Dr Alistair Corbett

Head of Department

Profile:

After finishing my PhD in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Glasgow, I took up a post-doctoral position with Professor Hans Kosterlitz in the Unit for Research on Addictive Drugs at Aberdeen University in 1978. Hans Kosterlitz was the doyen of opioid pharmacology and this was an exciting time to work in the field being only a few years after Kosterlitz and Hughes had isolated the enekephalins, first endogenous opioid peptides (“endorphins”). Although the position was initially only for one year, it heralded the start of a collaboration and friendship which lasted for nearly 17 years.
Working with this brilliant and dedicated man led to more than 30 joint publications and a lasting interest in opioids. While continuing collaboration with Hans Kosterlitz, I took up a Lecturing position in Pharmacology at Aberdeen University in 1989 before coming to Glasgow Caledonian University in 1995.

Research Interests:

Although my research has rather taken a “back seat” in recent years because of the many administrative and teaching commitments, I retain an active interest in the following areas:

• Peptidergic transmission in the peripheral nervous system
• Role of neuropeptides, particularly endogenous opioid peptides, in intestinal disorders

Teaching Interests:

• I am a Pharmacologist by training and I have taught many aspects of Pharmacology, Physiology, Pathophysiology and Pathology in various modules at all levels to undergraduate and postgraduate students. As a Pharmacologist I have a good understanding of many areas of this exciting science; my specialist areas would be neurotransmission and the gastrointestinal tract.
• Until taking up my present post I was the Programme Leader for the BSc/BSc (Hons) Human Biology with Sociology & Psychology.

Selected Publications:

I have more than 60 refereed research papers and book chapters including:

• BOVELL, D.L., LINDSAY, S.L., CORBETT, A.D., STEEL C. (2006) Immunolocalization of aquaporin-5 expression in sweat gland cells from normal and anhidrotic horses. Vet Dermatol. 17, 17-23.
• CORBETT, A.D., HENDERSON, G., MCKNIGHT, A.T. & PATERSON, S.J. (2006) 75 years of opioid research: the exciting but vain quest for the Holy Grail. Brit. J. Pharmacol. 147, S153-S162.
• MENZIES, J.R.W. & CORBETT, A.D. (2001) Differential alterations in tachykinin NK2 receptors in isolated colonic circular smooth muscle in inflammatory bowel disease and idiopathic chronic constipation. Regulatory Peptides, 99, 151-156.
• MENZIES, J.R.W. & CORBETT, A.D. (2000) Nociceptin inhibits tonic nitric oxide release in the mouse isolated proximal colon. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 388, 183-186.
• CORBETT, A.D & LEES, G.M. (1997) Depressant effects of hypoxia and hypoglycaemia on neuroeffector transmissionof guinea-pig intestine studied in vitro with a phramacological model. Br. J. Pharmacol. 120, 107-115.
• CORBETT, AD, KEENAN, RA & MURRAY, GI. (1995) Endogenous opioid peptide levels are altered in Crohn's Disease but not in Ulcerative Colitis. Analgesia, 1, 379-382.
• PERTWEE, R.G., STEVENSON, L.A., ELRICK, D.B., MECHOULAM, R. & CORBETT, A.D. (1992). Inhibitory effects of certain enantiomeric cannabinoids in the mouse vas deferens and the myenteric plexus preparation of guinea–pig small intestine. Br. J Pharmacol. 105, 980–984.
• CORBETT, A.D., McKNIGHT, A.T. & KOSTERLITZ, H.W. (1988). Tissue content of opioid peptides in the myenteric plexus–longitudinal muscle of guinea–pig small intestine. J. Neurochem., 51, 32–37.
• CORBETT, A.D. & KOSTERLITZ, H.W. (1986). Bremazocine is an agonist at k–opioid receptors and an antagonist at m–opioid receptors in the guinea–pig myenteric plexus. Br. J. Pharmacol., 89, 245–249
• CORBETT, A.D., PATERSON S.J., McKNIGHT, A.T. MAGNAN, J. & KOSTERLITZ, H.W. (1982). Dynorphin1–8 and dynorphin1–9 are ligands for the k–subtype of opiate receptor. Nature, Lond., 299, 79–81.

Research Alumni:

• Dr John Menzies (University of Edinburgh)
• Dr Ross Davidson
• Dr Michelle Bellingham (University of Glasgow)
• Dr Nicola Wilson
• Dr Gillian Gibson (Glasgow Caledonian University)
• Dr Shona McQuilken

External Links:

I am External Examiner on the BSc Veterinary Sciences Programme at the University of Glasgow and I have just finished a 4 year stint as External Examiner for Pharmacology at the University of Aberdeen.
In the last few years I have been External Examiner for PhD at the Universities of Bath, Bristol and Murcia.

I like to play golf, watch rugby (Whitecraigs RFC & Scotland), walk the dog and tackle some DIY jobs which are not too ambitious

Contact
a.d.corbett@gcu.ac.uk
0141 331 3231