Dr Zahra Rattray

Strathclyde Chancellor's Fellow

Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences

Personal statement

Chancellor's Research Fellow and Lecturer in Translational Pharmaceutics

My field of expertise lies in the characterization of biologics and nanomedicine formulation attributes and in vivo performance using traditional and novel analytical approaches.

Areas of research interest in my lab are summarized as follows;

Understanding environmental and physicochemical determinants of solution-phase formulation stability for antibody and suspension formulations.
Determining key critical quality attributes in particle design to inform optimal in vivo performance.
Evaluation of nanomedicine interaction with biological media, and the mechanism of cellular uptake in two- and three-dimensional cellular models.
Applying novel imaging modalities for evaluating drug and nanoparticle biodistribution, and impact on tumor response.
The interplay between the tumour microenvironment and nanomedicine in vivo performance with a view to developing biorelevant in vitro tests.

My lab is also interested in understanding the biological drivers of disease in lupus and oncology with a view to developing new diagnostics and therapeutics.

I am passionate about improving access to education, achievement and realizing potential for young budding scientists and am open to local STEM and healthcare-related widening participation initiatives. I am co-director (Pharmacy) with Dr Margaret Cunningham (Biomedical Sciences) for outreach in the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences.

Prizes and awards

Strathclyde Chancellor's Fellow: Recipient; 1/9/2018
Postdoctoral fellowship: Recipient; 1/2014
Widening participation award holder: Recipient; 10/2010
AstraZeneca innovation award winner: Recipient; 8/2008
Award for best grade in physical pharmacy: Recipient; 9/2005
Nuffield Bursary Award: Recipient; 9/2003

more prizes and awards

Publications

Tumor tissue-specific biomarkers of colorectal cancer by anatomic location and stage: Cai Yuping, Rattray Nicholas J W, Zhang Qian, Mironova Varvara, Santos-Neto Alvaro, Hsu Kuo Shun, Muca Engjel, Rosen Vollmar Ana K, Hsu Kuo-Shun, Rattray Zahra, Cross Justin R, Zhang Yawei, Batty Philip B, Khan Sajid A, Johnson Caroline H; Metabolites Vol 10 (2020); https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo10060257
Novel application of synchrotron x-ray computed tomography for ex-vivo imaging of subcutaneously-injected polymeric microsphere suspension formulations: Patterson Claire, Murphy Dean, Irvine Sarah, Connor Leigh, Rattray Zahra; Pharmaceutical Research Vol 37 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1007/s11095-020-02825-9
Sex differences in colon cancer metabolism reveal a novel subphenotype: Cai Yuping, Rattray Nicholas J W, Zhang Qian, Mironova Varvara, Santos-Neto Alvaro, Hsu Kuo-Shun, Rattray Zahra, Cross Justin R, Zhang Yawei, Paty Philip B, Khan Sajid A, Johnson Caroline H; Scientific Reports Vol 10 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61851-0
Metabolic dysregulation in vitamin E and carnitine shuttle energy mechanisms associate with human frailty: Rattray Nicholas JW, Trivedi Drupad K, Xu Yun, Chandola Tarani, Johnson Caroline H, Marshall Alan D, Mekli Krisztina, Rattray Zahra, Tampubolon Gindo, Vanhoutte Bram, White Iain R, Wu Frederick CW, Pendleton Neil, Nazroo James, Goodacre Royston; Nature Communications Vol 10 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12716-2
Evaluation of temporal aggregation processes using spatial intensity distribution analysis: Rattray Zahra, Zindy Egor, Buzza Karen M, Pluen Alain; Protein Self-Assembly (2019) (2019); https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9678-0_11
A DNA-damaging lupus autoantibody synergizes with PARP inhibitors against DNA repair-deficient tumor cells: Rattray Zahra, Patel Jaymin M, Noble Phillip W, Dubljevic Valentina, Greenwood Deanne L, Campbell James A, Hansen James E; Cancer Research Vol 78, pp. 2773 (2018); https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.AM2018-2773

more publications

Professional activities

CELL & GENE THERAPY:from concept to medicinal use: Organiser; 14/5/2020
STEM Equals: Interviewee; 4/2020
Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI2) (External organisation): Member; 4/2020
Meet our Scientist(s): Advisor; 1/4/2020
Deadlier colon cancer develops differently in women and men: Recipient; 17/3/2020
I'M A SCIENTIST: Recipient; 3/2020

more professional activities

Projects

Development and preclinical validation of novel PAR2 inhibitors for the treatment of Osteoarthritis: McIntosh, Kathryn (Principal Investigator) Crilly, Anne (Co-investigator) Jamieson, Craig (Co-investigator) Plevin, Robin (Co-investigator) Rattray, Zahra (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2020 - 30-Jan-2021
Resonant Mass Measurement (Archimedes): Rattray, Zahra (Principal Investigator); ECR EPSRC Equipment Award; 02-Jan-2019
Transformative Technologies for Nanomedicine Characterization Centre for Doctoral Training: Rattray, Zahra (Principal Investigator) Edkins, Robert (Principal Investigator) Van de Linde, Sebastian (Principal Investigator) Sandison, Mairi (Principal Investigator) Henrich, Oliver (Principal Investigator); 31-Jan-2019 - 30-Jan-2024
Doctoral Training Partnership 2018-19 University of Strathclyde | Obiora, Chukwuebuka Richard: Rattray, Zahra (Principal Investigator) Drummond, Robert (Co-investigator) Seib, Philipp (Co-investigator) Obiora, Chukwuebuka Richard (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2019 - 01-Jan-2023
Silencing KPNA2: A Druggable Target Against Breast Cancer?: Rattray, Zahra (Principal Investigator); 01-Jan-2019 - 31-Jan-2020

more projects

Address

Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences
Robertson Wing

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