Dr Carol Howell
Principal Research Fellow
contact:
Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
Moulsecoomb
Brighton
BN2 4GJ
Telephone: +44 (0)1273 642015
Email: C.A.Howell@brighton.ac.uk
Research Interests
- Applications of adsorbents ; extracorporeal therapy, wound dressings
- Inflammatory mediator involvement in conditions such as sepsis, renal failure and complications after cardiopulmonary bypass
- Biocompatibility/ cytotoxicity of biomaterials
- Novel biomaterials, including biocomposites
My main areas of research encompass adsorption technologies in particular activated carbon and its use in extracorporeal therapies to treat conditions such as sepsis, renal/hepatic failure and inflammatory complications after cardiopulmonary bypass. I am involved in the development of assays and techniques to; assess adsorbents suitability for use in an extracorporeal device to treat inflammatory conditions; biomaterials for wound dressings and tissue engineering applications, cell culture models for biocompatibility and cytotoxicity testing.
Offices held
Senior Research Fellow
Co-Chair the Interdisciplinary Research Group within PABS
Membership
CLRN Surrey and Sussex Comprehensive Local Research Network
European Society for Biomaterials
SRRN Sussex Renal Research Network
Teaching
BSMS SSC41: A model filtration and adsorption system for the treatment of sepsis (2006-2010). Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Course BY342 (2006-7)
I also have extensive experience in the supervision of undergraduate Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biomedical Sciences final year projects, and BSMS individual 4th year projects .
Research supervision
I have co-supervised visiting Associate Professor Xingming Li (Zhongkai University, China) under a Royal Society fellowship (2008), and visiting University of Gothenburg (Sweden) final year MPharm project students (2009-2010).
PhD Yishan Zheng “Hybrid Filtration Adsorbent Systems for Extracorporeal Applications”(2009-2011)
Recent Research projects
MEAD-ET Novel medical adsorbents for extracorporeal treatment of life threatening conditions (June 2010-14). I am the Project Coordinator on this European FP7 International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES) with industrial and academic partners MAST Carbon International (UK ), University d’Auvergne (France ) and the Institute of Experimental Pathology, Oncology & Radiobiology (Ukraine). The main focus of the project will be synthesis and optimisation of carbon adsorbents, the study of material coatings and evaluation of their adsorptive capacity for biological toxins relevant to hepatic/renal insufficiency and sepsis.
DART The optimization of a novel carbon adsorbent filtration device to augment renal replacement therapy (June 2010-2011) I am the co-investigator on this National Institute for Health Research i4i FPD1 feasibility project that runs for one year. The project will be developing assays to measure and detect several protein bound uremic toxins that are not removed by current renal replacement therapies such as dialysis. Novel carbon adsorbents will then be evaluated in their adsorptive capacity for these uremic toxins with the aim to develop an extracorporeal filtration device to augment current dialysis therapy.
FRESP Advanced response respiratory protection (2009-2011) I am a co-investigator on this large European FP7 Collaborative project with 9 academic and industrial partners. The project is developing a first responder hood for incidents of CBRN (Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear). I am active in designing/developing new lab based systems to measure aerosol containing biological toxin breakthrough for an adsorbent containing mask, and the evaluation of the antimicrobial properties of modified adsorbent materials.
MATISS Biomaterials for Wound Healing and Tissue Regeneration (2006-2010). This European FP7 Industry Academic Pathways Partnership Scheme (IAPP) is developing novel biomaterials such as cryogels, carbon adsorbents and hydrogels, that can act as a base for wound dressings or a scaffold for tissue regeneration. I have been involved in a knowledge transfer secondment visit to one of the industrial partners on this project, MAST Carbon International.
MONACO-EXTRA Monolithic Adsorbent Columns for Extracorporeal Medical Devices and Bioseparations (2008-2012) This European FP7 Industry Academic Pathways Partnership Scheme (IAPP) is focused on the manufacture of novel composite 3D monolithic adsorbent columns for use in extracorporeal medical devices for blood purification, therapeutic apheresis and cytapheresis and in bioseparations for analytical and commercial applications. It brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of specialists in different areas of synthetic, polymer and surface chemistry, biomedical and biological sciences, engineers and bioengineers, immunologists and medics united by the aim of developing new and efficient means of treatment of patients with currently incurable diseases.
Flax- Increasing its value for society (2007-2012). This FRANCO-BRITISH INTERREG IVA European Programme is with academic partners at the University of Rouen and Le Havre, and industrial partners Liniere de BOSC Nouvelle and Miriade Innovation Normandy. The objective of the project is to create a virtual cross-border centre of excellence with a joint programme of research and development in this field of the exploration of innovative uses and applications for linen flax.
Nanostructured Carbon Filter for Controlling the Inflammatory Response to Open-Heart Surgery (2006-2009). I was the co-investigator on this Technology Strategy Board funded project developing a carbon based filter to remove inflammatory mediators generated during cardio-pulmonary by-pass surgery. The project developed a successful prototype that is being further developed for future commercialisation by one of the industrial project partners a medical device manufacturer Brightwake Ltd. The project has also led to a successful patent application.
Novel 3-D Polymer Based Carbon Filtration/Adsorbent System for the treatment of Sepsis (2000-2006). This EPSRC funded project involved the first work developing carbon adsorbent materials and tailoring their physio-chemical characteristics to maximise adsorption capacity for a range of inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines relevant to the complicated condition sepsis. This project successfully developed a range of suitable carbons and provided evidence to enable subsequent research proposals to be submitted.
Research Publications
ZHENG, YISHAN, Gun'ko, V.M., HOWELL, CAROL, SANDEMAN, SUSAN, PHILLIPS, GARY, Kozynchenko, O.P., Tennison, S.R., Ivanov, A.E. and MIKHALOVSKY, SERGEY (2012) Composites with macroporous poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogels with attached activated carbon microparticles with controlled accessibility of a surface ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 4 (11). ISSN 1944-8244
Mikhalovsky, S.V., SANDEMAN, SUSAN, HOWELL, CAROL, Phillips, G.J. and Nikolaev, V.G. (2012) Biomedical applications of carbon adsorbents In: Tascon, Juan, ed. Novel carbon adsorbents. Elsevier, Oxford, UK. ISBN 9780080977447
Presser, Volker, Yeon, Sun-Hwa, Vakifahmetoglu, Cekdar, HOWELL, CAROL, SANDEMAN, SUSAN, Colombo, Paolo, MIKHALOVSKY, SERGEY and Gogotsi, Yury (2012) Hierarchical porous carbide-derived carbons for the removal of cytokines from blood plasma Advanced Healthcare Materials, 1 (6). ISSN 2192-2640
SANDEMAN, SUSAN, Petersson, Malin, Wiezell, Sara, HOWELL, CAROL, PHILLIPS, GARY, ZHENG, YISHAN, Tennison, S.R., Kozynchenko, O.P. and MIKHALOVSKY, SERGEY (2012) Characterising nanoporous carbon adsorbents for biological application to chronic kidney disease Journal of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, 2 (1). ISSN 2157-9091
Tripisciano, C., Kozynchenko, O.P., Linsberger, I., Phillips, G.J., Howell, C.A., Sandeman, S.R., Tennison, S.R., Mikhalovsky, S.V., Weber, V. and Falkenhagen, D. (2011) Activation-dependent adsorption of cytokines and toxins related to liver failure to carbon beads Biomacromolecules, 12 . pp. 3733-3740. ISSN 1525-7797
UNSPECIFIED (2011) Carbon adsorbents for blood purification .
Sandeman, S.R., Gun'ko, V.M., Bakalinksa, O.M., Howell, C.A., Zheng, Y., Kartel, M.T., Phillips, G.J and Mikhalovsky, S.V. (2011) Adsorption of anionic and cationic dyes by activated carbons, PVA hydrogels, and PVA/AC composite Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 358 (2). pp. 582-592. ISSN 0021-9797
Yachamaneni, Saujanya, Yushin, Gleb, Yeon, Sun-Hwa, Gogotsi, Yury, HOWELL, CAROL, SANDEMAN, SUSAN, PHILLIPS, GARY and MIKHALOVSKY, SERGEY (2010) Mesoporous carbide-derived carbon for cytokine removal from blood plasma Biomaterials, 31 (18). ISSN 0142-9612
Sandeman, Susan R., Jeffery, Hannah, Howell, C.A., Smith, M.P., Mikhalovsky, S.V. and Lloyd, A.W. (2009) The in vitro corneal biocompatibility of hydroxyapatite coated carbon mesh Biomaterials, 30 (18). pp. 3143-3149. ISSN 0142-9612
Xinming, L., Yingde, C., LLOYD, ANDREW, MIKHALOVSKY, SERGEY, SANDEMAN, SUSAN, HOWELL, CAROL and Liewen, L. (2008) Polymeric hydrogels for novel contact lens-based ophthalmic drug delivery systems: a review Contact Lens and Anterior Eye, 31 (2). pp. 57-64. ISSN 1367-0484
Sandeman, S.R., Howell, C.A., Mikhalovsky, S.V., Phillips, G.J., Lloyd, A.W., Davies, G.J., Tennison, S.R., Rawlinson, A.P. and Kozynchenko, O.P. (2008) Inflammatory cytokine removal by an activated carbon device in a flowing system Biomaterials, 29 (11). pp. 1638-1644. ISSN 0142-9612
Yushin, G., Hoffman, E., Barsoum, M.W., Gogotsi, Y., HOWELL, CAROL, SANDEMAN, SUSAN, PHILLIPS, GARY, LLOYD, ANDREW and MIKHALOVSKY, SERGEY (2006) Mesoporous carbide-derived carbon with porosity tuned for efficient adsorption of cytokines Biomaterials, 27 (34). pp. 5755-5762. ISSN 0142-9612
HOWELL, CAROL, SANDEMAN, SUSAN, PHILLIPS, GARY, LLOYD, ANDREW, Davies, J.G, MIKHALOVSKY, SERGEY, Tennison, S.R., Rawlinson, A.P., Kozynchenko, O.P., Owen, H.L.H., Gaylor, J.D.S., Rouse, J.J. and Courtney, J.M. (2006) The in vitro adsorption of cytokines by polymer-pyrolysed carbon Biomaterials, 27 (30). pp. 5286-5291. ISSN 0142-9612
SANDEMAN, SUSAN, HOWELL, CAROL, PHILLIPS, GARY, LLOYD, ANDREW, Davies, J.G, MIKHALOVSKY, SERGEY, Tennison, S.R., Rawlinson, A.P., Kozynchenko, O.P., Owen, H.L.H., Gaylor, J.D.S., Rouse, J.J. and Courtney, J.M. (2005) Assessing the in vitro biocompatibility of a novel carbon device for the treatment of sepsis Biomaterials, 26 (34). pp. 7124-7131. ISSN 0142-9612
