University of Bradford, Des Tobin, Natalia Botchkareva, Valerie Randall, Vladimir Botchkarev

The University of Bradford Hair Loss Research

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Update August 2024: The University of Bradford signed an agreement with Coegin Pharma (Sweden) to commercialize groundbreaking topical  hair and skin pigmentation altering peptides.

Update 2019: Dr. Kevin McElwee from Canada is now a professor at UK-based University of Bradford’s Centre for Skin Sciences (CSS). Also, some of the below mentioned hair loss researchers and scientists may no longer be working at the University.

Update 2018: The University of Bradford and Follicum have entered into an agreement regrading developing new peptide drugs. Research collaboration will begin in 2019, and entail both hair loss and diabetes.

On this blog, I have discussed important hair loss research that is being undertaken at universities around the world. The most renowned/widely covered work is happening at Columbia University in the US (under Dr. Angela Christiano), Durham University in the UK (under Dr. Colin Jahoda) and the University of Pennsylvania in the US (under Dr. George Cotsarelis).

Hair Loss Research at The University of Bradford

However, recently, while reading about Dr. Valerie Randall’s keynote presentation at the 22nd annual ISHRS meeeting, I realized that the University of Bradford (UK) where she works at perhaps leads all universities in the world in terms of the amount and range of hair loss related research being conducted there every year.

On the University’s Centre for Skin Sciences (CSS) staff page, one can see the names of some of the world’s leading hair research scientists. It is led by Dr. Julie Thornton.

Besides Dr. Randall, among the better known of these researchers include Dr. Des Tobin (lot of research related to hair pigment changes); Dr. Natalia V Botchkareva (lot of research related to MicroRNA’s impact on skin and hair); and Dr. Vladimir A Botchkarev.

They also have an Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit (PSBRU) that likely collaborates closely with the CSS.

Keratinocytes, Propolis

Propolis from Bees for Hair Growth

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Propolis Hair Growth
Bee Propolis for Hair Growth.

Almost every month, new articles come out that promote yet another natural remedy to treat hair loss. Most of the time, there is limited scientific evidence backing the benefits of the said remedy on hair growth.

However, every now and again, a natural remedy with some scientific validity does pop up. The latest is bee propolis (or bee glue), which has a number of health benefits.

You can buy a number of such products on Amazon in lotion, hair masque (image on right) and hair loss shampoo forms.

Propolis and Hair Growth

Scientists (led by Dr. Ken Kobayashi) in Japan have found that using a resinous product made by bees called propolis on mice whose hair had been shaved or waxed resulted in faster hair regrowth in comparison to shaved or waxed mice on whom no such product was applied.

Upon initially reading this summary, I was not that impressed, since all that propolis seems to do is increase the pace of growth of already existing hair. And of course the results have only been shown on mice, a curse of most hair loss research ever conducted.

However, as I read more about this study, I changed my mind regarding its lack of any significant importance. Apparently, propolis contains anti-inflammatory compounds. In fact the study authors seem to suggest that all hair loss has an inflammatory component to it. Perhaps this bodes well for all the recent excitement about new miracle alopecia areata treatment related anti-inflammatory drugs potentially also working for androgenic alopecia? We can definitely hope.

Perhaps of most importance, the scientists also noticed that after the topical application of propolis on the mice “the number of special cells involved in the process of growing hair increased.” Propolis seems to stimulate hair growth by inducing hair keratinocyte proliferation. This is quite extraordinary, and further supports the intelligence of many of our ancestors who used propolis for quite a few medical applications. It seems like this unique ingredient can be purchased at most health food stores and pharmacies.

Several hair products with bee propolis in them have good reviews on Amazon, including Iden Bee Propolis Treatment and Iden Bee Nourished Shampoo & Conditioner Duo Pack.

Update: A new study from Iran in 2016 also finds propolis to have beneficial hair growth properties. Also make sure to read this summary on its various pharmacological benefits.