Dr Jason Webber

Dr Jason Webber

Senior Lecturer, Biomedical Sciences

Telephone number

+44 (0) 1792 205678 ext 1655

Email address

Academic Office - 428
Fourth Floor
Institute of Life Science 1
Singleton Campus
Available For Postgraduate Supervision

About

Dr Webber has a long-standing interest in the regulation of stromal cell phenotype. He completed a PhD at the Institute of Nephrology, Cardiff University, in 2009. After this, he applied an understanding of TGF-beta signalling to the field of cancer by exploring the role of small extracellular vesicles (EVs), typically referred to as exosomes, in modulation of the tumour microenvironment.

In 2014 Dr Webber was the recipient of a prestigious Career Development Fellowship, funded by Prostate Cancer UK (2014 – 2020). This allowed him to begin exploring the translational use of EVs, principally as biomarkers for early detection of aggressive tumours (prostate and others). This experience was enhanced by additional training at the Erasmus MC, Rotterdam.

Dr Webber’s current research interests continue to focus on the role of EVs in tumour progression and development of EV-based biomarkers. Recent collaborations have allowed him to expand this research to include diseases such as breast cancer, mesothelioma and tuberous sclerosis complex. Dr Webber is a current board member of the UK Society for Extracellular Vesicles.

Dr Webber supervises a number of PGR students at both the MSc and PhD level, and actively contributes to teaching on a variety of programmes within the Swansea University Medical School.

Areas Of Expertise

  • Extracellular Vesicles (EVs)
  • Tumour microenvironment
  • Prostate cancer
  • Cancer biomarkers
  • Stroma
  • Cell differentiation
  • Proteoglycans

Career Highlights

Research

Understanding why some cancers are more aggressive than others'

Dr Webber’s research focuses on the role of small extracellular vesicles (EVs), often referred to as exosomes, as drivers of aggressive prostate cancer. He has previously demonstrated that cancer EVs can activate stromal cells, also present within the tumour microenvironment, thereby facilitating enhanced tumour growth. This function of EVs is likely due to heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPGs), present on the EV surface, which are required for EV-mediated growth factor delivery. In addition to their functional role, such EV-HSPGs may serve as novel biomarkers capable of discriminating patients with aggressive forms of cancer from those with slow growing tumours.

Currently, Dr Webber is exploring novel methodologies for combining multiple biomarkers, and he has an interest in the use of AI-based approaches to achieve this.

Additional research interests within Dr Webber’s lab include isolation of EVs from biofluid, functional analysis of EVs, and the role of EVs in rare diseases (e.g. Tuberous Sclerosis Complex).

Award Highlights Collaborations