Dr E Helen Kemp

BSc (Hons), PhD

Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health

Research Fellow

e.h.kemp@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 215 9203

Full contact details

Dr E Helen Kemp
Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health
EU10
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX
Profile

For enquiries, please contact - iicd-om-operational@sheffield.ac.uk

I joined the University of Sheffield in 1988 after a PhD in Microbiology at the University of Warwick and the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, Salisbury. After postdoctoral research in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (with Dr Anne Moir), I moved to the Medical School to take up a research position with Professor Tony Weetman. Currently, I am a Research Fellow based in the Department of Oncology and Metabolism in the endocrinology theme.

Research interests

Autoimmune vitiligo: I have a long-standing interest in the autoimmune and genetic aspects of the depigmenting disease vitiligo along with Professor Tony Weetman and Professor David Gawkrodger (University of Sheffield). Current collaborators include: Dr Rosalie Luiten (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands), Dr Vandana Pradhan (National Institute of Immunohaematology, India), and Dr Andrew McDonagh (Sheffield Teaching Hospitals) on projects to profile autoantibody responses against melanocytes in melanoma, vitiligo and alopecia areata, respectively. I am a collaborator in The VitGene Consortium, headed by Professor Richard Spritz (University of Colorado, USA) and funded by the National Institutes of Health, which has identified several novel vitiligo-susceptibility genes.

Autoimmune parathyroid disease and autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes: I am interested in characterising autoimmune responses against the calcium-sensing receptor in patients with parathyroid autoimmunity. Current collaborators include: Professor Ed Brown (Harvard Medical School, USA), Professor Kai Krohn (Clinical Research Institute HUCH Ltd., Helsinki, Finland), Professor Eystein Husebye (University of Bergen), and Professor George Kahaly (Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Germany).

Autoimmune thyroid disease: I am interested in the aetiology of autoimmune thyroid disease and, with Professor Tony Weetman and Dr Phil Watson (University of Sheffield), have characterised autoantigens, autoantibodies, cytokine gene expression, and genetic susceptibility factors.

Cushing’s disease: I am interested in the potential of siRNA technology and antisense oligonucleotides as treatments for Cushing’s disease. Current collaborators are: Professor John Newell-Price and Professor Richard Ross.

Current Projects

  • Characterisation of autoantigens and autoantibody responses in vitiligo.
  • Genome-wide association study to identify genetic susceptibility factors in vitiligo.
  • Characterisation of calcium-sensing receptor autoantibody responses in autoimmune parathyroid disease.
  • Identification of autoantibody responses in melanoma patients.
  • Identification of melanocyte autoantigens in alopecia areata.
  • Investigation of siRNA and antisense oligonucleotides as treatments for Cushing’s disease.
Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

Chapters

  • Giri PS, Bharti A, Kemp EH & Dwivedi MK (2022) Microorganisms in Pathogenesis and Management of Vitiligo, Role of Microorganisms in Pathogenesis and Management of Autoimmune Diseases (pp. 189-223). Springer Nature Singapore RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kemp EH & Weetman AP (2015) Autoimmune hypoparathyroidism In Brandi ML & Brown EM (Ed.), Hypoparathyroidism (pp. 177-188). Milan, Italy: Springer-Verlag Italia. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Dwivedi M, Laddha NC, Weetman AP, Begum R & Kemp EH (2015) Vitiligo: A complex autoimmune skin depigmenting disease In Chatzidionysiou K (Ed.), Autoimmune Diseases - Pathogenesis, Clinical Aspects and Therapy of Specific Autoimmune Diseases (pp. 153-173). Rijeka, Croatia: InTech. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kemp EH, Emhemad S, Gawkrodger DJ & Weetman AP (2011) Autoimmunity in vitiligo In Mavragani C (Ed.), Autoimmune Disorders - Pathogenic Aspects (pp. 271-294). Rijeka, Croatia: InTech. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kemp EH, Weetman AP & Gawkrodger DJ (2010) Humoral immunity In Picardo M & Taïeb A (Ed.), Vitiligo (pp. 248-256). Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kemp EH, Waterman EA & Weetman AP (2004) Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 in autoimmune thyroid disease and vitiligo In Pociot F (Ed.), CTLA-4 in Autoimmune Disease (pp. 45-54). Austin, Texas, USA: Eurekah.Com Inc. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Weetman AP, Kemp EH, Ridgway JN & Watson PF (2001) Orbital autoantigens In Bahn RS (Ed.), Thyroid Eye Disease (pp. 1-20). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer. RIS download Bibtex download

All publications

Books

Journal articles

Chapters

  • Giri PS, Bharti A, Kemp EH & Dwivedi MK (2022) Microorganisms in Pathogenesis and Management of Vitiligo, Role of Microorganisms in Pathogenesis and Management of Autoimmune Diseases (pp. 189-223). Springer Nature Singapore RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kemp EH & Weetman AP (2015) Autoimmune hypoparathyroidism In Brandi ML & Brown EM (Ed.), Hypoparathyroidism (pp. 177-188). Milan, Italy: Springer-Verlag Italia. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Dwivedi M, Laddha NC, Weetman AP, Begum R & Kemp EH (2015) Vitiligo: A complex autoimmune skin depigmenting disease In Chatzidionysiou K (Ed.), Autoimmune Diseases - Pathogenesis, Clinical Aspects and Therapy of Specific Autoimmune Diseases (pp. 153-173). Rijeka, Croatia: InTech. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kemp EH, Emhemad S, Gawkrodger DJ & Weetman AP (2011) Autoimmunity in vitiligo In Mavragani C (Ed.), Autoimmune Disorders - Pathogenic Aspects (pp. 271-294). Rijeka, Croatia: InTech. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kemp EH, Weetman AP & Gawkrodger DJ (2010) Humoral immunity In Picardo M & Taïeb A (Ed.), Vitiligo (pp. 248-256). Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kemp EH, Waterman EA & Weetman AP (2004) Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 in autoimmune thyroid disease and vitiligo In Pociot F (Ed.), CTLA-4 in Autoimmune Disease (pp. 45-54). Austin, Texas, USA: Eurekah.Com Inc. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Weetman AP, Kemp EH, Ridgway JN & Watson PF (2001) Orbital autoantigens In Bahn RS (Ed.), Thyroid Eye Disease (pp. 1-20). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer. RIS download Bibtex download

Conference proceedings papers

  • Willemsen M, Post NF, van Uden NOP, Narayan VS, Chielie S, Kemp EH, Bekkenk MW & Luiten RM (2021) Immunophenotypic analysis reveals differences in circulating immune cells in peripheral blood of segmental and non-segmental vitiligo patients. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Vol. 51 (pp 355-355) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Moir A, Kemp EH, Robinson C & Corfe BM (1994) The genetic analysis of bacterial spore germination.. J Appl Bacteriol, Vol. 77(3) (pp 9S-16S). England RIS download Bibtex download

Reports

Preprints

Teaching activities

I am primary supervisor of MD, PhD, and intercalating students. I contribute to the MSc in Molecular Medicine and the MBChB degree course

Professional activities and memberships
  • British Journal of Dermatology, Section Editor, 2007-2014.

  • Dermatology Research and Practice, Editorial Board, 2010-2021.  

  • Journal of Dermatological Research, Editorial Board, 2016-present.

  • Antibodies, Editorial Board, 2020-present.

  • Vitiligo Society Scientific and Medical Advisory Board Member, 2018-2021.

  • UK Translational Research Network in Dermatology (UK TREND), Member, 2014-present.

  • British Skin Foundation Large Grants Advisory Committee, 2010-2014.

  • British Skin Foundation Small Grants Advisory Committee, 2020-2022.

  • European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Grants, External Expert Panel Member, 2012.

Member of Learned Societies:

  • British Society for Immunology

  • British Society for Investigative Dermatology

  • European Society for Dermatological Research

  • Society for Endocrinology

  • European Society for Pigment Cell Research

  • Royal Society of Biology

  • European Society of Endocrinology

  • Endocrine Society