Professor Graham Coombs
Emeritus Professor
Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences
Personal statement
Professor Coombs joined the University of Strathclyde in October 2006 to become Head of the new Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences and Head of the School of Pharmacy. He also became Professor of Biochemical Parasitology. His current research focuses on three unicellular parasitic protozoa, Leishmania, the causative agent of leishmaniasis, Plasmodium falciparum, the most pernicious causative agent of human malaria, and Trichomonas, a very common sexually transmitted pathogen. These diseases cause widespread suffering and current treatment is unsatisfactory. The long term aim of his work is to underpin the development of novel therapies, either drugs or vaccines, which exploit unique biochemical aspects of the parasites.
Professor Coombs was trained as a biochemist and carried out postgraduate and postdoctoral research on the mode of action of antiparasite drugs before moving to Glasgow in 1974 to establish his own research group specialising in biochemical parasitology. Since then he has been active in elucidating biochemical adaptations of a range of parasitic protozoa, including pioneering studies on Leishmania amastigotes and peptidases of trypanosomatids. His research output is reflected in the publication of more than 200 original papers, five books, several patents, the award of the Seymour H. Hunter prize by the Society of Protozoologists in 1986, and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1993. His group has extensive experience in a range of biochemical and parasitological methods and a keen interest in identification and characterisation of the biological function of parasite-specific proteins and exploiting these proteins as vaccines, drug targets and diagnostics.
Publications
- Plasmodium falciparum LipB mutants display altered redox and carbon metabolism in asexual stages and cannot complete sporogony in Anopheles mosquitoes
- Biddau Marco, Kumar TR Santha, Henrich Philipp, Laine Larissa M, Blackburn Gavin J, Chokkathukalam Achuthanunni, Li Tao, Lee Sim Kim, King Lewis, Hoffman Stephen L, Barrett Michael P, Coombs Graham H, McFadden Geoffrey I, Fidock David A, Müller Sylke, Sheiner Lilach
- International Journal for Parasitology Vol 51, pp. 441-453 (2021)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.10.011
- Genomic and metabolomic polymorphism among experimentally selected paromomycin-resistant Leishmania donovani strains
- Shaw C D, Imamura H, Downing T, Blackburn G, Westrop G D, Cotton J A, Berriman M, Sanders M, Rijal S, Coombs G H, Dujardin J C, Carter K C
- Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Vol 64 (2019)
- https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.00904-19
- Metabolomic profiling and stable isotope labelling of Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus reveal major differences in amino acid metabolism including the production of 2-hydroxyisocaproic acid, cystathionine and S-methylcysteine
- Westrop Gareth D, Wang Lijie, Blackburn Gavin J, Zhang Tong, Zheng Liang, Watson David G, Coombs Graham H
- PLOS One Vol 12 (2017)
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189072
- PNT1 is a C11 cysteine peptidase essential for replication of the trypanosome kinetoplast
- Grewal Jaspreet S, McLuskey Karen, Das Debanu, Myburgh Elmarie, Wilkes Jonathan, Brown Elaine, Lemgruber Leandro, Gould Matthew K, Burchmore Richard J, Coombs Graham H, Schnaufer Achim, Mottram Jeremy C
- Journal of Biological Chemistry Vol 291, pp. 9492-9500 (2016)
- https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M116.714972
- Crystal structure and activity studies of the C11 cysteine peptidase from parabacteroides merdae in the human gut microbiome
- McLuskey Karen, Grewal Jaspreet S, Das Debanu, Godzik Adam, Lesley Scott A, Deacon Ashley M, Coombs Graham H, Elsliger Marc-André, Wilson Ian A, Mottram Jeremy C
- Journal of Biological Chemistry Vol 291, pp. 9482-9491 (2016)
- https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M115.706143
- In vitro selection of miltefosine resistance in promastigotes of Leishmania donovani from Nepal : genomic and metabolomic characterization
- Shaw C D, Lonchamp J, Downing T, Imamura H, Freeman T M, Cotton J A, Sanders M, Blackburn G, Dujardin J C, Rijal S, Khanal B, Illingworth C J R, Coombs G H, Carter K C
- Molecular Microbiology Vol 99, pp. 1134-1148 (2016)
- https://doi.org/10.1111/mmi.13291
Professional Activities
- British Society for Parasitology
- Organiser
- 2012
- British Society for Parasitology
- Organiser
- 2011
- British Society for Parasitology
- Organiser
- 2010
- British Society for Parasitology
- Organiser
- 2009
- British Society for Parasitology (External organisation)
- Chair
- 2008
- Gordon Conference on Autophagy in Stress, Development and Disease , USA
- Chair
- 1/2008
Projects
- Establishment of a biophotonic imaging system for in vivo biology
- Brewer, James (Principal Investigator) Alexander, James (Co-investigator) Coombs, Graham (Co-investigator) Garside, Paul (Co-investigator) Lawrence, Catherine (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2009 - 31-Jan-2014
- KALADRUG-R New tools for monitoring drug resistance and treatment response in visceral leishmaniasis in the Indian subcontinent (FP7 Health)
- Coombs, Graham (Principal Investigator) Carter, Katharine (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2008 - 30-Jan-2013
- The provision of clinical input by pharmacist to pharmacy educational programmes to support child and adolescent psychiatry Yorkhill Hospital
- Perrie, Yvonne (Principal Investigator) Coombs, Graham (Co-investigator) Winn, Philip (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2008 - 31-Jan-2023
- Development of Pharmaceutical Services in NHS and evaluation of new National pre-registration Pharmacist Scheme (PRPS)
- Coombs, Graham (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2007 - 30-Jan-2013
- Analysing the Roles Of Peptides in Leishmania Infectivity and Pathogeni
- Coombs, Graham (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2007 - 31-Jan-2013
- Physical Organic Chemistry: Opportunities In Synthesis, Materials And Pharmaceuticals (Science And Innovation Award)
- Murphy, John (Principal Investigator) Coombs, Graham (Co-investigator) Ferguson, Allister (Co-investigator) Florence, Alastair (Co-investigator)
- This application aims to catalyse and sustain a new dimension in UK research capability in physical organic chemistry. Our strategic alliance in physical organic chemistry will provide a unique continuum of expertise to tackle research opportunities in areas as diverse as materials chemistry, synthesis methodologies and pharmaceutical discovery and development. It will have the capability to address issues from solid-state to solution and gas-phase, from small molecules to biopolymers, and from nanoscale to pilot plant. We focus on topics of international significance to industry worldwide as well as to academic chemistry, that will help to (i) drive the creation of 21st-century electronic materials, devices and technologies (ii) understand and exploit methodologies for assisting chemical reactions with the potential to revolutionise energy use in chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries (iii) provide new and more effective medicines through understanding molecular recognition in pharmaceutical systems including drug-receptor, drug-drug and drug-carrier complexes. Its importance is underlined by the initial substantial support from diverse sectors of the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry that we have so far put in place. It will initially lead to 26 new appointments, and we look forward to even more dynamic growth as the program unfolds.
- 01-Jan-2007 - 30-Jan-2012
Contact
Professor
Graham
Coombs
Emeritus Professor
Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences
Email: graham.coombs@strath.ac.uk
Tel: Unlisted