With a distinguished career spanning 37 years in biological research and higher education, I have cultivated a dynamic skillset through progressive roles from grassroots to leadership positions at St George’s University of London. As a seasoned professional services Manager and PRINCE2 certified Project Manager, I collaborate with senior academic staff to develop our university's educational and research objectives. In this capacity, I excel in leading cross-functional teams, managing large scale institutional projects, and ensuring operational integrity across initiatives that enrich academic communities and enhance our partnerships with clinical stakeholders. I am also a passionate advocate for community outreach and firmly believe in the power of education to forge connections and inspire collective action. Through my involvement in various advisory boards and committees, my interests have always been deeply rooted in driving forward operational good practices that will drive positive change. As an elected member of the St George’s University of London Council, I will continue to influence strategic decisions to ensure education is accessible and inclusive to our students, partners, and the wider community. I look forward to engaging with peers and leaders in the industry to share insights and strategies for continuous improvement in higher education.

My research interests focus around the vascular remodelling events that occur at the maternal-fetal interface during pregnancy.

Publications:

Charolidi, N., Host, A J., Ashton, S., Tryfonos, Z., Leslie, K., Thilaganathan, B., Cartwright, J E., Whitley, GS., (2018). First trimester placental endothelial cells from pregnancies with abnormal uterine artery Doppler are more sensitive to apoptotic stimuli. Lab Invest. 2018 Oct 5. doi: 10.1038/s41374-018-0139-z

Leslie K, Whitley GS, Herse F, Dechend R, Ashton SV, Laing K, Thilaganathan B, Cartwright JE. (2015)

Increased apoptosis, altered oxygen signaling, and antioxidant defenses in first-trimester pregnancies with high-resistance uterine artery blood flow. Am J Pathol. 2015 Oct;185(10):2731-41

Ashton, S.V., Whitley, G.St.J., Dash, P.R., Wareing, M., Crocker, I.P.,Baker, P.N., Cartwright, J.E., (2005).

Uterine spiral artery remodelling involves endothelial apoptosis induced by extravillous trophoblasts through Fas/FasL interactions. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., 25: 102-108.

Al-Shawi, R., Ashton, S.V., Underwood, C., Simons, J.P. (2001).

Expression of the Ror1 and Ror2 receptor tyrosine kinase genes during mouse development. Development Genes and Evolution, 211: 161-171.

Doherty, P., Ashton, S.V., Moore, S.E., Walsh, F.S. (1991b).

Morphoregulatory activities of NCAM and N-CADHERIN can be accounted for By G-Protein- dependent activation of L- and N-type neuronal calcium channels. Cell, 67: 21-33.

Doherty, P., Moolenaar, C.E.C.K., Ashton, S.V., Michalides, R.J.A.M., Walsh, F.S. (1992).

The VASE exon down-regulates the neurite growth-promoting activity of NCAM 140. Nature, 356(6372): 791-793.

Doherty, P., Ashton, S.V., Skaper, S.D., Leon, A., Walsh, F.S. (1992).

Ganglioside modulation of neural cell adhesion molecule and N-cadherin-dependent neurite outgrowth. Journal of Cell Biology, 117:1093-1099.

Walsh, F.S., Furness, J., Moore, S.E., Ashton, S.V., Doherty, P. (1992).

Use of the neural cell adhesion molecule VASE exon by neurons is associated with a specific down regulation of neural cell adhesion molecule dependent neurite outgrowth in the developing cerebellum and hippocampus.

Journal of Neurochemistry, 59: 1959-1962

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Year1 & Year 2 Biomedical Science Tutor: 2016 - 2020, 2022-23