Research Experience

PhD Bath University (1990)

Post Doctoral Positions (1990-2009)

Bristol University, Oxford University & The Buck Institute

for Research on Aging

Consultancy & Committees

London Technology Business Fellow (2006-2010)

Oxford Metabolism Committee (2014-)

MitOX (2009-)

Current Research Funding

ME Association UK, UK Spine Bridge and  MLSTF Oxford

Group Members

Tiffany Lodge (Post Doctoral Researcher)

Inga Williams  (PhD  Student)

Jamie Strong (Data Assistant)

Sarah Hutchinson ( Post Doctoral Researcher)

Megan Stoker (MRes Student)

James Hulit ( Post Doctoral Fellow)

Edie Guo (PhD Student)

Morten Group ME/CFS Research Website

https://www.mortengroup.org.uk/

Enquiries  from prospective PhD students are always welcome

ME/CFS, CHRONIC  LYME  DISEASE & LONG COVID

RESEARCH PROJECT FUND RAISING CAMPAIGN

Funds raised so far 5/10/21 = £30,000

We have our  match for our Action for ME grant!

Many thanks to all who have donated

Karl

Myalgic Encephalomyeltis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

I  run an active research group with a focus on understanding the role  of mitochondria in health and disease.

Current projects include (i)  targeting energy metabolism as a therapeutic strategy in cancer and (ii) identifying fatigue associated blood factors in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and iii) development of Raman Microscopy as a tool to study energy metabolism and drug accumulation

Research allows you to develop exciting collaborations with a wide range of people from different disciplines. Establishing  collaborative research projects is one of my major passions and I am always interested in discussing exciting new projects.

Individuals interested in research in any of the areas above or  below are welcome to contact me.

MitOX meeting 2022, John Radcliffe Hospital. This is an annual meeting which brings together mitochondrial enthusiasts from Oxford and the South East. Currently in it's eleventh year MitOX is very popular with over 140 delegates attending  last years meeting . We hope the next MitOX meeting will be a fusion of face to face and online delegates and talks. Currently in the planning stage!

Collaborations within NDWRH

Professor Joanna Poulton:  Investigating the pathogenesis and treatment strategies in patients with mitochondrial disease. Joanna and I have worked together on a wide range of projects for over 20 years

Dr Helen Townley:  Nanotherapeutic delivery of anti-cancer therapeutics. Project supported by Williams fund. Helen and I work closely developing novel nanoparticle drug combinations which can target cancer cell metabolism. Helen is part of NDWRH and  runs a laboratory at the Begbroke Science Park.

Dr  Suzannah Williams: Developing metabolic tools to study follicular development.

Exciting new research initiative in ME/CFS, Chronic Lyme Disease and Long Covid

Action for ME have agreed to fund a new PhD student project exploring the role of the leaky gut, markers of infection and the presence of pathogenic organisms in patients with ME/CFS, Chronic Lyme Disease and Long Covid.

The project is due to start in October 2021 and will look to recruit patients in 2022.

Action for ME have agreed to provide £45,000 of funding which we have to match.  Although we have an in kind contribution from SoftCell Biologicals of $50,000 and the student Dr Inga Williams is covering her own fees and stipend we are still £30,000 short of making the matched funding

• Please click here to read the Q&A responses to the Lyme reviewers PhD Project

We need to have the full amount in place by October 1st 2021 in order the receive the funding.

To donate please visit our donations page here:

Your donation will contribute to important research on the causes of ME/CFS, Chronic Lyme Disease and Long Covid helping us work towards better diagnosis and management.

With between 20-30 million people affected worldwide and associated family and friends we are very hopeful we can reach our target.

Talk from the 2020 Bristol CMRC meeting including L-form data

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yyusmxizQk&list=PLJV2oZMsotON2WJSXHBx-e09WUhkKdhCI&index=12&t=0s

Collaborations within Oxford.

Professor James McCullagh (Department of Chemistry). Using plasma mass spectrometry analysis to increase our understanding of ME/CFS.

Professor Wei Huang (Department of Engineering). Exploring the use of Raman Microscopy as a diagnostic tool in ME/CFS and as a tool to study the biology of aging in vitro in collaboration with Horiba.

Professor Helen Dawes and Dr Ryan Pink (Oxford Brookes University). Investigating the impact of plasma factors generated during exercise on cellular energetics from healthy controls and Parkinson's disease patients.

National  and International Collaborators

Professor Jeung Sang Go (Pussan National University, South Korea). Various microfluidic projects including i) Continual synthesis of protein loaded nanoparticles ii) microvesicle separation and iii) 3D perfusion models for continual cell culture.

SoftCell Biologicals and the Dove Clinic: Understanding the changes in plasma L-form bacterial load in ME/CFS patients following faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and the link to clinical improvement.

Professor Elisa Oltra (Catholic University of Valencia San Vincente Martir): The role of exosomes and plasma factors in ME/CFS.

Dr Pawel Zalewski (Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland): Pawel is an essential clinical collaborator for our ME/CFS research programme providing us with clinically diagnosed patient plasma samples for our various research studies. The impact of a structured exercise programme and cryotherapy on clinical and biological markers of ME/CFS is also being explored.