Professor Linda Scobie
Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Professor Scobie has been at GCU since 2007 and originally moved from Glasgow University Veterinary School. She is involved in teaching on the Biomedical Science and Microbiology programmes. In addition, Professor Scobie leads a research group interested in viral zoonoses in the context of novel technologies such as xenotransplantation, and the contribution and/or reactivation of viruses in chronic disease conditions. Professor Scobie is a member of the World Health Organisation committee for the global consultation on regulatory requirements for xenotransplantation trials http://www.who.int/transplantation/xeno/en/ and was involved in the 2019 update to the Changsha communique. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/xen.12513
The team is also interested in emerging viral disease and potential routes of infection, in particular, Hepatitis E virus is the main interest of the group along with other foodborne pathogens that may pose a risk to public health and the environment.
Member of the Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety in Food (ACMSF)
Research Group Lead for the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. https://www.gcu.ac.uk/hls/research/researchgroups/molecularmechanismsoflongtermconditions/
Chair of the Genetic Modification Steering Committee for GMO work carried out at GCU. If you wish to carry out work with any GMO at GCU please contact Professor Scobie by email or for guidance refer to the link to our staff pages on GM here https://www.gcu.ac.uk/healthandsafety/proceduresandarrangements/hazardoussubstancesandbiologicalagents/geneticmodification/
Current projects:
Food Standards Agency FS307033 Optimising extraction and RT-Qpcr based detection of hepatitis E virus (HEV) from pork meat and products (HEV DETECT) 2020-2022
Food Standards Agency FS301062 Thermal Death Model for Hepatitis E virus (HEVTIMS) 2019-2021
Contract research with MVD Diagnostics Ltd investigating diagnostics for bovine TB and JSRV.
Contract research with Xenotherapeutics Ltd addressing safety in the first approved human clinical trials of viable porcine skin to treat burns. https://www.xenotherapeutics.com/
Previously funded projects:
EUFP7 XENOISLET 2013-2017 http://xenoislet.eu/
EUFP7 TRIAD 2011-2014 www.TRIAD.eu
FP6 XENOME 2013-2016 www.xenome.eu
Chief Scientist Office Scotland. 2010 –2013. Epidemiology and Identification of Potential Transmission routes for autochthonous Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in Scotland and the clinical relevance of HEV in chronic liver disease.
Current staff:
Liam O’Connor (Research Assistant)
Susan Bennet (PhD student in conjunction with NHSGGC)