Stephanie Dakin

PhD BVetMed MRCVS PGCert TLHE FHEA

Professor of Musculoskeletal Sciences

Versus Arthritis Career Development Fellow
Botnar Institute Mentorship Lead
Senior Research Fellow Green Templeton College

BIOGRAPHY

Stephanie graduated as a veterinary surgeon in 2003 from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), University of London. After undertaking an internship specialising in equine orthopaedics, she then spent 10 years practicing as an equine vet. In 2008, Stephanie commenced a PhD at the RVC researching the role of inflammation in equine tendinopathy, which was successfully completed in 2012.

Stephanie moved to NDORMS in 2013 to advance and translate her research on musculoskeletal injuries from horses to humans. She successfully secured consecutive Research Fellowships funded by Versus Arthritis (Foundation Fellowship), an Oxford-UCB Prize Fellowship in Biomedical Sciences and a Versus Arthritis Career Development Fellowship. Stephanie is tenured Full Professor of Musculoskeletal Sciences at NDORMS and a Senior Research Fellow at Green Templeton College.

Stephanie's research focuses on identifying the mechanisms underpinning the development of chronic inflammatory fibrosis in soft tissue joint disease. The over-arching goal of her research is to discover novel therapeutic strategies to promote resolution of inflammatory fibrosis, with a particular focus on tendinopathy, frozen shoulder and knee arthrofibrosis. Her key collaborators in the Department are Professor Andrew Carr, Professor Christopher Buckley and Professor Mark Coles. View media associated with Stephanie's work under 'Featured Research'.

Stephanie was Director of Postgraduate Taught Studies for the MSc in Musculoskeletal Sciences at the University of Oxford for 8 years. She obtained PGCert Teaching & Learning in Higher Education qualification in 2020 and is recognised as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

DAKIN GROUP: SOFT TISSUE JOINT DISEASE

RESEARCH VISION AND OBJECTIVES

Soft tissue diseases of the joint present an immense global burden and significant cost to the NHS. Pathologies affecting tendons (tendinopathy), tendon–bone attachments (enthesopathy) and the joint capsule (frozen shoulder and knee arthrofibrosis) are common causes of pain, chronic disability and reduction in life quality, which are exacerbated with ageing.

Joint soft tissues, including the synovium, capsule, tendon and entheses, are predominantly composed of mesenchymal stromal cells including fibroblasts, tissue-resident macrophages and blood and lymphatic vascular endothelial cells. Our research programmes aim to:

* Identify the cellular & molecular basis of diseases affecting tendons (tendinopathy, tendon tears) and the joint capsule (frozen shoulder, knee arthrofibrosis)

* Identify new therapeutic strategies to promote resolution of inflammatory fibrosis in these conditions

Research Impacts

Our research will generate new insights into how tissue resident cells of the joint drive chronic inflammation and fibrosis. Findings from this research will advance understanding of how musculoskeletal soft tissue disorders develop and how injured tissues heal. Our research will inform new strategies to treat common musculoskeletal diseases, helping patients keep fit for improved future health.

See more information about the Dakin Group.