The Team
Dr Joanna-Marie Dear
development manager
Joanna-Marie (Jo) Dear began her academic career in 2003 with her Biochemistry degree from the University
of Liverpool. As an undergraduate, she collaborated with the veterinary labs and Liverpool School
of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) on a project focussing on metalloproteinases in snake venoms.
This led on to a PhD within LSTM; isolating haemorrhagic venom metalloproteinases and characterizing
their effects on blood coagulation and platelets.
www.lstmed.ac.uk/dr-joanna-marie-dear
Immediately following her PhD, she moved to the University of Leeds to begin her first post-doctoral position.
Here she worked on the plasma and cellular proteins which are incorporated into, and which influence
the structure of fibrin clots, and received a Young Investigators Award from the International Society
of Fibrinogen Research in 2006. While in Leeds, Jo was introduced to Professor Richard Farndale,
and later that year moved to the Farndale Laboratory in Cambridge to pursue her career in cardiovascular
biochemistry.
At Cambridge, Jo's attention turned back to metalloproteinases; in particular the collagenase and matrix
metalloproteinase (MMP)-13. Throughout her 12 years within the Farndale Laboratory, Jo worked on several
projects centred around collagen proteolysis, MMP-13 and their combined influence on platelet behaviour
and thrombosis. These projects also involved the extensive use of the Collagen Ligand Collection
(formerly known as Collagen Toolkits) and other collagen-related peptides. It was also during this time
that her interest in science communication and public engagement grew. She began to write for and edit
the University of Cambridge science magazine BlueSci, became a Voice of Young Science (VoYS)
and presented her research at the Houses of Parliament for SET for BRITAIN.
She also obtained her phlebotomist qualification.
In 2019, after leaving the Farndale Laboratory, Jo worked for a medical device company as a Senior Scientist.
Here she was engaged in both scientific research and product development, working on specific projects both
in house and for external clients and overseeing maintenance and production procedures in line with ISO 13485.
In 2021 Jo moved back to the University of Cambridge - this time to the Harper Laboratory in the Department
of Pathology where she currently works on several projects including platelet drug target discovery.
PubMed record
Scopus record
