Dr Ashton Faulkner

PhD
Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences

Department: Comparative Biomedical Sciences

Campus: Camden

Research Groups: Cardiovascular and Renal Biology

Dr Ashton Faulkner leads a research programme in cardiovascular molecular metabolism and is a Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, delivering the cardiovascular content of the Cardiovascular & Respiratory strands of the BVetMed and GAB programmes.

Dr Faulkner took up his lectureship at the RVC in October 2023 and continues to establish his research group. Prior to taking up his lectureship, Ashton obtained a BSc in human physiology and for a short period worked as part of the clinical cardiac physiology team in the NHS. After completing a Masters in regenerative medicine (University of Bristol), he went on to complete a PhD in cardiovascular cell biology in the lab of Prof. Caroline Wheeler-Jones at the RVC. Ashton subsequently joined the Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine lab headed by Prof. Paolo Madeddu at the Bristol Medical School as a BHF-funded post-doctoral researcher and worked on several projects investigating novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of cardio-metabolic diseases. His research continues to be focused within this field and aims to improve our mechanistic understanding of how metabolites and their molecular sensors modulate cellular function in different cell types of the cardiovascular system, and how this is impacted in cardio-metabolic disease.

Dr Faulkner currently serves as a committee member (2023 - present) of the London Vascular Biology Forum (LVBF) and is the Local Biochemical Society Ambassador (3-year term 2023-2026). Ashton has served as an invited guest editor for special issues of Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine and acts as a reviewer for several international peer-reviewed journals. He has also been an invited reviewer for grant funders such as the Medical Research Council (MRC-UKRI).

Dr Faulkner has been the recipient of various awards, including; Poster prize winner at London Vascular Biology Forum (2015); PrimerDesign Silver Sponsorship (2014); Physiological Society Prize (2010).

The overarching aim of the Faulkner lab is to further our mechanistic understanding of how metabolites and their molecular sensors modulate cellular function in different cell types of the cardiovascular system, and how this is impacted in cardio-metabolic disease. Of particular interest is defining the metabolic mechanisms underlying diabetes-associated microvascular dysfunction in the human heart and skeletal muscle and how metabolites contribute to the control of endothelial cell / mural cell (pericyte) interaction and vessel stability. The goal is to harness this knowledge in the design of novel therapeutic interventions for promoting cardiovascular protection and repair.

Dr Faulkner is happy to receive informal enquires from perspective postgraduate students and post-docs who may have an interest in joining the lab.

  • Finding, E.J.T. Faulkner, A. Nash, L. & Wheeler-Jones, C.P.D. (2024). Equine endothelial cells show pro-angiogenic behaviours in response to FGF2 but not VEGF-A. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25: 6017
  • Gu, Y. Avolio, E. Alvino, V V. Thomas, A C. Herman, A. Miller, P J. Sullivan, N. Faulkner, A. & Madeddu, P. (2023). The senolytic agent dasatinib reduces cardiac steatosis and improves diastolic function in obese, type 2 diabetic mice. Cardiovascular Diabetology, 22: 214.
  • Jover, E. Faulkner, A. Madeddu, P. & Lopez-Andrés, N. (2022). Editorial: Inflammation, metabolism and epigenetics in valvular heart disease. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 9: 880015.
  • Lopez Rioja, A. Faulkner, A. & Mellor, H. (2022). srGAP2 terminates RhoA signaling to control the duration of thrombin-mediated endothelial permeability. Vascular Biology, 4 (1): K1-K10
  • Faulkner, A. (2021). Trans-endothelial trafficking of metabolic substrates and its importance in cardio-metabolic disease. Biochemical Society Transactions, 49 (1): 507-517
  • Jover, E. Fagnano, M. Cathery, W. Slater, S. Pisanu, E. Gu, Y. Avolio, E. Bruno, D. Baz-Lopez, D. Faulkner, A. Carrabba, M. Angelini, G. & Madeddu, P. (2021). Human adventitial pericytes provide a unique source of anti-calcific cells for cardiac valve engineering: Role of microRNA-132-3p. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 165: 137-151
  • Cathery, W. Faulkner, A. Jover, E. Rodriguez-Arabaolaza, I. Thomas, A. Avolio, E. Caputo, M. & Madeddu, P. (2021). Umbilical cord pericytes provide a viable alternative to mesenchymal stem cells for neonatal vascular engineering. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 7: 609980
  • Faulkner, A. Tamiato, A. Cathery, W. Rampin, A. Maria Caravaggi, C. Jover, E. Allen, S. Mellor, H. Hauton, D. Heather, L.C. Spinetti, G. & Madeddu, P. (2020). Dimethyl-2-oxoglutarate improves redox balance and mitochondrial function in muscle pericytes of individuals with diabetes mellitus. Diabetologia, 63 (10): 2205-2217
  • Faulkner, A.* Avolio, E.* Thomas, A.C.* Dang, Z.* Batstone, T. Lloyd, G.R. Weber, R.J.M. Najdekr, L. Jankevics, A. Dunn, W.B. Spinetti, G. Vecchione, C. Puca, A.A. & Madeddu, P. (2020). Multi-omics analysis of diabetic heart disease in the db/db model reveals potential targets for treatment by a longevity-associated gene. Cells 9 (5): 1283
  • Dang, Z.* Avolio, E.* Thomas, A.C.* Faulkner, A. Beltrami, A.P. Cervellin, C. Carrizzo, A. Maciag, A. Gu, Y. Ciaglia, E. Finato, N. Damato, A. Spinetti, G. Alenzi, A. Paisey, S.J. Vecchione, C. Puca, A.A. & Madeddu, P. (2020) Transfer of a human gene variant associated with exceptional longevity improves cardiac function in obese type-2 diabetic mice through induction of the SDF-1/CXCR4 signalling pathway. European Journal of Heart Failure, 22 (9): 1568-1581
  • Faulkner, A. Lynam, E. Purcell, R. Jones, C. Lopez, C. Board, M. Wagner, KD. Wagner, N. Carr, C. & Wheeler-Jones, C. (2020). Context-dependent regulation of endothelial cell metabolism: differential effects of the PPARβ/δ agonist GW0742 and VEGF-A. Scientific Reports, 10: 7849
  • Cathery, W. Faulkner, A. Maselli, D. & Madeddu, P. (2018). The regenerative journey of pericytes toward clinical translation. Stem Cells, 36 (9): 1295-1310.
  • Faulkner, A. Purcell, R. Hibbert, A. Latham, S, Thomson, S. Hall, WL. Wheeler-Jones, C. & Bishop-Bailey, D. (2014). A thin-layer angiogenesis assay: a modified basement matrix assay for assessment of endothelial cell differentiation. BMC Cell Biology, 15: 41
  • Bishop-Bailey, D. Thomson, S. Askari, A. Faulkner, A. & Wheeler-Jones, C. (2014). Lipid-Metabolizing CYPs in the Regulation and Dysregulation of Metabolism. Annual Reviews Nutrition, 34: 261-279.
  • Carter, SE. Faulkner A. & Rakobowchuk, M. (2014). The role of prostaglandin and antioxidant availability on recovery from forearm ischemia-reperfusion injury in humans. Journal of Hypertension, 32 (2): 339 -351.
  • Faulkner, A. & Garrett, AT. (2013). Effect of gender on p-wave dispersion in asymptomatic populations. International SportMed Journal, 14 (4): 236-244.
  • Jadczyk, T. Faulkner, A. & Madeddu, P. (2013) Stem cell therapy for cardiovascular disease: the demise of alchemy and rise of pharmacology. British Journal of Pharmacology, 169: 247-268.
  • Faulkner, A. & Madeddu, P. (2011). Stem cell therapy: a new approach for treatment of myocardial infarction. J stem cell res ther, S1:004. DOI:10.4172/2157-7633.S1-004.

Book Chapters:

  • Lane J.A.E., Faulkner A., Finding E.J.T., Lynam E.G., Wheeler-Jones C.P.D. (2022) Use of a Thin Layer Assay for Assessing the Angiogenic Potential of Endothelial Cells In Vitro. In: Fiedler L.R., Pellet-Many C. (eds) VEGF Signaling. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2475. Humana, New York, NY.

 

Published Conference Proceedings:

  • Avolio, E. Thomas, A. Dang, Z. Faulkner, A. Gu, Y. Beltrami, A.P. Carrizzo, A. Maciag, A. Ciaglia, E. Ferrario, A. Damato, A. Spinetti, G. Vecchione, C. Puca, A.A. & Madeddu, P. (2020) Rescue of cardiac function in obese type-2 diabetic mice by transfer of a human longevity gene. European Heart Journal 41 (Suppl. 2); 3653.
  • Faulkner, A. Purcell, R. Jones, C. Lopez, C. Carr, C. Board, M. Bishop-Bailey, D. & Wheeler-Jones, C. (2017) Context-dependent regulation of endothelial cell metabolism in vitro: differential effects of VEGF-A and the PPARβ/δ agonist GW0742. Journal of Vascular Research, 54 (Suppl. 1); 52.
  • Purcell, R. Latham, S. Faulkner, A. Botham, K. Hall, W. & Wheeler-Jones, C. (2017) The protective endothelial-directed actions of resolvin D1 require COX-1 and PPARβ/δ activity. Journal of Vascular Research, 54 (Suppl. 1); 51.
  • Faulkner, A. Jones, C. Watts, S. Purcell, R. Carr, C. Board, M. Wheeler-Jones, C. & Bishop-Bailey, D. (2015) Agonist-dependent utilisation of NAD+ for metabolic regulation of tubulogenesis by human endothelial cells. Journal of Vascular Research, 52 (Suppl. 1); 32-33.
  • Latham, S. Purcell, R. Nicolaou, A. Faulkner, A. Bishop-Bailey, D. Botham, K. Hall, W. & Wheeler-Jones, C. (2015) Cyto-protective and pro-repair actions of N-3 PUFA and their oxygenated metabolites: roles of endothelial NOX4 and FPR2/ALX. Journal of Vascular Research, 52 (Suppl. 1); 56
  • Faulkner, A. Purcell, R. Hibbert, A. Latham, S, Thomson, S. Hall, WL. Wheeler-Jones, C. & Bishop-Bailey, D. (2014) A thin-layer angiogenesis assay: a modified basement matrix assay for assessment of endothelial cell differentiation. Proceedings of the British Pharmacological Society pA2online, 12 (3).
  • Faulkner, A. Thomson, S. Wheeler-Jones, C. & Bishop-Bailey, D. The PPARβ/δ ligand GW0742 inhibits oxidative metabolism target genes in the human endothelial EAhy.926 cell line. Proceedings of the British Pharmacological Society pA2online, 11 (3).

Dr Faulkner teaches cardiovascular science to BVetMed students in the pre-clinical years (BVetMed 1; BVetMed 2; GAB). He also contributes to teaching on the BSc Biological/Bioveterinary sciences course and supervises final year BSc and MSci project students.

Dr Faulkner is the local Biochemical Society ambassador (3-year term), facilitating interaction between the society and college.

  • Comparative endothelial cell function

    Endothelial cells (ECs) line the inner surface of blood vessels throughout the body and are involved in controlling inflammation, blood clotting, blood pressure and the formation of new blood vessels. Little is known about EC function in horses, despite the importance of EC in many equine diseases, and the interest in the horse as a large animal model of human diseases. This work is focused on learning more about equine endothelial cells and the differences between human and equine endothelial cell function.

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