Dr Emma Kenyon

Lecturer, Biomedical Sciences

+44 (0) 1792 987189

emma.kenyon@swansea.ac.uk

Basic Welsh Speaker

Academic Office - 328
Third Floor
Institute of Life Science 1
Singleton Campus

Available For Postgraduate Supervision

Research Links

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3898-1866

ResearchGate

Google Scholar

About

Dr Emma Kenyon is a lecturer in Neuroscience. She has been working in the field of Sensory Neuroscience for 10 years. Her research concentrates on hearing and balance using zebrafish as a model system. Emma has 20 year’s experience using zebrafish in a number of different biological fields. In 2019 she was awarded a Pauline Ashley Fellowship by RNID (formally AOHL) to research the role of RabGTPases in intracellular trafficking of aminoglycoside antibiotics in sensory hair cells. In 2022 she started at Swansea Medical School as a lecturer in Neuroscience.

Areas Of Expertise

Sensory Neuroscience
Hearing and Balance
Genetics
Zebrafish

Career Highlights

Teaching Interests

Dr Kenyon teaches on the MSc Medical Neuroscience programme.

Research

Publications

Research Highlights

Bull, J., Kenyon, E., Edmunds, D., & Cook, K. (2010). Recent loss of Gibraltar seagrasses. Botanica Marina, 53, 89-91.
https://doi.org/10.1515/bot.2010.003, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa15829
Kenyon, E., McEwen, G., Callaway, H., & Elgar, G. (2011). Functional Analysis of Conserved Non-Coding Regions Around the Short Stature hox Gene (shox) in Whole Zebrafish Embryos. PLoS ONE, 6(6), e21498
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021498, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64050
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021498
Lobelle, D., Kenyon, E., Cook, K., & Bull, J. (2013). Local Competition and Metapopulation Processes Drive Long-Term Seagrass-Epiphyte Population Dynamics. PLoS ONE, 8(2), e57072
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057072, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64049
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057072
Kenyon, E., Potouroglou, M., Kenyon, E., Gall, A., Cook, K., & Bull, J. (2014). The roles of flowering, overwinter survival and sea surface temperature in the long-term population dynamics of Zostera marina around the Isles of Scilly, UK. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 83(2), 500-507.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.03.035, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa18044
Kenyon, E., Campos, I., Bull, J., Williams, P., Stemple, D., & Clark, M. (2015). Zebrafish Rab5 proteins and a role for Rab5ab in nodal signalling. Developmental Biology, 397(2), 212-224.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.11.007, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa19818
Irvine, M., Kenyon, E., Jackson, E., Cook, K., Keeling, M., & Bull, J. (2016). Fractal measures of spatial pattern as a heuristic for return rate in vegetative systems. Royal Society Open Science, 3(3), 150519
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150519, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa27034
Kenyon, E., Luijten, M., Gill, H., Li, N., Rawlings, M., Bull, J., Hadzhiev, Y., Steensel, M., Maher, E., & Mueller, F. (2016). Expression and knockdown of zebrafish folliculin suggests requirement for embryonic brain morphogenesis. BMC Developmental Biology, 16(1), 23
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12861-016-0119-8, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa29167
Kirkwood, N., O'Reilly, M., Derudas, M., Kenyon, E., Huckvale, R., Netten, S., Ward, S., Richardson, G., & Kros, C. (2017). d-Tubocurarine and Berbamine: Alkaloids That Are Permeant Blockers of the Hair Cell's Mechano-Electrical Transducer Channel and Protect from Aminoglycoside Toxicity. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 11
https://doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2017.00262, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64048
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2017.00262
Kenyon, E., Bull, J., Kenyon, E., & Cook, K. (2012). Wasting disease regulates long-term population dynamics in a threatened seagrass. Oecologia, 169, 135-142.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-011-2187-6, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa15818
Kenyon, E., Kirkwood, N., Kitcher, S., O’Reilly, M., Derudas, M., Cantillon, D., Goodyear, R., Secker, A., Baxendale, S., Bull, J., Waddell, S., Whitfield, T., Ward, S., Kros, C., & Richardson, G. (2017). Identification of ion-channel modulators that protect against aminoglycoside-induced hair cell death. Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, 2(24), e96773
https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.96773, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa36777
Alotaibi, N., Kenyon, E., Cook, K., Borger, L., & Bull, J. (2019). Low genotypic diversity and long-term ecological decline in a spatially structured seagrass population. Scientific Reports, 9(1)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-54828-1, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa53074
Kenyon, E., Kirkwood, N., Kitcher, S., Goodyear, R., Derudas, M., Cantillon, D., Baxendale, S., León, A., Mahieu, V., Osgood, R., Wilson, C., Bull, J., Waddell, S., Whitfield, T., Ward, S., Kros, C., & Richardson, G. (2021). Identification of a series of hair-cell MET channel blockers that protect against aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity. JCI Insight, 6(7)
https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.145704, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56971
Alotaibi, N., Kenyon, E., Bertelli, C., Al-Qthanin, R., Mead, J., Parry, M., & Bull, J. (2022). Environment predicts seagrass genotype, phenotype, and associated biodiversity in a temperate ecosystem. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.887474, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa60535
Howe, K., Clark, M., Torroja, C., Torrance, J., Berthelot, C., Muffato, M., Collins, J., Humphray, S., McLaren, K., Matthews, L., McLaren, S., Sealy, I., Caccamo, M., Churcher, C., Scott, C., Barrett, J., Koch, R., Rauch, G., White, S...., & Stemple, D. (2013). The zebrafish reference genome sequence and its relationship to the human genome. Nature, 496(7446), 498-503.
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12111, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64045
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature12111
Lobelle, D., Kenyon, E., Cook, K., & Bull, J. (2013). Local competition and metapopulation processes drive long-term seagrass-epiphyte population dynamics. PLoS ONE, 8, e57072
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057072, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa15817
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0057072
Derudas, M., O’Reilly, M., Kirkwood, N., Kenyon, E., Grimsey, S., Kitcher, S., Workman, S., Bull, J., Ward, S., Kros, C., & Richardson, G. (2023). Charge and lipophilicity are required for effective block of the hair-cell mechano-electrical transducer channel by FM1-43 and its derivatives. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 11
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2023.1247324, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa65141
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2023.1247324

All Research

Journal Articles

Derudas, M., O’Reilly, M., Kirkwood, N., Kenyon, E., Grimsey, S., Kitcher, S., Workman, S., Bull, J., Ward, S., Kros, C., & Richardson, G. (2023). Charge and lipophilicity are required for effective block of the hair-cell mechano-electrical transducer channel by FM1-43 and its derivatives. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 11
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2023.1247324, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa65141
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2023.1247324
Alotaibi, N., Kenyon, E., Bertelli, C., Al-Qthanin, R., Mead, J., Parry, M., & Bull, J. (2022). Environment predicts seagrass genotype, phenotype, and associated biodiversity in a temperate ecosystem. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.887474, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa60535
Kenyon, E., Kirkwood, N., Kitcher, S., Goodyear, R., Derudas, M., Cantillon, D., Baxendale, S., León, A., Mahieu, V., Osgood, R., Wilson, C., Bull, J., Waddell, S., Whitfield, T., Ward, S., Kros, C., & Richardson, G. (2021). Identification of a series of hair-cell MET channel blockers that protect against aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity. JCI Insight, 6(7)
https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.145704, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56971
Alotaibi, N., Kenyon, E., Cook, K., Borger, L., & Bull, J. (2019). Low genotypic diversity and long-term ecological decline in a spatially structured seagrass population. Scientific Reports, 9(1)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-54828-1, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa53074
Kenyon, E., Kirkwood, N., Kitcher, S., O’Reilly, M., Derudas, M., Cantillon, D., Goodyear, R., Secker, A., Baxendale, S., Bull, J., Waddell, S., Whitfield, T., Ward, S., Kros, C., & Richardson, G. (2017). Identification of ion-channel modulators that protect against aminoglycoside-induced hair cell death. Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, 2(24), e96773
https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.96773, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa36777
Kirkwood, N., O'Reilly, M., Derudas, M., Kenyon, E., Huckvale, R., Netten, S., Ward, S., Richardson, G., & Kros, C. (2017). d-Tubocurarine and Berbamine: Alkaloids That Are Permeant Blockers of the Hair Cell's Mechano-Electrical Transducer Channel and Protect from Aminoglycoside Toxicity. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 11
https://doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2017.00262, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64048
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2017.00262
Kenyon, E., Luijten, M., Gill, H., Li, N., Rawlings, M., Bull, J., Hadzhiev, Y., Steensel, M., Maher, E., & Mueller, F. (2016). Expression and knockdown of zebrafish folliculin suggests requirement for embryonic brain morphogenesis. BMC Developmental Biology, 16(1), 23
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12861-016-0119-8, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa29167
Irvine, M., Kenyon, E., Jackson, E., Cook, K., Keeling, M., & Bull, J. (2016). Fractal measures of spatial pattern as a heuristic for return rate in vegetative systems. Royal Society Open Science, 3(3), 150519
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150519, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa27034
Kenyon, E., Campos, I., Bull, J., Williams, P., Stemple, D., & Clark, M. (2015). Zebrafish Rab5 proteins and a role for Rab5ab in nodal signalling. Developmental Biology, 397(2), 212-224.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.11.007, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa19818
Kenyon, E., Potouroglou, M., Kenyon, E., Gall, A., Cook, K., & Bull, J. (2014). The roles of flowering, overwinter survival and sea surface temperature in the long-term population dynamics of Zostera marina around the Isles of Scilly, UK. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 83(2), 500-507.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.03.035, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa18044
Howe, K., Clark, M., Torroja, C., Torrance, J., Berthelot, C., Muffato, M., Collins, J., Humphray, S., McLaren, K., Matthews, L., McLaren, S., Sealy, I., Caccamo, M., Churcher, C., Scott, C., Barrett, J., Koch, R., Rauch, G., White, S...., & Stemple, D. (2013). The zebrafish reference genome sequence and its relationship to the human genome. Nature, 496(7446), 498-503.
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12111, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64045
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature12111
Lobelle, D., Kenyon, E., Cook, K., & Bull, J. (2013). Local Competition and Metapopulation Processes Drive Long-Term Seagrass-Epiphyte Population Dynamics. PLoS ONE, 8(2), e57072
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057072, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64049
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057072
Lobelle, D., Kenyon, E., Cook, K., & Bull, J. (2013). Local competition and metapopulation processes drive long-term seagrass-epiphyte population dynamics. PLoS ONE, 8, e57072
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057072, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa15817
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0057072
Kenyon, E., Bull, J., Kenyon, E., & Cook, K. (2012). Wasting disease regulates long-term population dynamics in a threatened seagrass. Oecologia, 169, 135-142.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-011-2187-6, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa15818
Kenyon, E., McEwen, G., Callaway, H., & Elgar, G. (2011). Functional Analysis of Conserved Non-Coding Regions Around the Short Stature hox Gene (shox) in Whole Zebrafish Embryos. PLoS ONE, 6(6), e21498
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021498, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64050
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021498
Bull, J., Kenyon, E., Edmunds, D., & Cook, K. (2010). Recent loss of Gibraltar seagrasses. Botanica Marina, 53, 89-91.
https://doi.org/10.1515/bot.2010.003, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa15829

Supervision

Understanding the role of plasmalogen lipids in synaptic assembly and function, and their implications for neurodegenerative processes«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /» (current)

MSc

Other supervisor: Dr Roberto Angelini

Taught Modules

PM-130 Fundamental Research Skills

This module is designed to develop the skills required for students of biochemistry and genetics degree programmes. Students meet with their tutors and will be given a series of assignments designed to develop skills in key areas such as essay writing, presentations and general numeracy.
PM-275 Introduction to neuroscience

In order to help students understand the biological basis for behavioural neuroscience and neurological disorders, this module seeks to integrate cell biology, physiology and biochemistry to understand the founding principles of neuroscience. The aim is to gain a mechanistic and holistic knowledge of the nervous system that builds from the molecular, cellular and developmental, to the systems level. In addition to exploring normal function, this module will introduce common disorders of the central and peripheral nervous systems in an integrated way. Students will be guided in exploring the scientific evidence around what is known and unknown and will be introduced to current research findings in the scientific literature.
PM-344 Capstone Project

The aim of this module is to provide a capstone experience to students¿ learning, through participating in their own enquiry-based research project, with guidance from an academic supervisor. The project may be laboratory or non-laboratory based, but it will always involve a research question that is drawn from the literature, and focused on a topic relevant to the life sciences. It will ask a research question and involve the critical analysis of research findings. Students will refine their oral and written communication skills to a graduate level through an oral presentation and dissertation on their research findings and conclusions.
PMLM22 Laboratory Measurement Techniques for Medical Sciences

This module will enable students to understand the basic and advanced concepts of laboratory and measurement techniques used in medical sciences, how they may be applied with relevant methods of detection, gain `hands on¿ problem solving experience and strategic method development for complete bioanalysis according to target molecule characteristics and method application.
PMNM14 Contemporary Issues in Medical Science

This module will allow students to choose from a range of short contemporary topics in Medical Sciences including screening for new therapeutic compounds, using model systems to understand human disease and disorders, using behavioral tools and open-source analysis software to answer contemporary questions in neuroscience such as how defects in genes or drugs influence behavior. There will also be the opportunity to select introductory journal club or lean sessions with potential dissertation supervisors. The focus on techniques is complemented by seminars on the ethics of human and animal studies. Each topic will be approximately 1 day and students will be able to pick 4-5 topics.
PMNM19J Contemporary Issues in Medical Science

This module will allow students to choose from a range of short contemporary topics in Medical Sciences including screening for new therapeutic compounds, using model systems to understand human disease and disorders, using behavioral tools and open-source analysis software to answer contemporary questions in neuroscience such as how defects in genes or drugs influence behavior. There will also be the opportunity to select introductory journal club or lean sessions with potential dissertation supervisors. The focus on techniques is complemented by seminars on the ethics of human and animal studies. Each topic will be approximately 1 day and students will be able to pick 4-5 topics.

Key Grants and Projects

NERC Discipline Hopping for Discovery Science award 2023 - 2023

, 13,720.70
HERC equipment grant 2022 - 2022

, 46,632.00
RNID Pauline Ashley Fellowship 2019 - 2021

, 119,896

Career History

Lecturer (Fixed Term), Biosciences, Swansea University

January 2022 - September 2022
RNID Research Fellow, Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex

October 2019 - December 2021
Postdoctoral researcher, Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex

August 2013 - May 2019
Postdoctoral researcher, Medical and Molecular Genetics, University of Birmingham

November 2011 - July 2013
Senior Computer Biologist, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

June 2009 - November 2011
Postdoctoral researcher, School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London

September 2006 - February 2009

Affiliated Positions

Volunteer Researcher, University of Sussex

2021 - 2023

Dr Emma Kenyon

Telephone number

Email address

Welsh language proficiency

Research Links

About

Areas Of Expertise

Career Highlights

Publications

Research Highlights

All Research

Journal Articles

Supervision

Understanding the role of plasmalogen lipids in synaptic assembly and function, and their implications for neurodegenerative processes«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /» (current)

Taught Modules

PM-130 Fundamental Research Skills

PM-275 Introduction to neuroscience

PM-344 Capstone Project

PMLM22 Laboratory Measurement Techniques for Medical Sciences

PMNM14 Contemporary Issues in Medical Science

PMNM19J Contemporary Issues in Medical Science

Key Grants and Projects

NERC Discipline Hopping for Discovery Science award 2023 - 2023

HERC equipment grant 2022 - 2022

RNID Pauline Ashley Fellowship 2019 - 2021

Career History

Lecturer (Fixed Term), Biosciences, Swansea University

RNID Research Fellow, Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex

Postdoctoral researcher, Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex

Postdoctoral researcher, Medical and Molecular Genetics, University of Birmingham

Senior Computer Biologist, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

Postdoctoral researcher, School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London

Affiliated Positions

Volunteer Researcher, University of Sussex