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Katja Hill

Dr Katja Hill

Senior Lecturer in Oral Microbiology

School of Dentistry

Email
HillKE1@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 29225 10661
Campuses
University Dental Hospital, Room Room 5F.03, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XY
Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

With a long standing interest in wound healing, my early research focused on wound microbiology and ecology, and defining the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in impaired wound healing in chronic, non-healing wounds.  This research pioneered analysis of the wound microflora using culture-independent 16S rRNA molecular analysis.  

My current research involves translation to clinical practice of a novel oligosaccharide antimicrobial derived from seaweed, OligoG (in conjunction with the biopharmaceutical company Algipharma AS, Norway) which offers the opportunity for new approaches to the management of human chronic diseases such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).  This first oligosaccharide nanomedicine to treat multi-drug resistant gram-negative & biofilm-related infection in man has been patented, seeing translation from the laboratory into patients in less than 10 years.  OligoG is safe for human use and is currently in Phase IIb/III clinical studies in cystic fibrosis patients.  Work is ongoing to elucidate the mode of action of OligoG.  

More recently, in collaboration with the life sciences company Qbiotics Ltd, Queensland, Australia, I have been characterising the antibacterial/antibiofilm properties of a series of natural and semi-synthetic compounds derived from the Queensland rainforest, which have already been shown to have considerable efficacy in wound healing as immunomodulators.

Publication

2024

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1996

  • Hill, K. E., Marchesi, J. R. and Fry, J. C. 1996. Conjugation in the epilithon. In: Akkermans, A. D. L., Van Elsas, J. D. and de Bruijn, F. J. eds. Molecular Microbial Ecology Manual. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dortrecht, The Netherlands, pp. 125-152., (10.1007/978-94-009-0215-2_9)

1995

1994

1992

1988

Adrannau llyfrau

  • Hill, K. E., Marchesi, J. R. and Fry, J. C. 1996. Conjugation in the epilithon. In: Akkermans, A. D. L., Van Elsas, J. D. and de Bruijn, F. J. eds. Molecular Microbial Ecology Manual. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dortrecht, The Netherlands, pp. 125-152., (10.1007/978-94-009-0215-2_9)

Cynadleddau

Erthyglau

Research

Current Research Projects 

  • Reckitt-Benckiser (2022) Documenting the antimicrobial and antiviral effects of hexylresorcinol (Co-Investigator; £190,000).
  • Research Council of Norway (RCN)/AlgiPharma AS, Sandvika, Norway (2018-2023)  Alginate oligomers: overcoming obstacles in drug delivery and antibiotic resistance (Mucos-Alg). (Co-Investigator; £297,397). 
  • Welsh European Funding Office (KESSII)/ AlgiPharma AS, Sandvika, Norway (2019-2022)  Developing novel technologies to model the effects of therapies on bacterial biofilms.  (Co-Investigator; £39,911).  
  • Qbiotics Ltd, Queensland, Australia (2019-2022) Characterisation of novel epoxy-tigliane therapeutics in treatment of multi-drug resistant (MDR) wound and implant infections (Co-Investigator; £151,978). 

Previous Research

  • Welsh European Funding Office (KESSII)/Cultech Ltd, Port Talbot (2018-2019)  Harnessing antimicrobial bacteriocin production of probiotic bacteria. (Principal Investigator; £14,596).   
  • British Skin Foundation (2018-2019)  Oral exosomes as a novel treatment for chronic skin wound infections (Co-Investigator; £40,323).  
  • Research Council of Norway (RCN)/AlgiPharma AS, Sandvika, Norway (2015-2019)  BIA formulations:  Developing the “second generation” of our polymer therapeutics, for use in wound healing and medical device coatings to Phase 1 studies. (Co-Investigator; £393,521).
  • Qbiotics Ltd, Queensland, Australia (2016-2018)  Translational research characterising and testing novel and semi-synthetic antimicrobial compounds from the Australian rainforest.  (Co-Investigator; £283,627).
  • Research Council of Norway (RCN)/AlgiPharma AS, Sandvika, Norway (2013-2017)  Tailored OligoG: Characterising structure/activity relationships of the oligosaccharide nanomedicines; from molecular modelling to designing candidate structures through large-scale synthesis and pre-clinical testing.  (Co-Investigator; £787,819).
  • Research Council of Norway (RCN)/Paper & Fibre Institute (PFI), Trondheim, Norway (2012-2016)  Nanoheal: Bio-compatible cellulose nanostructures for advanced wound healing applications.  (Co-Investigator; £130,755).
  • Algipharma AS, Sandvika, Norway (2007-2014) Antimicrobial testing of Pseudomonas biofilms  (Principal Investigator; £674,102). 
  • Royal College of Surgeons (2011-2013) The ability of a novel oligosaccharide polymer therapy to modulate the viability adhesion and biofilm formation of oral bacteria on dental material substrates in vitro. (Co-Investigator; £9,900). 

Total award value of funding KE Hill as PI or Co-I (2006-2019)  £5,959,694

Teaching

Current Teaching

MSc Implantology  

  • Module lead for DET028 (Cellular and Molecular Biology) 
  • Teaching DET028 Cellular and Molecular Biology 
  • Summative assessment  Oral presentations, Exam setting and marking, MSc Project supervision 

MSc Oral Biology 

  • Teaching  DET035 Microorganisms in Oral Diseases 
  • Summative assessment Exam setting and marking  

Dental Surgery (BDS) 

  • Summative assessment Poster oral presentations, Extended essays (setting and marking), Final Year Project supervision, Final Year Project marking 

Qualifications 

2014 Post-graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE [PCET]) 

Biography

Recent Biography

  • (2019) Senior Lecturer (Oral microbiology), Cardiff University School of Dentistry, Cardiff, U.K
  • (2017) Lecturer (Oral Microbiology), Cardiff University School of Dentistry, Cardiff, U.K
  • (2006 - 2017) Senior Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (Independent Researcher)

Honours and awards

  • MediWales Award for Innovation, 2018.
  • Cardiff University Innovation and Impact Award in Medicine, 2017

Professional memberships

  • American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

Academic positions

Senior Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

  • (2006 - 2009) EPSRC: Development of an intelligent wound dressing to measure bacterial numbers and diversity in chronic wounds in real time. Cardiff University School of Dentistry, Cardiff, U.K.

Post-Doctoral Research Associate

  • (2003 - 2005)  Johnson & Johnson: Investigating the role of bacterial biofilms in chronic wounds using in vitro modelling. Wound Healing Research Unit, UWCM, Cardiff, U.K.
  • (1999 - 2003)  Research into Ageing: A prospective characterisation of the microflora in chronic wounds using both cultural & molecular techniques. Oral Surgery Medicine and Pathology, Dental School, UWCM, Cardiff, U.K.
  • (1996 – 1999)  European Union Grant:  Microbial adaptation to degradation of natural and synthetic organohalogens.  School of Biosciences, University of Wales College Cardiff, U.K.  
  • (1993 – 1996)  European Union Grant:  The plasmid carrying and gene mobilising capacity of different European soils. School of Biosciences, University of Wales College Cardiff, U.K.  

Higher Education Qualifications 

  • 2014  PGCE(PCET) Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Cardiff University) Distinction
  • 1992  Ph.D.  Microbiology (University of Wales College Cardiff)  
  • 1987  B.Sc (Hons) Applied Biology (UWIST) Class 2.1 

Committees and reviewing

  • (2019) Dental School Research Ethics Committee (DSREC)
  • (2019) GW4 Crucible Selection Panel
  • (2018) Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (EDI)
  • Grant Reviewer, MRC, Italian Cystic Fibrosis Research Foundation
  • Journal Reviewer,  Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Microbiology, Journal of Wound Care, Archives of Microbiology, British Journal of Dermatology, Wound Repair and Regeneration, Veterinary Dermatology, International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents.

Supervisions

I am interested in supervising PhD students in the areas of:

  • Microbiology
  • Wound healing
  • Antibiofilm therapeutics
  • Antimicrobial resistance

Current PGR students

Jennifer Adams

JingXiang Wu

  • PROJECT: Dissecting the mechanobiology of bacteria and biofilms in colistin resistance
  • FUNDING: China Scholarship Council-Cardiff University (CSC-CU) Joint Scholarship with QBiotics Ltd