Integrative Mammalian Biology

Research is directed at understanding the integrated function of mammalian tissue at the level of the whole organism in health and disease with a focus on understanding disease pathology and translating this into new therapies. There are two main themes:

• Mental Health, Disease and Therapeutics
• Cardiovascular Health, Disease and Therapeutics.

We have major links with Industry through PsyRING (formerly YRING) and are partners in the multimillion pound Integrative Mammalian Biology Capacity Building Award which aims to equip scientists with state of the art in vivo techniques. Members of the group have international collaborations spanning Europe, the USA and Japan.

The group comprises Neuroscientists and Cardiovascular scientists with particular expertise in Physiology, Pharmacology and Biochemistry. Our goals are pivotal to the strategic aims of SIPBS in drug discovery and development. The research programmes adopt a holistic approach encompassing elucidation of basic pathophysiological and pharmacological mechanisms, identification of novel therapeutic targets and pre-clinical testing of drugs in disease models. These interdisciplinary approaches are strengthened through collaborations with cell biologists and immunologists within SIPBS, with medicinal chemists and bioengineers in Strathclyde and with clinicians across the city. Furthermore the group has expertise in the development of computer systems and software for the acquisition and analysis of physiological signals and images as well as the development of advanced in vivo imaging approaches to study cellular activity through links with the Centre for Biophotonics.

Group co-ordinator: Professor Judith Pratt