Susan Currie obtained her PhD in Biochemistry (cellular signalling and molecular pharmacology) from the University of Glasgow in 1992 then spent two years at Lilly Research Laboratories, USA, where she studied the role of phospholipase A² in mast cell activation. She returned to the University of Glasgow in 1994 to join the then newly formed Clinical Research Initiative in heart disease and became a founder member of the school of cardiovascular studies in Glasgow. During this time she progressed from postdoctoral researcher to Principal Investigator examining the role of Calcium/calmodulin protein kinase ll (CaMKll) in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. She moved to the University of Strathclyde in 2005 as a Lecturer in Physiology & Pharmacology and established an independent cardiovascular signalling research group with principal interests in CaMKll modulation of cardiac calcium handelling and cardiac inflammation. CaMKll as a therapeutic target in cardiac disease remains the key focus of research and characterising the actions of this enzyme in both healthy and diseased adult cardiac myocytes and cardiac fibroblasts is ongoing.
Dr Currie is currently a board member of the Scottish Cardiovascular Forum and full member of the Physiological Society and Biophysical Society. She obtained fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in 2007 and currently teaches on a wide range of classes across both the MPharm and Biomedical Sciences programmes at the University of Strathclyde. She is a class coordinator on the MPharm and BMS programmes and and second year coordinator of the MPharm programme, sitting on the MPharm management committee and student-staff committee.
"Development of a minimally invasive transverse aortic banding model of cardiac hypertrophy" Tenovus Scotland
"Involvement of AMPK in calcium regulation in atherosclerotic blood vessels" British Heart Foundation
"Modulation of calcium handling mechanisms in healthy and atherosclerotic vascular smooth muscle" British Heart Foundation
"Disruptors of HSP20-PDE4 as small molecule therapeutics in the treatment of heart disease" Heart Research UK
"Role of CaMKII in modulation of NFkappaB signalling in normal and hypertrophied hearts" British Heart Foundation
"Development of in vivo small and large animal models for the assessment of drug action on cardiac contractility" Medical Research Council/Astra Zeneca
"A bi-wavelength nonlinear optical microscope for the assessment of cardiac fibrosis following hypertrophic remodelling using second and third harmonic generation" EPSRC
Publications
Ahmed Lawan, Sameer Al-Harthi, Laurence Cadalbert, Anthony G. McCluskey, Anne Grant, Marie Boyd, Susan Currie and Robin Plevin (2011) Deletion of the dual specific phosphatase-4 (DUSP-4) gene reveals an essential non-redundant role for MAP kinase phosphatase-2 (MKP-2) in proliferation and cell survival. Journal of Biological Chemistry286, 12933-12943 [DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M110.181370 ]
Currie S., Elliott E.B., Smith G.L. and Loughrey C.M. (2011) Two candidates at the heart of dysfunction: The ryanodine receptor and calcium/calmodulin protein kinase II as potential targets for therapeutic intervention.. Pharmacology & Therapeutics131, 204-220
Marshall G., Russell J., Tellez J., Jhund P., Currie S., Dempster J., Boyett M., Kane K., Rankin A & Workman A. (2011) Remodelling of human atrial K+ currents but not ion channel expression by chronic blockade. Pflügers Archiv: European Journal of Physiology , In Press
Mittal, G., Carswell H., Currie S., Brett R. and Ravi Kumar M.N.V
(2011) Development and evaluation of polymer nanoparticles for oral delivery of estradiol to rat brain in a model of Alzheimer's pathology. Journal of Controlled Release150, 220-228 [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2010.11.013 ]
Currie S. (2009) Cardiac ryanodine receptor phosphorylation by Ca2+/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II: keeping the balance right. Frontiers in Bioscience14, 5134-5156 Published (review)
McCarron J.G., Olson M.L. Currie S., Wright A.J., Anderson K.I. and Girkin J.M. (2009) Elevations of intracellular Ca2+ reflect normal voltage-dependent behaviour, and not constitutive activity, of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels in gastrointestinal and vascular smooth muscle. Journal of General Physiology133, 439-457 [DOI: 10.1085/jgp.200810189]
Ahmed Lawan, Sameer Al-Harthi, Laurence Cadalbert, Anthony G. McCluskey, Anne Grant, Marie Boyd, Susan Currie and Robin Plevin (2011) Deletion of the dual specific phosphatase-4 (DUSP-4) gene reveals an essential non-redundant role for MAP kinase phosphatase-2 (MKP-2) in proliferation and cell survival. Journal of Biological Chemistry286, 12933-12943 [DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M110.181370 ]
Currie S., Elliott E.B., Smith G.L. and Loughrey C.M. (2011) Two candidates at the heart of dysfunction: The ryanodine receptor and calcium/calmodulin protein kinase II as potential targets for therapeutic intervention.. Pharmacology & Therapeutics131, 204-220
Marshall G., Russell J., Tellez J., Jhund P., Currie S., Dempster J., Boyett M., Kane K., Rankin A & Workman A. (2011) Remodelling of human atrial K+ currents but not ion channel expression by chronic blockade. Pflügers Archiv: European Journal of Physiology , In Press
Mittal, G., Carswell H., Currie S., Brett R. and Ravi Kumar M.N.V
(2011) Development and evaluation of polymer nanoparticles for oral delivery of estradiol to rat brain in a model of Alzheimer's pathology. Journal of Controlled Release150, 220-228 [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2010.11.013 ]
Currie S. (2009) Cardiac ryanodine receptor phosphorylation by Ca2+/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II: keeping the balance right. Frontiers in Bioscience14, 5134-5156 Published (review)
McCarron J.G., Olson M.L. Currie S., Wright A.J., Anderson K.I. and Girkin J.M. (2009) Elevations of intracellular Ca2+ reflect normal voltage-dependent behaviour, and not constitutive activity, of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels in gastrointestinal and vascular smooth muscle. Journal of General Physiology133, 439-457 [DOI: 10.1085/jgp.200810189]
Group
Postgraduate students
Laura Mooney: 'Assessment of drug action on myocardial contractility' (started 2008)
