A biomedical lens on hair loss

Shannel Watson’s MSc in Biomedical Sciences provided an advanced clinical framework to further investigate the biological systems that influence hair growth and loss — with an emphasis on how often systemic dysfunction presents in the hair follicle long before a clinical diagnosis is made.

Her postgraduate training bridged clinical medicine, molecular biology, and diagnostic biochemistry — making her uniquely equipped to translate internal imbalances into targeted, evidence-led interventions for scalp and hair health.

Human nutrition

Shannel’s study of nutrition went beyond food groups and into cellular utilisation — including how micronutrients are absorbed, transported, and metabolised under different conditions. She applies this knowledge to determine whether nutritional supplementation is warranted based on biochemical need, not dietary assumption, and how nutrient synergy (or antagonism) may influence hair growth pathways.

Clinical endocrinology and metabolism

Shannel has a detailed understanding of the hormonal and metabolic networks that regulate cellular function — including the role of thyroid hormones, androgens, insulin, and cortisol in follicular activity and inflammation. This informs her interpretation of bloodwork and allows her to spot hormonal patterns that may not meet clinical disease thresholds, but are still significant for hair health.

Diagnostic clinical biochemistry

Shannel was trained in the principles and limitations of laboratory diagnostics, including how reference ranges are set, what constitutes functional vs clinical deficiency, and which biomarkers offer early insight into metabolic stress or nutritional compromise. This has proven vital in interpreting tests beyond face value — identifying subclinical patterns that influence scalp and follicle health.

Genetics and epigenetics

Her understanding of genetic predisposition and epigenetic modulation enables her to consider not only inherited risk but how environment, stress, and lifestyle influence gene expression related to inflammation, detoxification, nutrient metabolism, and tissue repair — all of which are relevant to hair loss and recovery.

Thesis: Zinc levels as a predictive marker for hair loss

Shannel’s master’s thesis was a global meta-analysis of 23 clinical studies involving 1,838 participants, which investigated the role of zinc blood levels in hair loss. Her findings demonstrated that even in the absence of a clinical zinc deficiency, suboptimal serum zinc was consistently associated with alopecia areata, androgenic alopecia, diffuse hair loss, scarring alopecias and telogen effluvium.

This was the first consolidated body of evidence to show that zinc levels can be a predictive indicator of hair loss, even in otherwise healthy individuals. Her research reframes how we define deficiency and calls for a more functional, hair-specific interpretation of micronutrient testing in clinical settings.