University of Exeter Medical School

Melissa Barlow

Melissa Barlow

PhD Student and Graduate Research Assistant

 M.Barlow@exeter.ac.uk

 Smeall building 

 

Smeall Building, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK

Overview

Melissa is a PhD student and Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Exeter Medical School. For her PhD, she is evaluating the diagnostic value of pre-diagnostic thrombocytosis in lung cancer patients and exploring the underlying molecular mechanisms of this relationship. She is supervised by Professor Sarah Bailey, Professor Willie Hamilton, Professor Chris Scotton and Dr Giordano Pula.

She also works as a Graduate Research Assistant for the EPIC (Ethnic differences in Platelet count and other blood tests In the diagnosis of Cancer) study, led by Professor Sarah Bailey and Dr Tani Martins.

Qualifications

  • BSc (Hons) Medical Science (Pharmacology & Therapeutics) – University of Exeter

Research group links

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Research

Research interests

  • The use of blood tests to help detect cancer in primary care
  • The impact of ethnicity on cancer diagnosis in primary care
  • The molecular mechanisms underlying the platelet-cancer relationship

Research Skills

  • Management, preparation and analyses of large datasets using Stata
  • Regression modelling
  • Systematic reviews and meta-analysis
  • In-vitro cell culture

Research projects

Current Projects:

  • Exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying pre-diagnostic thrombocytosis in lung cancer patients and evaluating its diagnostic value
  • Investigating ethnic differences in blood test results for suspected cancer in primary care

Grants/Funding:

  • Investigating ethnic differences in blood test results for suspected cancer in primary care. Co-Applicant. Cancer Research UK Early Detection and Diagnosis Project Grant. £136,365. 2021 - 2024
  • Exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying pre-diagnostic thrombocytosis in lung cancer patients and evaluating its diagnostic value. PhD student. GW4 BioMed MRC Doctoral Training Partnership. £75,000. 2019 - 2028

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Publications

Journal articles

Down E, Barlow M, Bailey S, Mounce L, Martins T (In Press). Association between patient ethnicity and prostate cancer diagnosis following a Prostate Specific Antigen test: a cohort study of 730,000 men in primary care in the UK. BMC Medicine
Barlow M, Hamilton W, Bailey SER (2024). The Clinical Value of Pre-Diagnostic Thrombocytosis for the Detection of Lung Cancer in Primary Care. Cancers, 16(6).
Barlow M, Down L, Mounce LTA, Merriel SWD, Watson J, Martins T, Bailey SER (2023). Ethnic differences in prostate-specific antigen levels in men without prostate cancer: a systematic review. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis, 26(2), 249-256. Abstract.  Author URL.
Barlow M, Hamilton W, Ukoumunne OC, Bailey SER (2021). The association between thrombocytosis and subtype of lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Translational Cancer Research, 10(3), 1249-1260. Abstract.
Barlow M, Hamilton W, Ukoumunne OC, Bailey SER (2020). The association between thrombocytosis and subtype of lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Abstract.
(2018). Abstracts of the 68th annual meeting in University of Nottingham. Microcirculation Abstract.  Author URL.

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External Engagement and Impact

Awards

Postgraduate awards:

  • Best poster presentation at the College of Medicine and Health Postgraduate Conference, Penryn, 2022

Undergraduate awards:

  • Deans’ Commendation (first year)
  • Special Commendation for Scientific Research & Communication (second year)
  • Deans’ Commendation (final year)

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