Senior Lecturer in Cardiovascular Sciences undertaking British Heart Foundation funded research into the signal transduction pathways that regulate small artery function in health and disease.

Teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health.

Postgraduate Research Senior Division Tutor, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences

Following graduation in physiology from University of Manchester I worked in cardiovascular research at Pfizer Central Research, Kent before spending 3 years as a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. Following which, I returned to Leicester University and then moved to Manchester where I completed my PhD. In 1991 I was awarded a British Heart Foundation Intermediate Fellowship, and in 1995 was appointed as a Lecturer in Cardiovascular Research at Manchester University. In 2005 I was promoted to my current position of Senior Lecturer in Cardiovascular Sciences at Manchester.

High blood pressure is the most common risk factor worldwide for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Our research aims to understand the mechanisms that regulate small artery contractility, which maintains blood pressure within normal limits. In small arteries vasoconstrictor hormones regulate contractility through activation of multiple signalling pathways leading to increases in cellular calcium and production of lipid second messengers. Lipid second messengers are crucial components of signalling pathways, regulating cellular processes as diverse as proliferation, differentiation and survival, endocytosis, exocytosis and immune responses. We are interested in the role of lipid second messengers in vascular smooth muscle cells. In particular we are studying the enzymes that regulate their production and metabolism and how interactions of signalling proteins with lipids co-ordinates the multiple signalling pathways involved in smooth muscle contractility.

A second focus of our research are the signalling mechanisms that regulate inflammation in vascular tissues and cells. We have recently shown that signalling through sphingolipids regulates inflammatory responses in vascular tissues, and we are currently using models of arteriosclerosis (ageing and calcification) and atherosclerosis to further define the role of lipid second messengers in vascular disease.

Undergraduate MBCHB:
Personal Excellence Pathway supervisor for students in years 1 and 4
Tutor for Personal and Professional Development for students in years 1&2

Post-graduate Taught:
Tutor, adviser, lecturer and project supervisor for the MRes in Cardiovascular Health and Disease.

Post-graduate Research:
PhD supervisor and Tutor including BHF 4 year PhD projects.

Collaborators
Dr Vasken Ohanian, University of Manchester
Professor Andrew Trafford, University of Manchester
Professor Ann Canfield, University of Manchester
Dr Chris Clarke, SUNY, USA

Member of the Biochemical Society

Member of the British Society of Cardiovascular Research

Lipid and protein biochemistry
Cell biology
Microscopy
Vascular physiology

BSc(Hons), Physiology, University of Manchester

PhD, University of Manchester