Robert Finn - St. George's University

Email: rfinn@sgu.edu
Website: https://www.sgu.edu
Phone: +44 (191) 3495795

Biography

Dr. Robert Finn is a full associate professor at St. George’s University, Grenada, within the Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics, based on the Northumbria University campus in the UK. His main research activities are centered on xenobiotic metabolism in organisms and the development of xenobiotic resistance. His main teaching activities are in Biochemistry, Medical Genetics and Nutritional Biochemistry.

Dr Finn completed his primary degree and PhD in Biochemistry at University College Cork, Ireland where he continued to work with Prof. Mary McCaffrey (UCC) investigating protein processing in Prion diseases, before moving to the Medical School at the University of Dundee in 2000 to work with Prof. Roland Wolf. In his time at the University of Dundee, he worked on a MRC (Medical Research Council) funded project characterizing novel dual Flavoproteins followed by 7 years working for Cancer Research UK investigating the regulation of drug metabolizing enzymes.

In 2010, Dr Finn was appointed a Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry at Northumbria University and additionally began his involvement with St. George’s University’s KBT Global scholars program, before becoming a full-time member of SGU Faculty in 2019.

Areas of Interest

Affiliations

Member of the International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics, Member of the Association for Medical Education in Europe, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy., STEM Network Ambassador. , Member of the Royal Society of Biology (2014 - 2018), Member of the Royal Entomological Society (2014 - 2018)., Member of the Biochemical Society (2010 – 2019)., Member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science., Member of Technolink Ireland-UK., Member of the British Toxicology Society (2008 -2011)., Assessor for the Innovate UK., Grant Reviewer for: Medical Research Council., Reviewer for: Veterinary Parasitology, International Journal of Molecular Science, Journal of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Parasites & Vectors, Ticks & Tick-Borne Diseases, African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Medical & Veterinary Entomology, Holder of a British Home Office Personal Animal Licence.

Selected Publications

Fadahunsi, A.I, Kumm, C., Graham, K., Pérez de León, A.A., Guerrero, F., Oliver A E Sparagano, O.A.E. and Finn, R.D. Biochemical characterisation of Cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase from the cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, highlights potential new acaricide target. (2023) Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases. Vol. 14, 102148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102148

Lima-Barbero, J.F., Contreras, M., Mateos-Hernández, L., Mata-Lorenzo, F.M., Triguero-Ocaña, R., Sparagano, O., Finn, R.D., Strube, C., Price, D.R.G., Nunn, F., Bartley, K., Höfle, U., Boadella, M., Nisbet, A.J., de la Fuente, J. and Villar, M. A vaccinology Approach to the Identification and Characterization of Dermanyssus Gallinae Candidate Protective Antigens for the Control of Poultry Red Mite Infestations. (2019) Vaccines. Vol.7, no.4, 190; doi:10.3390/vaccines7040190

Lima-Barbero, J.F., Diaz-Sanchez, S., Sparagano, O., Finn, R.D., de la Fuente, J. and Villar, M. Metaprometomics characterization of the alphaproteobacteria microbiome in different developmental and feeding stages of the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae )De Geer, 1778). (2019) Avian Pathology. Vol. 48, S52-59, DOI: 10.1080/03079457.2019.1635679

Mohammed, B.R., Mailafia, S., Kawe, S., Agbede, R.I.S. and Finn, R.D. Cytochrome P450s in Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) and Insecticide Resistance in Africa: A Mini Review. (2017) Entomol. Ornithol. Herpetol. Vol. 6, 3, DOI: 10.4172/2161-0983.1000200

Mohammed, B.R., Simon, M.K., Opara, M.N., Jegede, O.C., Agbede, R.I.S. and Finn, R.D. Understanding the mechanisms involved in the regulation of cytochrome P450 gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae). (2017) Entomol. Ornithol. Herpetol. Vol. 6, 1, DOI: 10.4172/2161-0983.1000189

Graham K.M., Sparagano O.A.E. and Finn R.D. Isolation of the monooxygenase complex from Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus – clues to understanding acaricide resistance. (2016) Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases. Vol.7, 614-623.

George, D.R., Finn, R.D., Graham, K.M., Mul, M.F., Maure, V., Valiente Moro, C. and Sparagano, O.A. Should the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae be of wider concern for veterinary and medical science? (2015) Parasites & Vectors. Vol. 8, 178.

George, D.R., Finn, R.D., Graham, K.M. and Sparagano, O.A. Present and future potential of plant-derived products to control arthropods of veterinary and medical significance. (2014) Parasites & Vectors. Vol. 15, 7-28.

Henderson, C.J., McLaughlin, L.A., Finn, R.D., Ronseaux, S., Kapelyukh, Y. and Wolf, C.R. A role for cytochrome b5 in the in vivo disposition of anti-cancer and cytochrome P450 probe drugs in mice. (2014) Drug Metab Dispos. Vol. 42 (1), 70-7.

Ismail, H.M., O'Neill, P.M., Hong, D.W., Finn, R.D., Henderson, C.J., Wright, A.T., Cravatt, B.F., Hemingway, J. and Paine, M.J. Pyrethroid activity-based probes for profiling cytochrome P450 activities associated with insecticide interactions. (2013) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. Vol. 110 (49), 19766-71.

Riddick, D.S., Ding, X., Wolf, C.R., Porter, T.D., Pandey, A.V., Zhang, Q.Y., Gu, J., Finn. R.D., Ronseaux, S., McLaughlin, L.A., Henderson C.J., Zou, L. and Fluck, C.E. NADPH-Cytochrome P450 Oxidoreductase: Roles in Physiology, Pharmacology and Toxicology. (2013) Drug Metab Dispos. Vol. 41, 12-23.

Finn, R.D., McLaughlin, L.A., Hughes, C., Song, C., Henderson, C.J. and Wolf, C.R. Cytochrome b5 null mouse: a new model for studying inherited skin disorders and the role of unsaturated fatty acids in normal homeostasis. (2011) Transgenic Research. Vol. 20, 491-502.

McLaughlin, L.A., Ronseaux, S., Finn, R.D., Henderson, C.J. and Wolf, C.R. Deletion of microsomal cytochrome b5 affects hepatic and extra-hepatic drug metabolism. (2010) Molecular Pharmacology. Vol. 78, 269-278.

Finn, R.D., Henderson, C.J., Scott, C.L. and Wolf, C.R. Unsaturated fatty acid regulation of Cytochrome P450 expression via a CAR-dependent pathway. (2009) Biochemical Journal. Vol. 417, 43-54.

Finn, R.D., McLaughlin, L.A., Ronseaux, S., Rosewell, I., Houston, J.B., Henderson, C.J. and Wolf, C.R. Defining the in vivo role for cytochrome b5 in Cytochrome P450 function through the conditional hepatic deletion of microsomal cytochrome b5. (2008) Journal of Biological Chemistry. Vol. 283, No. 46, 31385-31393.

Finn, R.D.*, McLaren, A.W., Carrie, D., Henderson, C.J. and Wolf, C.R. Conditional deletion of Cytochrome P450 Oxidoreductase in the liver and gastrointestinal tract: a new model for studying the functions of the P450 system. (2007) Journal of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics. Vol. 322, No. 1, 40-47. (*Note: Corresponding author on this article).

Finn, R.D., Wilkie, M., Smith, G. and Paine, M.J.I. Identification of a functionally impaired allele of human novel oxidoreductase 1 (NDOR1), NDOR1*1. (2005) Pharmacogenetics and Genomics. Vol 15, 381–386.

Finn, R.D., Kapelioukh, I. and Paine, M.J.I. Rainbow tags: a visual tag system for recombinant protein expression and purification. (2005) BioTechniques. Vol. 38, No. 3, 390-2. Special Feature 387-8.

Finn, R.D., Basran, J., Roitel, O., Wolf, C.R., Munro, A.W., Paine, M.J.I. and Scrutton, N.S. Determination of the redox potentials and electron transfer properties of the FAD- and FMN-binding domains of the human oxidoreductase NR1. (2003) Eur. J. Biochem, Vol. 270, 1164-1175.

Thörnqvist, P., Bielli, A., Hendrick, A., Finn, R., Fitzgerald, K. and McCaffrey, M. The Small GTPase Rab4A interacts with the central region of Cytoplasmic Dynein Light Intermediate Chain-1. (2001) Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol. 281, 1141-1153.

B. R. Mohammed, S. K. Malang, S. Mailafia, R. I. S. Agbede and R.D. Finn (2021) Role of Cytochrome P450s in Insecticide Resistance in Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae): The African Perspective. Recent Progress in Microbiology and Biotechnology, Vol. 5, 144-151, Ed. E.A. Makky, ISBN: 978-93-90768-59-2

Finn, R.D., Wolf, C.R. and Paine, M.J.I. (2002) Dissection of Human NR1 into distinct functional domains. Flavins and Flavoproteins 2002, Eds. S. Chapman, R. Perham and N. Scrutton, 987-992. ISBN-10: ‎3000102299