
Professor Winston Morgan
Director of Impact and Innovation
Director
Impact and 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
- 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
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.
MEDIA
Media publications
2021
- Poor vaccine take-up in Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities is not just due to hesitancy
- Poor vaccine take-up in BAME communities is not just down to hesitancy
- Anti-vaxxers are weaponising the vaccine hesitancy of Black communities
- Medical racism could hold back the UK's COVID-19 vaccination drive
2020
- https://theconversation.com/black-people-have-a-long-history-of-poor-medical-treatment-no-wonder-many-are-hesitant-to-take-covid-vaccines-150214
- https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/28/race-factor-covid-deaths-government-structural-racism
- https://www.menshealth.com/uk/fitness/lifestyle/g34311222/black-history-month-fitness-style-leaders/
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/will-the-covid-19-pandemic-and-black-lives-matter-change-science-and-society
- https://www.menshealth.com/uk/fitness/lifestyle/g34311222/black-history-month-fitness-style-leaders/
- https://www.menshealth.com/uk/health/a34246955/why-racism-is-a-public-health-issue/
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-does-risk-vary-for-black-and-asian-patients-with-covid-19
- https://www.npr.org/2020/10/01/919116188/the-problem-with-the-nobel-prizes-in-science
- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-hand-gel-sanitiser-superbugs-a9697031.html
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/will-the-covid-19-pandemic-and-black-lives-matter-change-science-and-society
- https://www.soci.org/chemistry-and-industry/cni-data/2020/6/not-so-soft-soap
- https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/bonfire-casual-contracts-huge-setback-racial-equality
- https://theconversation.com/the-pandemic-shows-we-need-more-black-scientists-but-who-will-pay-the-cost-141901
- "The impact of coronavirus cannot be explained away through the prism of race" on @BBCWorldService https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002vsnb
- https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jun/10/if-universities-struggle-financially-bame-academics-will-lose-their-jobs-first
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/07/omission-of-air-pollution-from-report-on-covid-19-and-race-astonishing
- https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/04/genetics-bame-people-die-coronavirus-structural-racism
- https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-its-impact-cannot-be-explained-away-through-the-prism-of-race-138046
- https://wonkhe.com/blogs/bame-academics-are-already-under-represented-the-response-to-covid-19-could-reduce-our-numbers-even-further/
- https://www.voice-online.co.uk/news/coronavirus/2020/05/07/if-i-am-infected-with-covid-19-is-it-because-i-am-black/
- https://metro.co.uk/2020/04/18/no-sanitisers-disinfectants-arent-things-12574506/?
- https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-heavy-use-of-hand-sanitisers-could-boost-antimicrobial-resistance-136541
2019
- https://www.palatinate.org.uk/durham-employs-half-as-many-bame-staff-as-russell-group-average/
- https://www.palatinate.org.uk/dr-winston-morgan-why-we-need-more-black-professors-on-campus/
2018
- https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/07/brexit-economy-black-professors-minority-ethnic
- https://www.deccanchronicle.com/discourse/211018/nobel-out-of-reach-black-scientist-yet-to-make-it-to-nobel.html
- http://theconversation.com/no-black-scientist-has-ever-won-a-nobel-thats-bad-for-science-and-bad-for-society-104456
2017-14
- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-5023693/The-lethal-doses-substances-revealed.html
- https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ethnic-minority-students-less-satisfied-university-experience
- https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/why-my-professor-still-not-black
- https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/black-and-ethnic-minorities-still-have-mountains-to-climb-in-higher-education
- https://www.timeshighereducation.com/comment/letters/raw-deal-for-bme-students/2011219.article
- series.co.uk/news/wfnews/5033901.WALTHAM_FOREST__Contamination_in_drinking_water_reduced/
Media: Video and Audio
Media interactions
- The COVID-19 vaccines: why governments and almost all scientists are confident they are safe. https://youtu.be/ERm8g8pJL
- Yes or No to vaccination understanding vaccinations. https://youtu.be/6_gnHctWl6s
- Why Black people are more likely to die from COVID-19. https://youtu.be/a3_IUtq7y48
- BBC world service documentary on the Nobel prize I took part in where I discuss the challenges facing black researchers: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct0x8m https://www.rsm.ac.uk/events/medical-genetics/2019-20/mgn53/
- COVID-19, academic privileges and teaching through bias - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn1Z6Fyctzc&t=2s
- Outnumbered by White People https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/qK8jCX6zzhn00M0SDiOSK?domain=podcasts.google.com
- There are vast stories and statistics demonstrating the negative experiences Black, Asian & other ethnic minority patients, doctors & nurses have with the NHS. From the high rates of Pregnant Black Women dying, to the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately killing BAME patients.
- 'If I am infected with COVID-19, is it because I am black?' The Voice newspaper online https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asZmk1CzfrU
- BBC Science in Action https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002vsnb
- Interviews about the university awarding gap:
- Part 1: https://youtu.be/50E2P4uBb8A
- Part 2: https://youtu.be/i72TFAkOD1A
- Presentations
- https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/equality-charters/your-equality-networks/higher-education-race-action-group-herag
- Staffordshire University Learning and Teaching Conference 2014
- https://www.kent.ac.uk/studentsuccess/2016-conference.html?tab=presenters
TEACHING
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
Browse past publications by year.
Full publications list
Visit the research repository to view a full list of publications
- Cough syrup can harm children: experts warn of contamination risks The Conversation
- Comparative Analysis of Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever Spirochaetes from Ethiopia and Nigeria Pathogens. 12 (Art. 81). https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12010081
- Tackling inequalities in research The Biologist
- Inhibition of mitochondrial function: An alternative explanation for the antipyretic and hypothermic actions of acetaminophen Life Sciences. 312 (Art. 121194). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2022.121194
- Prebiotics may alter bile salt hydrolase activity: Possible implications for cholesterol metabolism PharmaNutrition. 12 (Art. 100182). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phanu.2020.100182
- Inhibition of lipolysis: A novel explanation for the hypothermic actions of acetaminophen in non-febrile rodents Biochemical Pharmacology. 172 (Art. 113774). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2019.113774