Personal statement
Chancellor’s Fellow and Lecturer in Cardiovascular Pharmacology
My field of expertise is G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-dependent regulation of cardiovascular function with particular interest in proteinase-activated receptors (PARs) and purinergic receptor families. My research involves investigating the molecular mechanisms of GPCR involvement in the processes that underpin platelet and vascular cell function and anti-cancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity. In SIPBS, I co-lead the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases research group with Dr Susan Currie.
I am the Editor-in-Chief of Pharmacology Matters magazine and serve as a Reviewing Editor for Pharmacology Research & Perspectives (PR&P) journal. I am an elected member of the RSE Young Academy of Scotland (YAS), a member of the Ingenious & Enterprising Women Network and a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellow. I am an Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) springboard awardee and recently featured in their #MedSciLife Campaign.
Improving attainment, participation and engagement in science is very important to me therefore I mentor postdoctoral researchers across the University, undergraduate students through the Strathclyde Cares Widening Access scheme and Secondary School students through the MCR pathways in West Dunbartonshire.
I serve as Director of Outreach (in Biomolecular Sciences) with Dr Zahra Rattray (in Pharmacy) and I lead on the Career Progression working group on the SIPBS Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team and additionally support the Organisation, Culture and Communication working group.
Teaching
I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) with a Postgraduate Diploma in Academic Practice.
I am class coordinator for BM434 Clinical Pharmacology and I lecture on the following undergraduate and postgraduate courses:
- BM324 Fundamental Pharmacology
- BM327 BABS 3 Pharmacology Labs
- BM432 Research in Biomedical Sciences
- BM933 Advanced studies in Haematology
- BM906 Biomedical Sciences Project
I coordinate and deliver the Organisational and Staff Development Unit (OSDU) Research Bidding and Design - Getting Started course with Dr Katherine Duncan to help support early career researchers with grantmanship.
Research interests
My research is highly collaborative and multidisciplinary with ongoing projects invested in understanding protein interacting pathways that regulate GPCR activity in cardiovascular system with the aim of identifying novel ways to target receptors for development of new therapies. Investigations include the use of artificial intelligence in the design of small molecules that target GPCRs and the development of novel PAR modulators. Approaches used in our research include SILAC quantitative proteomics, cellular imaging of therapeutic agents using Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MSI) techniques, FRET, FRET-FLIM and meso-imaging.
Current University of Strathclyde collaborators include:
- Dr Susan Currie, SIPBS
- Dr Blair Johnston, CMAC
- Professor Gail McConnell, Physics
- Professor Robin Plevin, SIPBS
- Dr David Li, SIPBS
- Dr Charles Kennedy, SIPBS
External collaborations include:
- Professor Robert Liskamp, University of Glasgow, UK
- Dr Matthew Harper, University of Cambridge, UK
- Professor Stuart Mundell, University of Bristol, UK
- Dr Patricia Martin, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK
- Dr Christopher Nile, Glasgow Dental School, University of Glasgow, UK
- Professor Atsufumi Kawabata, Kindai University, Japan
- Atomwise Ltd, US
I have an open-door policy and offer a supportive environment for highly motivated students to progress in their studies and develop their research skills.
Professional activities
- The Pharmacology of Harry Potter Potions
- Speaker
- 16/8/2021
- Novel off-target effects of doxorubicin on cardiovascular gap-junctional proteins
- Contributor
- 5/2/2021
- Royal Society of Edinburgh's Young Academy of Scotland (External organisation)
- Member
- 2/2021
- Biomolecules (Journal)
- Editorial board member
- 2021
- STEMM Bank Scotland
- Recipient
- 1/2021
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Journal)
- Guest editor
- 2021
More professional activities
Projects
- SPRINT: A SuPer-Resolution time-resolved ImagiNg and specTroscopy facility for rapid biomolecular analysis
- Li, David (Principal Investigator) Chamberlain, Luke (Co-investigator) Chen, Yu (Co-investigator) Cunningham, Margaret Rose (Co-investigator) Gould, Gwyn (Co-investigator) Hoskisson, Paul (Co-investigator) McConnell, Gail (Co-investigator) Rattray, Zahra (Co-investigator) Van de Linde, Sebastian (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2021 - 30-Jan-2022
- Molecular mechanisms of HMGB1 release from platelets and its implication in vessel wall damage preceding thrombosis (Research Re-Boot - COVID-19 Impact)
- Cunningham, Margaret Rose (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2021 - 30-Jan-2021
- Sustainable impact by design: a pilot study of effective STEM dissemination for hard-to-reach audiences
- Essex, Jane (Principal Investigator) Gonzalez-Longo, Cristina (Co-investigator) Li, Rui (Co-investigator) Somorin, Tosin (Co-investigator) Hendry, Martyn (Co-investigator) Yue, Hong (Co-investigator) Maddock, Christie (Co-investigator) Ivaturi, Aruna (Co-investigator) Egea Alvarez, Agusti (Co-investigator) Cunningham, Margaret Rose (Co-investigator)
- STEM Equals and RKES funding £10,000
- 01-Jan-2021 - 31-Jan-2021
- Cross-examining interplay between High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) and coagulation: Defining a role for G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in this complex Coag-Inflammatory nexus
- BOSAKHAR, Zainab Y H A H A (Post Grad Student) Currie, Susan (Co-investigator) Plevin, Robin (Academic) Cunningham, Margaret Rose (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2020 - 30-Jan-2023
- Obesity and Neuroinflammation: The Impact of Adipocyte-derived Extracellular Vesicles on Inflammatory Signalling Pathways of Microglia
- Colvin, Chiara (Post Grad Student) Gould, Gwyn (Co-investigator) Rattray, Zahra (Co-investigator) Cunningham, Margaret Rose (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2020 - 30-Jan-2021
- Probing the biology of Zinc alpha-2 glycoprotein
- Gould, Gwyn (Principal Investigator) Cunningham, Margaret Rose (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2020 - 30-Jan-2024
More projects
Address
Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences
Hamnett Wing
Hamnett Wing
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