Dr Michelle Lawson

BSc, PhD, FHEA

School of Medicine and Population Health

School Director of Postgraduate Research

Senior Lecturer in Bone and Cancer Biology

Dr Michelle Lawson
Dr Michelle Lawson
Profile picture of Dr Michelle Lawson
m.a.lawson@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 215 9054
+44 7775 754924 (Mobile)
Office EU22, E Floor, The Medical School

Full contact details

Dr Michelle Lawson
School of Medicine and Population Health
Office EU22, E Floor
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX
Profile

Shelly Lawson is Senior Lecturer in Cancer and Bone Biology in the School of Medicine and Population Health at the University of Sheffield, where she leads the Sheffield Myeloma Research Team. 

Shelly graduated from the University of Sheffield with a BSc (Hons) in Molecular Biology in 1997 before completing a PhD at the University of Bristol focused on the use of cytokines as DNA vaccine adjuvants. In 2001 she began her career in bone biology at the University of Oxford using various biomaterials for bone scaffolding and developed a novel technique to measure the bone binding affinities of bisphosphonates: drugs used in the prevention of bone disease. 

In 2005 Shelly moved back to the University of Sheffield to assess the effects of bisphosphonates in preclinical models of multiple myeloma, where she later became a Research Fellow and Lecturer. In addition, Shelly is the Postgraduate Research Director in the School of Medicine and Population Health. Nationally, she sits on the UK Myeloma Society Executive committee and was recently the Treasurer of the UK Bone Research Society.

Research interests

Shelly's research interest is multiple myeloma disease. Over the last 20 years she has developed and established several preclinical murine models of myeloma to study therapeutic agents in the early, mid and late stages of the disease. This has led to an increased understanding of the role of the bone microenvironment and how it influences tumour growth. 

Her current research focuses on understanding the role of osteocytes and their network in cancer-induced bone disease, assessing patient samples and therapeutic intervention (oncolytic viruses, bone targeted drugs) in preclinical models. 

Recently Shelly gained access to rare synchrotron beam time and is currently assessing a large dataset of high-resolution bone images. The eventual aim of her research is to develop novel bone modulating agents to repair bone damage.

Publications

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Grants
  1. Innovate UK award (UK Biomedical Catalyst 2022-2025) Preclinical validation of a novel oncolytic viral therapy for multiple myeloma targeting readiness for clinical trials. Dr M.A. Lawson & Dr A.D. Chantry (£127,545). 10017183
  2. Sheffield Hospitals Charity Project Award (2021-2022). Treating plasmacytoma using direct injection of a novel engineered myeloma specific virus. Dr M.A. Lawson (£24,275). No. 173173
  3. Sheffield Hospitals Charity Project Award (2021-2022). The effect of targeting hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) combined with chemotherapy on tumour load in myeloma. Dr M.A. Lawson (£13,891). No. 173345
  4. NC3Rs studentship award (2021-2023). Development and validation of 3D in vitro dormant myeloma cell models to reduce and replace animal studies. Dr M.A. Lawson, Alana Green & Frederik Claeyssens (£90,000). NC/V00137X/1
  5. Sheffield Hospitals Charity Project Award (2021-2022). Targeting minimal residual disease to find a cure for myeloma. Dr A. Green, Dr A.D. Chantry, Dr M.A. Lawson (£42,862). No. 169591
  6. Sheffield Hospitals Charity Project Award (2020-2021). Assessing SD208 (a novel bone anabolic agent) as equivalent or superior in the treatment of myeloma bone; an in vivo explorative study. Dr R. Andrews, Dr Chantry & Dr M.A. Lawson (£41,000). 163969
  7. Sheffield Hospitals Charity Project Award (2020-2021). Oncolytic advenovirus therapy for multiple myeloma. Dr Chantry & Dr M.A. Lawson (£41,143). No. 202014
  8. Oxford Biomedica (2019-2020) Clinical collaboration using CAR-T cells therapy. Dr M. A. Lawson (£13,400).
  9. Shin Poong Pharma (2017-2018). Testing a potential bone anabolic agent (SP-35454) in multiple myeloma, Dr M. A. Lawson (£140,000).
  10. Bone Cancer Research Trust (2015-2018). PhD studentship: Purinergic Signalling in Osteosarcoma, Dr A. Gartland & Dr M.A. Lawson (£147,000). BCRT Grant No. 44/15.
  11. British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (2106-218) Project Grant: Investigating the potential of statins to prevent and treat Anti-Resorptive agent induced Osteonecrosis of the Jaw, Dr M. A. Lawson, Ibraz Siddique & Alasdair McKechnie (£6384).
  12. Sheffield Blood Cancer Trust (2015). High potency, low affinity bisphosphonates pilot study, Dr A. Chantry, Dr M.A. Lawson, Prof. J. Snowden& Prof R.G.G. Russell (£8,000).
  13. Sheffield Hospitals Charity (2015). Investigating changes in the tumour bone microenvironment during the development of multiple myeloma and testing novel strategies for clinical intervention. Dr M.A. Lawson, J. Paton-Hough (Sheffield) & Dr F. Errington-Mais (University of Leeds) (£4,739).
  14. Bloodwise Project Grant (2018-2020). Targeting BMP signalling in the MGUS/MM bone microenvironment. Dr C. Edwards, Dr K. Ramasamy, Dr M.A. Lawson, H. Drakesmith, Dr S. Gooding & R. Kumar grant (£249,691). Grant no. 17012.
  15. Bloodwise Project Grant Investigating (2016-2019). E3 Ligase HUWE1 as a therapeutic target in multiple myeloma.Dr A. Irvine, Dr M.A. Lawson, M. Pearson, Dr L. Crawford, Prof M. Eilers & Dr A. Chantry (£202,080). Grant no. 15043.
  16. Bloodwise Project Grant (2015-2018). Preclinical testing of low dose valproate and niclosamide (VaN) as a novel anti-myeloma therapy. Dr F. Khanim, Dr M.A. Lawson& Prof. M Drayson (£245,864). Grant No. 15025.
  17. Bloodwise Specialist Programme Grant (2013-2018). Novel targets and therapeutic combinations in myeloma. Dr A. Chantry, Dr M.A. Lawson & Prof. J. Snowden (£1,142,591). Grant No. 12053.
Teaching interests

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and the Postgraduate Research (PGR) Lead in the Department of Oncology and Metabolism. I am also a Module Lead for the MSc (Res) in Translational Oncology course and I regularly lecture on the Molecular Medicine MSc course on in vitro and in vivo models of bone cancer. I frequently supervise laboratory research projects for PhD, MSc, BMedSci, SSC, Erasmus and Hallam placement students.

Teaching activities

Shelly is the course leader for the MSc in Cancer Biology and Therapeutic at the University of Sheffield. She regularly lectures on in vitro and in vivo models of bone cance, and supervises laboratory research projects for PhD and MSc students. 

Professional activities and memberships

Memberships

UKMS (executive committee member)

NC3Rs Studentship Panel member, UK

INSERM (Cancer) Grant Review Panel member, France

Member of Bone Research Society, UK (previous Treasurer on executive committee)

Activities

Shelly frequently works with members of local and national PPIE groups (e.g. Myeloma UK, Blood Cancer UK Patient Voice Advisory Group, Sheffield Myeloma patients) to ensure a diverse myeloma population are represented when designing and conducting my research. For example, she co-hosted an online event on World Blood Cancer Day 2025 to inform PPIE groups, myeloma patients and their families about myeloma research at Sheffield.

She has frequently been invited to act as speaker and session chair at both national (BRS) and international conferences (CABS, ECTS). She is a member of the UKMS, European Calcified Tissue Society, BRS and Cancer and Bone Society; and peer reviews original research articles or reviews each year submitted to scientific journals including Cancers, Frontiers in Endocrinology and JBMR.

In 2017 and 2019 she organised a series of BRS-led workshops titled “The Basics of Bone, Joint Biology and Diseases.” This two-day event had interactive lectures form world leaders in the field of bone and joint biology and was attended by PGT and PGR students and staff.

Public engagement activities

I have also been involved in a number of public engagement activities. I have secured funding that enabled me to build a “Giant Interactive Bone” to educate children of all ages on what is inside their bones. In addition, I regularly participate in Outreach activities with a variety of school children to teach them about why their bones are so important. I frequently do laboratory tours for fundraisers and patients with bone cancer, and I also participate in patient panel meetings to improve the services at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield.