Research & Publications

Current Research (2025-Present)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Laboratory for Tissue Microenvironment, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Japan
Principal Investigator: Dr. Hironobu Fujiwara

Currently investigating the role of extracellular matrix in tissue aging and how microenvironmental factors influence cellular senescence. This work builds on my PhD research by examining how tissue-level changes contribute to organismal aging.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Also available on Google Scholar

2023

Sheekey, E. & Narita, M. (2023). "p53 in senescence – it's a marathon not a sprint"
FEBS Journal, 290(5), 1212-1220. DOI: 10.1111/febs.16325

Impact: 40+ citations | Featured in longevity research reviews
This comprehensive review examines how p53 functions differently in acute stress versus chronic senescence conditions. We introduced the concept of "chronic p53" to distinguish the sustained, fine-tuned p53 activity during senescence from the rapid "acute p53" response to immediate stress.

Rodríguez-Molina, J.B., O'Reilly, F.J., Fagarasan, H., Sheekey, E., Maslen, S., Skehel, J.M., Vannini, A., & Passmore, L.A. (2022). "Mpe1 senses the binding of pre-mRNA and controls 3′ end processing by CPF"
Molecular Cell, 82(13), 2490-2504.e12. DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.04.021

Harris, N.J., Jenkins, M.L., Dalwadi, U., Flemming, D., Ziemianowicz, D.S., Kovrigin, E.L., Sheekey, E., Yip, C.K., Hansen, S.D., & Burke, J.E. (2023). "Allosteric activation or inhibition of PI3Kγ mediated through conformational changes in the p110γ helical domain"
eLife, 12:e88058. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.88058

PhD Research (2020-2023)

Functionality of Mutant p53 in Early Tumorigenesis
PhD Thesis, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge
Supervisor: Professor Masashi Narita

Sheekey, E. (2023). Functionality of mutant p53 in early tumorigenesis [Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository]. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.105755 

My doctoral research investigated the dual role of p53 in cellular senescence and tumor suppression, with particular focus on how mutant p53 functions during early stages of cancer development. This work contributed to understanding the complex regulatory mechanisms that control aging and cancer at the cellular level.

Research Expertise

• Cellular Senescence Biology - p53 signaling pathways, SASP regulation

• Cancer Biology - Early tumorigenesis, mutant p53 function

• Aging Research - Molecular mechanisms of tissue aging

• Biochemistry - Protein-protein interactions, signal transduction

• Cell Biology - DNA damage response, cell cycle control

Research Impact

• Publications cited 40+ times in aging and cancer research literature

• Research featured in science communication platforms and longevity technology publications

• Contributed to understanding of p53's dual role in cancer suppression and aging promotion

• PhD Thesis deposited in Cambridge University Repository (Apollo)