School of Life Sciences
 

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Samantha Cooper

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

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Biography

I obtained a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry at the University of Warwick in 2011. Here, I developed my interest in cellular signalling and pharmacology. In 2013, I undertook an MSc in Pharmacology and Drug Discovery, investigating the effects of receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (RTKI) on cardiovascular function at Coventry University. This research provided the preliminary data for my PhD project at CELS, where I explored potential adjunctive therapies to counteract the cardiotoxic effects of RTKIs; and investigated cardiomyocyte survival pathways, alongside microRNA expression patterns.

In 2017, I joined the Cell Signalling Research Group at the University of Nottingham as a Centre of Membranes Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE) Research Associate. I used Bioluminescent Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET) and in vivo Doppler Flowmetry techniques to investigate the allosteric modulation of adenosine receptors. Upon completion of my PhD in 2018, I became a COMPARE Research Fellow and began to use pressure myography techniques to investigate vascular tone regulation by adenosine receptors and RTKs. In 2020, I joined the management team of the Wellcome Trust's "Team Science and Drug Discovery" doctoral training programme (DTP). This DTP has the overall aim to contribute to re-imagining research culture by implementing multidisciplinary and collaborative approaches to drive the development of novel treatments for diseases.

In addition, I am currently a member of the British Pharmacological Society, the COMPARE Team Science committee, the Wellcome Trust's Emerging Research Cultures community, and the University of Nottingham's 3Rs committee.

Further to this, I was the recipient of the British Pharmacology Society Pickford award 2021 which provided up to £10,000 towards a short research project. The project associated with this had the aim to develop a precision-cut lung slice technique to measure pulmonary artery responses to pharmacological agents. I am also a co-investigator on a >£2.5 million MRC program grant titled Exploiting a novel molecular toolkit to explore cell-type-specific adenosine receptor pharmacology and regulation at endogenous levels of expression.

In June, 2023 I began a new role as Assistant Professor of Integrative Cardiovascular Molecular Pharmacology.

Recent Publications

School of Life Sciences

University of Nottingham
Medical School
Queen's Medical Centre
Nottingham NG7 2UH

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