Research output per year
Research output per year
Dr
Northlands Road, Magee Campus
BT48 7JL Londonderry
United Kingdom
Research activity per year
Dr Duguez was awarded her PhD on “muscle cell biology and metabolism” at Jean Monnet University (Saint Etienne, France), during which time she was an Associate Lecturer. She was then appointed as a post-doctoral Research Fellow working on Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy type 2A, at Genethon (Evry, France), following which she took up a Research Associate position on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at Children’s National Medical Center (Washington, US), before being appointed as a Project leader at the Institute of Myology (Paris, France).
She was appointed to her current post as Lecturer in Stratified Medicine in 2016, where she leads Ulster University’s research group on Neuromuscular Health.
RESEARCH
Career development
Dr Duguez has been committed to neuromuscular research since her PhD at Jean Monnet University on muscle cell metabolism, and Research Fellowship on Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy at Genethon (France). As a Research Associate at Children’s National Medical Center (US), she pioneered exploration of the role of muscle vesicles in neuromuscular disease. Determined to develop this theme further, upon returning to France as a Project Leader at the Institute of Myology (Paris), and learning of Prof PF Pradat’s interest in the potential role of muscle in ALS, she proposed to extract myoblasts from patient biopsies and characterize their secretory vesicles.
Her research group at Ulster University is now composed of biologists and bioinformaticians and explores the intercellular communication between muscle tissue and surrounding cells, including motor neurons, inflammatory cells and fibroblasts. They are using human muscle stem cells and studying their secretome profiles by different OMICS approaches such as proteomic, metabolomic, and transcriptomic analyses. The aim is to decipher the role of intercellular communication in different physiological and pathological conditions such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy (SBMA), and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA-III & IV). Characterizing the muscle secretome will allow us to identify biomarkers and to unravel new therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disorders.
Her work on muscle vesicles is bolstered by an international network of collaborators including: clinicians (Paris, London, ‘Derry/Londonderry, Belfast), biopharma (Belfast), researchers on murine models (Marseilles, London, Strasbourg, Keele), on cellular models (Evry), on metabolomics (Tours), and on muscle transcriptomic (Washington DC, Strasbourg) and proteomics (Washington DC).
In order to explore the muscle cellular functions in different physiological and pathological context, her group secured a biobank of primary muscle cells from healthy subjects and from different patient and age groups. In addition, and in collaboration with neurologist colleagues her group has put in place Northern Ireland Motor Neuron Disease Biobank.
Research publications and communication
Dr Duguez has an h-index of 20, from 37 peer-reviewed publications and over 1200 citations (see scopus link). Dr Duguez has been invited or selected as a speaker at over 19 international conferences (ARSLA, MDA, WMS).
Honors
ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
External Representation
Professional Membership
Invited Reviewer:
PUBLIC OUTREACH & CIVIC CONTRIBUTION
Dr Duguez is dedicated to the “Rare Diseases” field. She is a board member of the Northern Ireland Rare Disease Partnership (NIRDP), board composed of careers, patients, clinicians, and researchers. Within NIRDP, Dr Duguez aims to raise awareness for rare diseases via teaching harmonization across Ireland, but also via other activities such as organising rare diseases walks, giving talks to schools. Dr Duguez is also involved in Northern Ireland Rare Diseases Implementation Group (NIRDIG).
Dr Duguez has also contributed to well-received output in the RTE Brainstorm as well as in France Television “Allo Docteur” program and a number of other initiatives promoting Public Engagement in Science.
Dr Duguez contributes to teaching on a number of on-campus and distance-learning undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Biomedical Sciences at Ulster University. She is module co-ordinator at BSc level and contributes to other modules at BSc, PgCert and MSc level:
Accepting PhD Students
PhD projects:
Dr Duguez is open to wide-ranging PhD applications from candidates with a cellular and molecular science or clinical background. Her fields of interest include:
Since joining Ulster in 2016, Dr Duguez’ has been or is the lead PI on 5 competitively funded projects,and is recently co-I on a further 3 projects, bringing total income generated to £1,093,522, with £484,775 for her group.
These awards have all been obtained on the research theme: vesicles in neuromuscular disease.
Funders: ABN, ArSLA, IICN, Target ALS.
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Unknown, PhD, Stimulation de la biogénèse mitochondriale lors de la régénération musculaire : implication fonctionnelle in-vitro, Universite Jean Monnet
1 Sept 1999 → 13 Oct 2003
Award Date: 13 Oct 2003
Unknown, Master, MRes: Biogenese mitochondrial au cours de la regeneration musculaire in vivo, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1
1 Sept 1997 → 30 Jun 1998
Award Date: 30 Jun 1998
BBSRC Pool of Experts, BBSRC
25 Jan 2022 → 31 Mar 2025
Board of Northern Ireland Rare Diseases Implementation Group , Belfast: Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
24 May 2021 → …
Member of the board Irish Society of Human Genetics, Irish Society of Human Genetics
21 Apr 2021 → …
Board Director Northern Ireland Rare Disease Partnership, Northern Ireland Rare Disease Partnership
1 Nov 2018 → …
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
McClean, Paula (Recipient), Kelly, Catriona (Recipient), Gibson, David (Recipient), Mc Gilligan, Victoria (Recipient), Murray, Elaine (Recipient), Atkinson, Sarah (Recipient), Watterson, Steven (Recipient), McDowell, Andrew (Recipient), Duguez, Stephanie Marie (Recipient), Duddy, William (Recipient), Shukla, Priyank (Recipient), Matchett, Kyle (Recipient), Rai, Taranjit Singh (Recipient) & Zhang, Shu-Dong (Recipient), 7 Jun 2023
Prize: Honorary award
Stephanie Duguez (Organiser)
Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organising a conference, workshop, ...
Stephanie Duguez (Participant)
Activity: Other
Stephanie Duguez (Reviewer)
Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editorial work
Stephanie Duguez (Examiner)
Activity: Examination
Stephanie Duguez (Invited speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
14/04/21
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert Comment
10/02/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
5/06/17
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
8/06/16
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
5/03/16
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities