Afsie Sabokbar
Divisional Director of Skills Training and Researcher Development
I obtained my PhD at the University of Essex, UK in the field of Immunology in 1989. Thereafter I undertook 2 years post-doctoral training at University of Durham, UK, investigating a method by which elevated levels of TNF-alpha could be used to predict organ transplant rejection.
From 1991 to 1994, I went to the University of Cambridge, UK where I became interested in the bone physiology and pathology, specifically, the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved during early failure of joint replacements associated with aseptic loosening.
In 1994 I started my senior post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Oxford where I studied the biology of osteoclasts in depth with regards to various pathological bone disorders under the mentorship of Professor Nick Athanasou.
Thereafter I continued on building my research interest in the field of osteoclast bone biology and have now a research team and fruitful collaborators across the globe.
In 2002 I became the Director of Post-Graduate Studies and in 2008 I launched a part-time MSc in Rheumatology at University of Oxford (designed for clinicians), which has now been re-named to MSc in Musculoskeletal Sciences.
Current research interests include osteoclast bone biology in various bone disorders, pathobiology of Giant Cell Arteritis, identification and cellular mechanisms of novel biomarkers and humoral regulators, stem cell engineering and antibiotic-loaded polymers.
Currently I Chair the Graduate Joint Cumulative Committee at University and am active member of a number of Divisional committees (namely, Graduate Studies School, Skills Training Programme, Divisional Funding Ranking, etc.).
I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and Senior Associate of The Royal Society of Medicine. I am also NIHR Training Lead for the NIHR Oxford Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit.
I am an ordinary member and a Tutor at Wolfson College, Oxford. I am also a STEMNET ambassador and a school governor at Didcot Girls' School.