Selected Projects

Current Projects


TRIAD: Tolerance Restoration In Autoimmune Diseases by selective manipulation of the CD28 costimulatory pathway.
Scobie L. Funded by European Union FP7-HEALTH-2011-single-stage number 281493, €163, 752, January 2012 – December 2014.

An exploration of the anti-atherogenic potential of compounds targeting mitochondrial cholesterol transporter protein (TSPO) and the cholesterol efflux pathway.
Graham A (PI),Kassiou M (University of Sydney), Shu X & Martin P. Funded by Heart Research UK, £90,000, 2012-2014.

Diabetic dyslipidaemia: the role of intracellular lipid transport proteins.
Graham A and Dolan S. Funded by Diabetes UK, £15,000, 2011-2013.

Understanding the pathogenesis and development of therapeutic strategies for retinitis pigmentosa caused by RPGR mutations.
Funded by Rosetrees Trust, £15,000, December 2011 - November 2014.

Functional characterization of retinitis pigmentosa-causing RPGR mutants.
Funded by National Eye Research Center (three-year PhD studentship), £59,419, October 2011 - September 2014.

Genetic and phenotypic analyses of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa in the Western Scotland.
Funded by WH Ross Foundation, £4800, April 2011 - March 2012.

Dissecting the role of Connexin43-mediated signalling in wound healing: defining Connexin43 therapeutic target domains.
Martin P & Wright C. Funded by The Cunningham Trust, £90,000, 2011-2013.

Defining the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of connexins in wound healing and the therapeutic potential of connexin mimetic peptides.
Martin PE. Funded by Chief Scientist Office, £225,000.


Xenome: Superengineering of the porcine genome for xenotransplantation studies in primates: a step towards clinical application.
Scobie L. Funded by European Union Framework Programme 6, LSHB-CT-2006-037377, €9,980,000.

Estimation of food and nutrient intakes from expenditure on food survey purchase data in Scotland 2007-2009 (Part 2).
Wrieden W (Robert Gordon University), Barton K, Sherriff A and Armstrong J. Funded by Food Standards Agency, £164,435.

Zebrafish as a model for understanding the pathogenesis of retinitis pigmentosa.
Shu X. Funded by Royal Society, London, £15,000.

Proof of concept studies towards targeting Connexins as therapies for wound healing.
Martin PE. Funded by Zealand Pharma, £24,000.

Recently Completed Projects


Making transgenic zebrafish for characterization of retinitis pigmentosa-causing RPGR mutations.
Funded by the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, £1000, August 2011 - October 2011.

Functional characterisation of retinitis pigmentosa-causing RPGR mutations.
Funded by Nuffield Foundation, £1440, July - September 2011.

Integrated in vitro model systems for investigating the role of connexins in coordination of cell migration, proliferation and differentiation.
Martin PE. Funded by BBSRC, £76,000.


The role of myoendothelial gap junction communication in diabetic macrovascular dysfunction.
Martin PE and Graham A. Funded by Diabetes UK, £10,000.


Therapeutic benefits of gap junction inhibitors in chronic wound healing events.
Martin PE. Funded by Medical Research Scotland, £79,252.


Adipokine regulation of macrophage cholesterol efflux pathways: obesity and vascular disease in Type 2 diabetes.
Graham A. Funded by Diabetes UK, £123,787.

Retroviral vectors for gene therapy: assessing the risks of oncogenesis.
Scobie L. Funded by Department of Health, £450,276.