Winston Morgan

Professor Winston Morgan

Director of Impact and Innovation

Director of Impact & Innovation, Medicines Research Group

Department of Bioscience , School Of Health, Sport And Bioscience

Professor Winston Morgan is a researcher in toxicology and clinical biochemistry, he teaches on several programmes from level 4-7 in Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Biochemical Science and Medical Physiology. 

Professor Morgan splits his research and scholarly activity between bioscience research and research into the outcomes for Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Students and Staff in Higher Education. Professor Morgan also researches factors which contributes to poorer medical outcomes of individuals and groups on the basis of race and ethnicity.  

Qualifications

  • BSc, PhD

Areas Of Interest

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  • Bioscience 
  • Outcomes for Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Students and Staff in Higher Education
  • Factors which contribute to poorer medical outcomes of individuals and groups on the basis of race and ethnicity
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Winston Morgan

OVERVIEW

Winston Morgan is currently a Professor of Toxicology, Equity and Inclusive Practice at University of East London. His university education began with a BSc at NELP (now University of East London) in Applied Biology specialising in Pharmacology/Toxicology. He then worked in biomedical research in various research labs at the University of London for several years before completing his PhD in Biochemical Toxicology at the London School of Pharmacy (now UCL School of Pharmacy) in 1993. Winston returned to UEL in 1993 as a postdoctoral research fellow and became a lecturer in 1998. Over the years he has contributed to the teaching of all the programmes in the bioscience subject area particularly biomedical sciences, forensic sciences,  and toxicology in the pharmacology.  For ten years he was programme leader for up to 11 MSc programmes in the bioscience subject area.

CURRENT RESEARCH

Winston Morgan's research interests are many and varied, he has been a member of the British Toxicology Society, British Pharmacology Society  and Biochemical Society for over 20 years as well as a Fellow of the Institute of Biology. His early research was in signal transduction in blood cells and the protein chemistry of auto-antibodies, he then moved on to liver and kidney toxicity. He is well into double figures for PhD supervision. Past students have been in areas as diverse as human placenta as an alternative to animals in toxicity testing, the role of probiotics and prebiotics in gut health and wound healing properties of certain Nigerian plants.  He has an ongoing interest in the toxicity of Amphetamine related compounds. Professor Morgan also has projects on the understanding the mechanism of the long term toxicity of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in AIDS patients. His most recently completed PhD students worked on providing a better understanding of how Paracetamol and NSAID works in terms of anti-pyresis and anti-inflammation. His research has been informed by a knowledge of mechanistic toxicology, toxicity testing, pharmacology and clinical biochemistry. His current students are working toxicity associated with e-cigarette and water-pipe smoking, screening medical plants for anti-cancer compounds and post-mortem insulin analysis in hypoglycaemic death.

Away from laboratory-based research Professor Morgan is involved in several learning and teaching projects looking at how to improve the student experience and performance of widening participation students particularly, BAME students. Supporting postgraduate research students from BAME and widening participation backgrounds to complete their programmes. This work has led to several national keynote presentations. 

A developing area of research and scholarly activity is the role of race and ethnicity in medical research and medical outcomes. In particular of the psychological impacts  of racism is translated into physiological and molecular changes in the affected individuals leading to premature ageing, increased disease susceptibility and early death.

PUBLICATIONS

Research publications

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  • Bashir S, Elegunde B, Morgan WA, Inhibition of lipolysis: A novel explanation for the hypothermic actions of acetaminophen in non-febrile rodents, (2020)  Biochemical Pharmacology 172 (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2019.113774
  • Adebola, O., Corcoran, O. and Morgan, W.  Prebiotics may alter bile salt hydrolase activity: Possible implications for cholesterol metabolism. (2020) PharmaNutrition. 12 (Art. 100182) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phanu.2020.100182
  • Mafuva C. and Morgan W.A Effect of contraceptive hormones on a nevirapine based antiretroviral combination treatment induced apoptosis in human cervical epithelial cancer cells.   Genes & Cancer annual meeting 2017
  • Christopher Mafuva, Giordano Pula, Winston A Morgan. Role of contraceptive hormones on combination antiretroviral treatment induced apoptosis in human cervical cancer cells. 13th World Conference on inflammation 2017
  • Sivanjaa Manoj, Winston Morgan & Samir S Ayoub The requirement of p38-MAPKinase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-g for the induction of cyclooxygenase-2 by interleukin-4 drives macrophages into an anti-inflammatory phenotype. British Pharmacology Society national conference, 2017
  • Shazma Bashir, Busayo Elegunde, Winston A. Morgan. Antipyresis and the inhibition of mitochondrial function. British Pharmacology Society national conference, 2016
  • Sivanjaa Manoj, Winston Morgan and Samir S Ayoub. Characterisation of the signalling mechanisms involved in the induction of cyclooxygenase-2 by interleukin-4. British Pharmacology Society national conference, 2016
  • Mafuva C and  Morgan W.A Transformation of monocytes to macrophages by combination antiretroviral treatment. British Pharmacology Society national conference, 2016
  • George Antepim Pesewu, Ronald R. Culter, David P. Humber, Winston A. Morgan Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity and Phytoconstituents of the Aqueous Leaves Extract of Alchornea Cordifolia International Scientific Research Journal, 2015, 1(07), pp. 48-54. DOI: 10.18483/IRJSci.54
  • Adebola, O.O.; Corcoran, O.; Morgan, W.A. 2014, Synbiotics: the impact of potential prebiotics inulin, lactulose and lactobionic acid on the survival and growth of lactobacilli probiotics. Journal of Functional Foods, 10, 75-84
  • Article: Protective effects of prebiotics inulin and lactulose from cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in human colon adenocarcinoma cells, Oluwakemi Adebola, Olivia Corcoran, Winston A. Morgan. Full-text Article, Jun 2013, Food Research International
  • Adewale Adetutu; Winston A. Morgan; Olivia Corcoran; F. Chimezie, 2012 Antibacterial activity and in vitro cytotoxicity of extracts and fractions of Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) Benth. stem bark and Ageratum conyzoides Linn. Leaves, Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 34 (2012) 478-483
  • Abubakar Abdulhamid  and Winston A. Morgan  European Journal of Experimental Biology, 2012, 2 (5):1444-1450. Evaluation of hydroquinone target organ toxicity against liver (BRL3A) and dermal (A375p) cell lines
  • Article: Ethnopharmacological survey and in vitro evaluation of wound-healing plants used in South-western Nigeria Adewale Adetutu, Winston A Morgan, Olivia Corcoran. Article, Apr 2011, Journal of Ethnopharmacology
  • Article: The ethanol extract of Scutellaria baicalensis and the active compounds induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis including upregulation of p53 and Bax in human lung cancer cells Jiayu Gao; Winston A Morgan, Alberto Sanchez-Medina, Olivia Corcoran
  • Article: Antibacterial, antioxidant and fibroblast growth stimulation activity of crude extracts of Bridelia ferruginea leaf, a wound-healing plant of Nigeria. Adewale Adetutu, Winston A Morgan, Olivia Corcoran. Article, Jan 2011, Journal of Ethnopharmacology
  • Article: The use of High Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography to determine the role of membrane lipid composition in bile salt-induced kidney cell damage Winston A Morgan ,Thanh Nk, Yinuo Ding. Article, Feb 2008, Journal of pharmacological and toxicological methods
  • Author(s): Kohan, Ghotbi K.; Morgan, W. A. Stress proteins as a suitable biomarker of environmental pollution: International Journal of Environmental Research Volume 1 Issue 4, Pages: 290-295, 2007
  • Winston A. Morgan, Thanh NK and Yinuo Ding. Membrane lipid composition may play a key role in the toxicity of bile salts to kidney cells. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology May 2005
  • Article: Are Bile Acids Involved in the Renal Dysfunction of Obstructive Jaundice? An Experimental Study in Bile Duct Ligated Rats. Balwant Kaler, Tony Karram, Winston A Morgan, Peter H Bach, Ibrahim M Yousef, Arieh Bomzon. Article, Oct 2004, Renal Failure
  • Conference Paper: The role of dopamine metabolism in the cytotoxicity of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) and related compounds. Y Adeeko, WA Morgan. Conference Paper, Sep 2004
  • Conference Paper: Does the uncoupling of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation by MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) and related compounds contribute to hyperthermia? J Afari, WA Morgan. Conference Paper, Sep 2004
  • Deborah A. Early, Gillian Sturman,  S.R. Sooranna and Winston A. Morgan. Precision-Cut Human Placenta slices as a model for In Vitro Toxicity Testing. Hum. & Exp. Toxicol. 18, 761 1999.
  • Article: The role of ursodeoxycholic acid in bile acid-mediated kidney fragment toxicity Winston A. Morgan, Balwant Kaler, Peter H. Bach. Article, Jan 1999, Experimental and Toxicologic Pathology
  • Article: Methapyrilene hepatotoxicity is associated with oxidative stress, mitochondrial disfunction and is prevented by the Ca2+ channel blocker verapamil  Gurpreet S Ratra, Winston A Morgan, Jenny Mullervy, Christopher J Powell, Matthew C Wright. Article, Oct 1998, Toxicology
  • Article: The relationship between sodium chloride concentration and bile acid cytotoxicity in cultured kidney cells W A Morgan, Y Dingg, P H Bach. Article, Jun 1998, Renal Failure.
  • Article: The role of reactive oxygen species in adriamycin and menadione-induced glomerular toxicity Winston A Morgan, Balwant Kaler, Peter H Bach. Article, Mar 1998, Toxicology Letters
  • Article: The relationship between sodium chloride concentration and bile acid cytotoxicity in cultured kidney cells, Winston A. Morgan, Yinuo Dingg, Peter H. Bach. Article, Jan 1998, Renal Failure
  • Article: The modulation of protein kinase C by bile salts, Winston A. Morgan, Pawan Sharma, Balwant Kaler, Peter H. Bach Preview, Article, Mar 1997, Biochemical Society Transactions
  • Balwant Kaler, Winston Morgan, Arieh Bomzon and Peter H. Bach. The Effects of bile acids on freshly isolated rat glomeruli and proximal tubular fragments. Toxicol. In Vitro. 12:1-7 1997
  • Winston A. Morgan, Balwant Kaler and Peter H. Bach, The effect of bile salts on the kinetic properties of enzymes used in the diagnosis of liver and kidney damage. Biochem. Soc. Trans. 25:76S, 1997
  • Winston A Morgan, Bram Prins and Andries Sj Koster. Relationship between acute toxicity of (bis)aziridinyl-benzoquinones and cellular pyridine nucleotides. Arch. Toxicol. 71:(9), 582-587 ,1997
  • Kaler B, Obatomi DK, Anthonypillai A, Brant S, Morgan WA, and Bach PH. Susceptibility of kidney and liver to chenodeoxycholate using precision cut rat slices. Journal of Applied Toxicology 15:550, 1996
  • Kaler B, Karram T, Morgan WA,   Bomzom A and Bach PH. Obstructive jaundice, bile acids, renal injury in vivo and in vitro. Kidney International 50:1814, 1996
  • Kaler B, Karram T, Bomzom A Morgan WA and Bach PH . The renal effects of short term chenodeoxycholic acid infusion in rats Abstract: Human and Experimental Toxicology 15:690, 1996.
  • Winston A. Morgan, Balwant Kaler and Peter H. Bach, The role of reactive oxygen species in bile acid-mediated cytotoxicity in freshly isolated rat glomerular  and tubular fragments Abstract: Human and Experimental Toxicology 15:691, 1996
  • B. Kaler, Y. Ding, I Seefeldt, J. Butcher, W. Morgan, A. Bomzom P.H. Bach, Cytotoxicity of bile acids (BA) in renal fragments and cell lines. Tox. Lett. Supl. 1/78, p.45, 1995.
  • Kaler B, Morgan WA, Karram T, Bach PH and Bomzom A. Bile acids, obstructive jaundice and renal failure. Hepatology 23:Suppl 1, 249, 1995
  • Yinuo Ding, Winston A. Morgan and Peter H. Bach, The effects of bile salts on renal cell lines and primary cell cultures. Human and Experimental Toxicology 14:761, 1995
  • Balwant Kaler, Winston A. Morgan, Arieh Bomzon* and Peter H. Bach, The effects of bile salts on freshly isolated rat glomerular and tubular fragments. Human and Experimental Toxicology 14:760,1995
  • Morgan WA, DNA single strand breakage in mammalian cells induced by redox cycling quinones in the absence of oxidative stress. J. Biochem. Toxicol. 10:(4) 227-232, 1995
  • Morgan WA, Pyridine nucleotide hydrolysis and interconversion in rat hepatocytes during oxidative stress. Biochem Pharmacol. 49:1179-1184, 1995
  • Morgan WA. Naphthoquinone-induced DNA breakage in the absence of oxidative stress. Biochem. Soc. Trans. 23:225S 1995
  • Morgan WA. Kaler B and Bach, The role of oxidative stress in adriamycin-induced selective glomerular toxicity. Abstract: Human and Experimental Toxicology 13:642,1994
  • Ghatineh S, Morgan W, Preece NE and Timbrell JA, Biochemical and nmr spectroscopic study of hydrazine in the isolated rat hepatocyte. Archives of toxicology 66:(9) 660 668, 1992
  • Morgan WA, Hartley JA and Cohen GM, Quinone induced DNA single strand breaks in rat hepatocytes and human chronic myelogenous leukaemic K562  cells. Biochem. Phmarmacol 44:215-221, 1992
  • Bram Prins, Winston A Morgan,  Andries Sj Koster* and Gerald M Cohen, Pyridine nucleotide changes induced by aziridinylbenzoquinone in rat hepatocytes. 12th European workshop on drug metabolism. Basel sept. 1990
  • Krishnamurthi S, Patel Y, Morgan WA Wheeler-Jones CP and Kakkar VV, Na+/H+ exchanger is not necessary for protein kinase C-mediated effects of platelet. FEBS letts. 252:147-152, 1989
  • Krishnamurthi S, Morgan WA and Kakkar VV, Extracellular Na+, but  not Na+/H+ exchange, is necessary for receptor-mediated arachidonate release in platelet. Biochem. J. 265: 155-160, 1990
  • Krishnamurthi S, Morgan WA and Kakkar VV, Intracellular ph elevation via Na+/H+ exchange is an inhibitory signal in thrombin induced dense granule secretion. British Journal of Haematology 73:(3),441 1989
  • Krishnamurthi S, Morgan W and Kakkar VV, Intracellular ph elevation via Na+/H+ exchange is inhibitory to platelet granule secretion. Thrombosis and Haemostasis 62: (1) 419, 1989
  • Morgan W, Krishnamurthi S and Kakkar VV, Extracellular Na+ but not Na+/H+ exchange is necessary for agonist-induced arachidonate release in platelets. Thrombosis and Haemostasis 62:(1) 245 1989
  • Krishnamurthi S, Morgan WA and Kakkar VV, Extracellular Na+ removal enhances granule secretion in platelet - evidence that Na+/H+ exchanger is inhibitory to secretion induced by some agonist. FEBS. Letts. 250 195-200, 1989.
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Media publications

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017-14

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TEACHING

BSc (Hons) Pharmacology

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BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science

Biomedical scientists are key players in the modern healthcare system. At UEL, you will study the causes of disease and the practical ways they can be investigated in the laboratory.

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BSc (Hons) Biochemistry and Biotechnology

Unlock the secrets of life with our Biochemistry degree. Dive into cutting-edge research, and hands-on lab experience, and prepare for a dynamic career in healthcare, biotechnology, or pharmaceuticals

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BSc (Hons) Medical Physiology

Study the complex anatomy and function of the human body in health and disease. Gain training and experience to prepare you for your medical physiology career.

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MODULES

Currently I run modules in toxicology and teach on programmes and modules in pharmacology, biomedical sciences, biochemistry and medical physiology from levels 4-7.

Key subjects include mechanistic toxicology, toxicity testing, carcinogenesis, regulatory toxicity, pharmacogenetics, pharmacokinetics, liver and kidney function, blood proteins, serum enzymes, drug metabolism.

In the past ten years I have been programmes leader on 10 MSc Bioscience programmes (Bioinformatics, Biotechnology, Biotechnology and Management, Biomedical Immunology, Biomedical Science, Bioscience, Molecular Medical Microbiology, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toxicology).

Publications

The last four years of publications can be viewed below. 

Full publications list

Visit the research repository to view a full list of publications

Research repository