovascular medical implants for arteriovenous grafts and peripheral vascular disease, cardiac, renal and paediatric applications. Leads on Vascugraft, VascuStent and VascuValve projects with advanced wireless data and powering of diagnostic and therapeutic features.
Previous Research: Role of mitochondrial dysfunction in Atherosclerosis, transgenic models of disease. DNA damage and repair, role of p53 / ATM axis in vascular smooth muscle damage response pathways, including Lin28 and anti-aging Klotho on metabolic switching between oxidative and glycolytic metabolism.
Research Expertise: Transgenic models of disease, bioengineering, design and fabrication, Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), biosensor microfabrication, vessel phantoms, biocompatible 2D and 3D printing and secondary processes. Timelapse and fluorescent microscopy for cell and blood products.
Reviewer:
British Heart foundation, Medical Research Council, European Council, Biochemistry Society, Hypertension Journal, Clinical Sciences, British Journal of Pharmacology, FEBS Journal, Biosciences Reports, Oncotaget, IEEE Sensors, BMC Series and others.
Funding:
Project title: Development of therapeutic telemetry system for a self-reporting covered stent: Phase 2
Timescale: 2023-26
Funding body Philips Healthcare Global
Total Award: £548,279
Applications Lead PI John Mercer
Co-Applicants Steve Neale – School of Engineering
Project title: VascuGraft: A self-reporting diagnostic and therapeutic implant technology for Chronic Kidney Disease
Timescale: 2024-25
Funding body - Scottish Enterprise Total Award: £75,000
Applications Lead PI John Mercer
Co-Applicants Steve Neale and Hadi Heidari – School of Engineering
Project title: iCure Discover
Timescale: 2024
Funding body - Innovate UK iCure Award: £2,5000
Applications Lead PI John Mercer
Co-Applicant Rachel Colman
Project title: VascuSens – Auto calibrating implants
Timescale: 2023
Funding body Welcome IAA
Total Award: £43,765
Applications Lead PI John Mercer
Co-Applicants Steve Neale – Hadi Heidari – School of Engineering
Project title: VascuSenS – A therapeutic vascular biosensor for a self-reporting stent graft
Timescale: 2022-23
Funding body British Heart Foundation
Total Award: £50,000
Applications Lead PI John Mercer Steve Neale & Hadi Heidari – School of Engineering
Project title: VascuSenS – A therapeutic vascular biosensor for a self-reporting stent graft
Timescale: 2022-23
Funding body Reinvigorating Research, UofG
Total Award: £40,000
Applications Lead PI John Mercer
Project title: Development of therapeutic telemetry system for a self-reporting covered stent: Phase 1&2
Timescale: 2022-23
Funding body Philips Healthcare BRIDGE program
Total Award: £80,400
Applications Lead PI John Mercer
Project title: Economic Case for self-reporting vascular grafts
Timescale: 2022-23
Funding body Glasgow Knowledge Exchange Fund
Total Award: £38,163
Applications Lead PI John Mercer, Olivia Wu, Neil Hawkins
Project title: VascuSens – An advanced A Self Reporting Vascular Graft Development Part 2
Timescale: 2022-2023
Funding body Glasgow Knowledge Exchange Fund
Total Award: £38,967 (£24,193 plus £14,774)
Applications Lead PI John Mercer
Project title: VascuSens – An Advanced Self Reporting Vascular Graft Development Part 1
Timescale: 2021-2022
Funding body Glasgow Knowledge Exchange Fund
Total Award: £10,000
Applications Lead PI John Mercer,
Project title: Advanced Wireless Power transfer to a SMART Cardiovascular implantable medical device
Timescale: 2021-2022
Funding body Flexible Glasgow Knowledge Exchange Fund
Total Award: £2000
Applications Lead PI John Mercer, Hadi Heidari
Project title: Development of SMART intravascular biosensor for Cardiovascular disease II
Timescale: 2021-2022
Funding body MRC Confidence in Concept – University of Edinburgh
Total Award: £80,000
Applications Srinjoy Mitra, John Mercer Co-I, Steve Neale
Project title: Development of a SMART intravascular biosensor for Cardiovascular disease I
Timescale: 2020-2021
Funding body MRC-Confidence in Concept – University of Glasgow
Total Award: £38,000
Applications Lead PI John Mercer, Steve Neale
Project title: Integration of a miniaturised impedance biosensor for detecting vascular cells using interdigitated gold biosensors
Timescale: 2019-2020
Funding body University of Glasgow – Pump prime 2
Total Award: £10,000
Applications Lead PI John Mercer, Steve Neale
Project title: A miniaturised impedance biosensor for detecting vascular cells
Timescale: 2019-2020
Funding body University of Glasgow – Pump prime 1
Total Award: £8000
Applications Lead PI John Mercer, Steve Neale
Ownership: 50% Project title:
Project title: Fabrication and validation of a remote-controlled cardiovascular biosensor
Timescale: 2017-2018
Funding body CSO Chief Scientific Office
Total Award: £20,000
Applications Lead PI John Mercer, Steve Neale
Ownership: 50% Project title:
Project title: Development of a SMART stent for cardiovascular disease
Timescale: 2016-2017
Funding body British Heart Foundation
Total Award: £20,000
Applications Lead PI John Mercer, Steve Neale
Grants
Grants and Awards listed are those received whilst working with the University of Glasgow.
- Derisking phase two investment from our partner Philips for our project on Smart Stents
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
2024 - 2025
- VascuGraft: A self-reporting diagnostic and therapeutic implant technology for Chronic Kidney Disease
Scottish Enterprise
2024 - 2025
- iCure Discovery Programme
Innovate UK
2024 - 2024
- Automated Nano AnaLysing, characterisatiOn and additive packaGing sUitE (ANALOGUE)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
2024 - 2027
- Sercader VascuSenS Commercial Assessment
Wellcome Trust
2023 - 2023
- VascuSens Follow On - Laris and Autocalibrating implants
Medical Research Council
2023 - 2023
- VascuSens Follow On
Medical Research Council
2022 - 2022
- Design and fabrication of a remote controlled wireless impedance sensing unit for a new cardiovascular medical device.
Chief Scientist Office
2017 - 2018
Teaching
I am coordinator of the basic science component of the new MSc Cardiovascular Sciences postgraduate degree. In semester 1 the program covers evidence based biomedical research method, clinical and research laboratory skills, clinical aspects of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. In semester 2 the course covers the basic science of CVD, tissues, cells and signaling and includes a 12 week laboratory based research project.
In addition I take students for basic science and engineering research projects across a number of undergraduate and masters programs including the integrated mammalian biology course (IMB-MRes and Meng schemes). I also contribute to a number of undergraduate lecture programs including Year 2 SSC research methods, Year 3 Human biology and Physiology - mitochondria in health, Year 4, Molecular basis of disease and the new Level 4 Mitochondrial option. I also coordinate the Level 4 Biochemistry Mitochondrial lab practical.
I am a fellow of the higher education authority (FHEA) and STEM Ambassador to promote science technology, engineering and maths at primary and secondary school level.