Professor Richard Morgan

Dean of Biosciences, Professor of Molecular Oncology

School of Medicine and Biosciences

richard.morgan@uwl.ac.uk

After completing my PhD I joined the MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London, and subsequently the Hubrecht Laboratory in Utrecht to continue my studies of transcriptional control in development and cancer as a postdoctoral researcher. Subsequent academic posts included senior lectureships at St. George’s Hospital Medical School in London and the University of Surrey. In 2015 I became Professor of Molecular Oncology and Director of the Institute of Cancer Therapeutics at the University of Bradford. I joined the University of West London as Dean of Biosciences in June 2020.

My research background is principally in molecular and cell biology and I have focused on developing strategies to target the HOX / Engrailed family of homeodomain containing transcription factors in cancer. Work starting in 2004 gave rise to the currently only available antagonist of HOX function, HXR9. HXR9 has proven to be effective against a range of solid and haematological malignancies, and I have several active industrial collaborations to further develop this technology. We are also studying the potential of HOX and Engrailed transcription factors as biomarkers for the diagnosis of prostate and bladder cancer. Our work has identified the EN2 transcription factor as a diagnostic marker for prostate cancer with twice the sensitivity of the currently used marker, PSA, and a high predictive value for tumour volume. EN2 is now undergoing clinical trials at multiple, international centres.

Qualifications

BA Natural Sciences (University of Cambridge)
Ph.D. Biochemistry (University of Birmingham)
Memberships

American Association for Cancer Research

See Professor Richard Morgan's publications list in the UWL Repository.

Research and publications

Publications
Morgan R, Hunter K, Pandha HS. Downstream of the HOX genes: Explaining conflicting tumour suppressor and oncogenic functions in cancer. Int J Cancer. 2022 Jun 15;150(12):1919-1932. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33949. Epub 2022 Feb 15. PMID: 35080776.
Shenoy US, Morgan R, Hunter K, Kabekkodu SP, Radhakrishnan R. Integrated computational analysis reveals HOX genes cluster as oncogenic drivers in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Sci Rep. 2022 May 13;12(1):7952. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-11590-1. PMID: 35562533; PMCID: PMC9106698.
Arunachalam E, Rogers W, Simpson GR, Möller-Levet C, Bolton G, Ismael M, Smith C, Keegen K, Bagwan I, Brend T, Short SC, Hong B, Otani Y, Kaur B, Annels N, Morgan R, Pandha H. HOX and PBX gene dysregulation as a therapeutic target in glioblastoma multiforme. BMC Cancer. 2022 Apr 13;22(1):400. doi: 10.1186/s12885-022-09466-8. PMID: 35418059; PMCID: PMC9006463.
Morgan R, Pandha HS. PBX3 in Cancer. Cancers (Basel). 2020 Feb 13;12(2). pii: E431. doi: 10.3390/cancers12020431. Review. PubMed PMID: 32069812.
Elamin AA, Klunkelfuß S, Kämpfer S, Oehlmann W, Stehr M, Smith C, Simpson GR, Morgan R, Pandha H, Singh M. A Specific Blood Signature Reveals Higher Levels of S100A12: A Potential Bladder Cancer Diagnostic Biomarker Along With Urinary Engrailed-2 Protein Detection. Front Oncol. 2020 Jan 9;9:1484. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2019.01484.
Idaikkadar P, Morgan R, Michael A. HOX Genes in High Grade Ovarian Cancer. Cancers (Basel). 2019 Aug 3;11(8). pii: E1107. doi: 10.3390/cancers11081107.Review. PubMed PMID: 31382546.
Primon M, Hunter KD, Pandha HS, Morgan R. Kinase Regulation of HOX Transcription Factors. Cancers (Basel). 2019 Apr 10;11(4). pii: E508. doi:10.3390/cancers11040508. Review. PubMed PMID: 30974835.
Punia N, Primon M, Simpson GR, Pandha HS, Morgan R. Membrane insertion and secretion of the Engrailed-2 (EN2) transcription factor by prostate cancer cells may induce antiviral activity in the stroma. Nature Sci Rep. 2019 Mar 26;9(1):5138. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-41678-0. PubMed PMID: 30914795.
McGrath SE, Annels N, Madhuri TK, Tailor A, Butler-Manuel SA, Morgan R, Pandha H, Michael A. Engrailed-2 (EN2) - a novel biomarker in epithelial ovarian cancer. BMC Cancer. 2018 Oct 3;18(1):943. doi: 10.1186/s12885-018-4816-5. PubMed PMID:30285763.
Platais C, Radhakrishnan R, Ebensberger SN, Morgan R, Lambert DW, Hunter K. Targeting HOX-PBX interactions causes death in oral potentially malignant and squamous carcinoma cells but not normal oral keratinocytes. BMC Cancer 2018;18:723.
Morgan R, Pandha H. HOX transcription factors and the prostate tumor microenvironment. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2017;3:278-87. | doi:10.20517/2394-4722.2017.31.
Alharbi RA, Pandha HS, Simpson GR, Pettengell R, Poterlowicz K, Thompson A, Harrington K, El-Tanani M, Morgan R. Inhibition of HOX/PBX dimer formation leads to necroptosis in acute myeloid leukemia cells. Oncotarget 2017; 8:89566-89579. https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.20023.
Morgan R, El-Tanani M, Hunter KD, Harrington KJ, Pandha H. Targeting HOX/PBX dimers in cancer. Oncotarget 2017; 8(19):32322-3233.
Dakir El-H, Tanani El-M, Dakir NM, Mendoza A, Morgan R. EGFR – An Evolving Cancer Target. Cancer Biology and Therapeutic Oncology 2017;1:1-3.
Yuen H-F, Chan K-K, Platt-Higgins A, Dakir E-H, Matchett KB, Haggag YA, Jithesh PV, Habib T, Faheem A, D Fennel, Morgan R, Rudland PS, El-Tanani M. Ran GTPase promotes cancer progression via Met receptor-mediated downstream signalling. Oncotarget 2016;7:75854-64.
Kelly Z, Morgan R, Pandha H, Michael A. The prognostic significance of HOX genes in ovarian cancer. Int J Cancer. 2016;139(7):1608-17. doi:10.1002/ijc.30204.
El-Tanani M, Dakir EH, Raynor B, Morgan R. Mechanisms of Nuclear Export in Cancer and Resistance to Chemotherapy. Cancers. 2016 14;8(3). pii:E35. Review. PubMed PMID: 26985906.
Morgan R, El-Tanani M. HOX genes as potential markers of circulating tumor cells. Current Molecular Medicine 2016 16(4) :322-327 PubMed PMID: 26980702.
Morgan R, Harrington K, Simpson GR, Gillett C, Tabi Z, Spicer J, Michael A, Pandha HS. HOX transcription factors are potential therapeutic targets in malignant mesothelioma. BMC Cancer 2016;16:85 .
Platais C, Hakami F, Darda L, Lambert DW, Morgan R, Hunter KD. The role of HOX genes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. J Oral Pathol Med. 2015 Dec 14.doi: 10.1111/jop.12388. Review. PubMed PMID: 26661059.
McGrath SE, Michael A, Morgan R, Pandha H. EN2 in Prostate Cancer. Adv Clin Chem. 2015;71:47-76. doi: 10.1016/bs.acc.2015.06.002. Epub 2015 Jul 21. PubMed PMID: 26411411.
De Paoli M, Perco P, Mühlberger I, Lukas A, Pandha H, Morgan R, Feng GJ, Marquette C. Disease map-based biomarker selection and pre-validation for bladder cancer diagnostics. Biomarkers. 2015 Jul 31:20:328-37. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26227542.
Darda L, Hakami F, Morgan R, Murdoch C, Lambert DW, Hunter KD. The role of HOXB9 and miR-196a in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. PLoS One. 2015 10(4):e0122285. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122285.
Pandha H, Jayed S, Boxall A, Bott S, Langley S, Michael A, Morgan, R. Correlation of urinary engrailed-2 (EN2) levels with tumour volume and pathological T stage in men undergoing radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. Journal of Cancer Therapy, Vol. 4 No. 3, 2013, pp. 726-733.
Morgan R, Boxall A, Harrington K, Waters V, Simpson G, Michael A, Pandha HS. Targeting HOX transcription factors in prostate cancer. BMC Urol. 2014 Feb 5;14(1):17 doi: 10.1186/1471-2490-14-17.
Ando H, Natsume A, Senga T, Watanabe R, Ito I, Ohno M, Iwami K, Ohka F, Motomura K, Saito K, Morgan R, Wakabayashi T. Peptide-based inhibition of the HOXA9/PBX interaction retards the growth of human meningioma. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2014 Jan;73(1):53-60. doi: 10.1007/s00280-013-2316-5.
Killick E, Morgan R, Launchbury F, Bancroft E, Page E, Castro E, Kote-Jarai Z,Aprikian A, Blanco I, Clowes V, Domchek S, Douglas F, Eccles D, Evans DG, Harris M, Kirk J, Lam J, Lindeman G, Mitchell G, Pachter N, Selkirk C, Tucker K, Zgajnar J, Eeles R, Pandha H. Role of Engrailed-2 (EN2) as a prostate cancer detection biomarker in genetically high risk men. Sci Rep. 2013;3:2059. doi: 10.1038/srep02059.
McGrath SE, Michael A, Pandha H, Morgan R. Engrailed homeobox transcription factors as potential markers and targets in cancer. FEBS Lett. 2013 Mar 18;587(6):549-54. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2013.01.054. [Epub ahead of print].
Errico MC, Felicetti F, Bottero L, Mattia G, Boe A, Felli N, Petrini M, Bellenghi M, Pandha HS, Calvaruso M, Tripodo C, Colombo MP, Morgan R, Carè A. The abrogation of the HOXB7/PBX2 complex induces apoptosis in melanoma through the miR-221&222-c-FOS pathway. Int J Cancer. 2013 Aug 15;133(4):879-92. doi: 10.1002/ijc.28097. Epub 2013 Mar 13.
Morgan R, Bryan R, Javed S, Launchbury F, Zeegers MP, Cheng KK, James ND, Wallace DMA, Hurst CD, Ward DG , Knowles MA, Pandha HS. Expression of Engrailed-2(EN2) protein in bladder cancer and its potential utility as a urinary diagnostic biomarker. European Journal of Cancer. 2013 Jun;49(9):2214-22. doi: pii: S0959-8049(13)00081-6.10.1016/j.ejca.2013.01.019.
Li Z, Zhang Z, Li Y, Chen P, Arnovitz S, Huang A, Jiang X, He C, Dohner K, Neilly MB, Wang C-Z, Bullinger L, Valk PJM, Delwel R, Lowenberg R, Morgan R, Yuan C, Rowley JD, Chen J. PBX3 is an important cofactor of HOXA9 in leukemogenesis. Blood 2013 Feb 21;121(8):1422-31. doi: 10.1182/blood-2012-07-442004. Epub 2012 Dec 20.
Morgan R, Boxall A, Harrington K, Simpson GR, Michael A, Pandha HS. Targeting the HOX / PBX dimer in breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 2012, 136: 389-398. DOI: 10.1007/s10549-012-2259-2.
Alharbi R, Pettengell R, Pandha HS, Morgan R. The role of HOX genes in normal hematopoiesis and acute leukemia. Leukemia 2013; 27:1000-8. doi: 10.1038/leu.2012.356.
Twigger K, Roulstone V, Kyula J, Karapanagiotou EM, Syrigos KN, Morgan R, White C, Bhide S, Nuovo G, Coffey M, Thompson B, Jebar A, Errington F, Melcher AA, Vile RG, Pandha HS, Harrington KJ. Reovirus exerts potent oncolytic effects in head and neck cancer cell lines that are independent of signalling in the EGFR pathway. BMC Cancer. 2012 Aug 24;12(1):368. doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-12-368.
Pandha H, Sorensen KD, Orntoft TF, Langley S, Hoyer S, Borre M, Morgan R. Urinary engrailed-2 (EN2) levels predict tumour volume in men undergoing radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. BJU Int 2012 110(6 Pt B):E287-92, doi: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2012.11208.x.
Morgan R. HOX transcription factors as biomarkers in cancer. European Pharmaceutical Review. 2011 Oct; 5(16): 17-20.
Kelly ZL, Michael A, Butler-Manuel S, Pandha HS, Morgan R. HOX genes in Ovarian Cancer. J Ovarian Res. 2011 Sep 9;4(1):16.
Heinemann L, Simpson GR, Boxall A, Kottke T, Relph K, Vile R, Melcher A, Prestwich R, Harrington KJ, Morgan R, Pandha HS. Synergistic effects of oncolytic reovirus and docetaxel chemotherapy in prostate cancer. BMC Cancer. 2011 Jun 6;11(1):221.
Gray S, Pandha HS, Michael A, Middleton G, Morgan R. HOX genes in pancreatic development and cancer. JOP. 2011 May 6;12(3):216-9.
Metcalf S, Pandha HS, Morgan R. Antiangiogenic effects of zoledronate on cancer neovasculature. Future Oncol 2011 Nov;7(11):1325-33.
Morgan R, Boxall A, Bhatt A, Bailey M, Hindley R, Langley S, Whitaker HC, Neal D, Ismail M, Whitaker H, Michael A, Pandha H. Engrailed-2 (EN2): a tumour specific urinary biomarker for the early diagnosis of prostate cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2011 March 1; 17, 1090-1098.
Ismail M, Morgan R, Harrington K, Davies J, Pandha H. Immunoregulatory effects of freeze injured whole tumour cells on human dendritic cells using an in vitro cryotherapy model. Cryobiology. 2010. Dec; 61(3), 268-274.
Daniels T, Neacato I, Rodriguez J, Pandha H, Morgan R, Penichet M (2010) Disruption of HOX activity leads to cell death that can be enhanced by the interference of iron uptake in malignant B cells. Leukemia 24, 1555-1565.
John J, Ismail M, Riley C, Askham J, Morgan R, Melcher A, Pandha H Differential effects of Paclitaxel on dendritic cell function BMC Immunology 2010, 11:14.
Morgan R, Plowright L, Harrington KJ, Michael A, Pandha HS. Targeting HOX and PBX transcription factors in ovarian cancer. BMC Cancer 2010 March 10; 89(10).
Pandha HS, Heinemann L, Simpson GR, Melcher A, Prestwich R, Errington F, Coffey M, Harrington KJ, Morgan R. Synergistic effects of oncolytic reovirus and cisplatin chemotherapy in murine malignant melanoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2009 Oct 1;15(19):6158-66.
Ismail M, Morgan R, Harrington K, Davies J, Pandha H. Enhancing prostate cancer cryotherapy using tumour necrosis factor related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) sensitisation in an in vitro cryotherapy model. Cryobiology. 2009 Oct;59(2):207-13.
Ismail M, Morgan R, Bokaee S, Davies J, Harrington KJ, Pandha H. (2009). Inhibition of the aquaporin 3 water channel increases the sensitivity of prostate cancer cells to cryotherapy. Br J Cancer. 100:1889-1895.
Plowright L, Harrington KJ, Pandha HS, Morgan R. (2009). HOX transcription factors are potential therapeutic targets in non-small-cell lung cancer (targeting HOX genes in lung cancer). Br J Cancer. 100: 470-475.
Shears L, Plowright L, Harrington K, Pandha H, Morgan R. (2008). Disrupting the interaction between HOX and PBX causes necrotic and apoptotic cell death in the renal cancer lines CaKi-2 and 769-P. J Urology 180, 2196-2201.
Morgan R, Whiting K. (2008). Differential expression of HOX genes upon activation of leukocyte sub-populations. Int J Hematol 87, 246-249.
Morgan R, Pirard P, Shears S, Sohal S, Pettengell R and Pandha HS (2007). Antagonism of HOX/PBX dimer formation blocks the in vivo proliferation of melanoma. Cancer Research 67, 5806-5813.