Dr Margaret Rose Cunningham

Strathclyde Chancellor'S Fellow

Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences

Personal statement

Chancellor’s Research Fellow and Lecturer in Pharmacology, Haematology and Drug Discovery

Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellow, 2018
Academy of Medical Sciences Springboard Awardee, 2016-present
Postgraduate Diploma in Academic Practice, University of Strathclyde, 2015-2017
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), 2016
British Heart Foundation PDRA in the Bristol Platelet Group, University of Bristol, 2010-2014
AJ Clark PhD Studentship in Pharmacology, University of Strathclyde, 2006-2010
First Class BSc (Hons) Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Strathclyde, 2004-2006
Research Technician in Cardiovascular Research, University of Glasgow, 1999-2004

My field of expertise is G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) regulation and function in health and disease. My research area broadly spans understanding the molecular mechanisms of GPCR involvement in the processes that underpin platelet function, anti-cancer cardiotoxicity, inflammation and pain.

I am the Editor-in-Chief of Pharmacology Matters and sit on the editorial board for Pharmacology Research & Perspectives journal.

Improving attainment, participation and engagement in science is very important to me therefore I mentor students as part of the Social Mobility Foundation and Widening Access at University of Strathclyde. I am a keen advocate of enhancing STEM education in primary and secondary schools.

Prizes and awards

SULSA LEADERS Award: Recipient; 6/2015
Strathclyde Chancellor Fellowship: Recipient; 1/8/2014
Abcam Biochemicals Presentation Prize, 5th BPS Focused Meeting on Cell Signalling: Recipient; 4/2014
DiscoveRx Presentation Prize, 4th BPS Focused Meeting on Cell Signalling: Recipient; 2012
Presentation Prize, 13th UK Platelet Group Meeting: Recipient; 2011
The Bellahouston Bequest Fund: Recipient; 2008

more prizes and awards

Publications

Anti-cancer tyrosine kinase inhibitors increase oxidative stress in primary cardiac fibroblasts: McMullen CJ, McCluskey C, Kim SJ, Laovitthayanggoon S, MacDonald M, Safar M, Wood R, Cunningham MR, Currie S; British Heart Journal Vol 104, (2018); http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/heartintjnl-2018-SCF22
Conflicting evidence for the role of JNK as a target in breast cancer cell proliferation : comparisons between pharmacological inhibition and selective shRNA knockdown approaches: Wood Rachel A., Barbour Mark J., Gould Gwyn W., Cunningham Margaret R., Plevin Robin J.; Pharmacology Research & Perspectives Vol 6, (2018); http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/prp2.376
Editorial for Pharmacology Matters: Cunningham Margaret; Pharmacology Matters Vol 10, (2017)
Protease-activated receptor 4 variant p.Tyr157Cys reduces platelet functional responses and alters receptor trafficking: Norman Jane E., Cunningham Margaret R., Jones Matthew L., Walker Mary E., Westbury Sarah K., Sessions Richard B., Mundell Stuart J., Mumford Andrew D.; Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology Vol 36, pp. 952-960, (2016); http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.115.307102
Proteinase-activated receptors (PARs) as targets for antiplatelet therapy: Cunningham Margaret, McIntosh Kathryn, Bushell Trevor, Sloan Graeme, Plevin Robin; Biochemical Society Transactions Vol 44, pp. 606-612, (2016); http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/BST20150282
Protease-activated receptor 2 : are common functions in glial and immune cells linked to inflammation-related CNS disorders?: Bushell Trevor J., Cunningham Margaret R., McIntosh Kathryn A., Moudio Serge, Plevin Robin; Current Drug Targets Vol 17, pp. 1861-1870, (2016); http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389450117666151209115232

more publications

Teaching

I am a lecturer for Undergraduate Year 3 BM324 and BM327 Fundamentals of Pharmacology classes and support the delivery of lectures for BM933 Postgraduate Studies in Haematology and BM937 Postgraduate Studies in Drug Discovery modules.

My laboratory welcomes placements as part of the Erasmus programme so please contact me for further information and details of project opportunities available.

I actively engage with primary and secondary schools to help devise and deliver their STEM-related activities and participate in their career carousel events.

Research interests

My research is highly collaborative and multidisciplinary with ongoing projects in my laboratory including:

Employing proteomics to decipher the protein interacting pathways that regulate proteinase-activated receptor (PAR) activity (Bristol Proteomics Facility)
Development of novel synthetic PAR modulators (Collaboration with Professor Robert Liskamp)
Understanding GPCR dimerization and protein interaction in pain and platelet function (Collaborations with Dr Charles Kennedy and Professor Stuart Mundell)
Investigating the cardiotoxicity of anticancer agents (Collaboration with Dr Susan Currie)
Cellular imaging of therapeutic agents using Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MSI) techniques (Collaboration with CMAC and Dr Blair Johnston)

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.

I welcome all informal enquiries to discuss potential opportunities to join my research team!

*Lab group website in development

Professional activities

Pharmacology Matters (Journal): Editor; 1/7/2017
The Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) - Shaping your career in research: Invited speaker; 6/6/2017
Lennox Primary Career Week: Contributor; 4/2017
The Royal Society Engaging with Schools Programme: Participant; 2/3/2017
20th Scottish Cardiovascular Forum: Participant; 4/2/2017
ASE Annual Conference Reading 2017: Invited speaker; 6/1/2017

more professional activities

Projects

AWERB 3Rs grant 2016: Cunningham, Margaret Rose (Co-investigator) Currie, Susan (Principal Investigator); Period 01-Aug-2016
BPS Vacation Studentship - Investigating biophysical interactions of PAR inhibitors at the cell membrane using Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS): Cunningham, Margaret Rose (Principal Investigator) Wood, Rachel Aimee (Researcher); Period 26-Jun-2017 - 01-Sep-2017
The role of gelsolin family proteins in GPCR regulation: Cunningham, Margaret Rose (Principal Investigator); Period 01-Sep-2015 - 01-Jun-2016
A multi-disciplinary approach to thrombin receptor research - A focus on the interrogation of the Proteinase-activated Receptor 4 (PAR4) interactome: Cunningham, Margaret Rose (Principal Investigator); Period 01-Aug-2016 - 31-Jan-2019
Using proteomics to study novel function-disrupting PAR4 variants harboured in patient cohorts with platelet dysfunction: Cunningham, Margaret Rose (Principal Investigator); Period 01-Jun-2015 - 29-Feb-2016

more projects

Address

Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences
Hamnett Wing John Arbuthnott Building

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