Professor Annette Graham

Professor of Vascular Cell Biology

Departmental Research Coordinator HLS_graham

Deputy Radiation Protection Officer

E: Ann.Graham@gcu.ac.uk

T: +44 (0)141 331 3722

Research Interests:

The role of intracellular lipid transporters in health and disease:
Atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Member of the Diabetes Research Group

Teaching Interests:

Module lead: Cell Signalling and Trafficking
Honours project coordinator

Selected recent Publications:

Ianitti, T., Graham, A. and Dolan, S. (2012) Increased central and peripheral inflammation and inflammatory hyperalgesia in Zucker rat model of leptin receptor deficiency and genetic obesity. In press: doi.10.1113/expphysiol.2011.064220.
Elbadawy, H.M., Borthwick, F., Wright, C., Martin, P.E. and Graham, A. (2011) Cytosolic StAR-related lipid transfer domain 4 (STARD4) protein influences keratinocyte lipid phenotype and differentiation status. British Journal of Dermatology 164:628-632.
Borthwick, F., Allen, A.M., Taylor, J.M. and Graham, A. (2010) Over-expression of STARD3 in human monocyte-macrophages induces an anti-atherogenic lipid phenotype. Clinical Science 119: 265-272
Taylor, J.M.W., Borthwick, F., Bartholomew, C. and Graham, A. (2010) Over-expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) increases macrophage cholesterol efflux to apolipoprotein AI. Cardiovascular Res. 86: 526-534
Graham, A. (2009) Curcumin adds spice to the debate: lipid metabolism in liver disease. Br. J. Pharmacol. 157: 1354-57.
Borthwick, F., Taylor, J.M., Bartholomew, C. and Graham, A. (2009) Differential regulation of the STARD1 subfamily of START lipid trafficking proteins in human (THP-1) macrophages. FEBS Letters 583: 1147-53.
Robertson, S.A., Rae, C.J. and Graham, A. (2009) Induction of angiogenesis by murine resistin: putative role of PI3-kinase and NO dependent pathways. Regulatory Peptides 152:41-47
Robertson, S.A., Rae, C.J. and Graham, A. (2009) Resistin: TWEAKing angiogenesis. Atherosclerosis 203: 34-37.
Rae, C.J. and Graham, A. (2008) Fatty acid synthase inhibitor, C75, blocks resistin-induced increases in lipid accumulation by human macrophages. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism 10: 1271-1274
Riba, R., Hughes, C.E., Graham, A., Watson, S.P. and Naseem, K.M. (2008) Globular adiponectin induces platelet activation through the collagen receptor GPVI-Fc receptor gamma chain complex. J. Thromb. Haemostasis 6:1012-1020

Recent Funding:

Heart Research UK, Translational project grant ‘An exploration of the anti-atherogenic potential of compounds targeting mitochondrial cholesterol transporter protein (TSPO) and the cholesterol efflux pathway’ £90,000 (2012-2014) with Prof Michael Kassiou (University of Sydney), Dr Xinhua Shu (GCU) and Dr Patricia Martin (GCU).
Diabetes UK, small grant on ‘Diabetic dyslipidaemia: the role of intracellular lipid transport proteins’ £15,000 (2011-13) with Dr Sharron Dolan (GCU).
Alzheimer’s Research UK, pilot project grant ‘START intracellular cholesterol transport and beta amyloid production’ £29,996 (2011-2012).

Current research team:

Dr Janice Taylor
Ms Anne Marie Allen (1.0 postdoctoral researcher)
Mr Ugo Soffientini (PhD)
Miss Joana Borges Pinto (PhD)

Collaborations:

Professor Michael Kassiou, University of Sydney

Recent alumni:

Dr Faye Borthwick undertook her PhD in my group from 2005-2008. She currently holds a Canadian (CIBE) Fellowship, and is working with Dr Spencer Proctor, in the Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases Laboratory, Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids Group, Alberta Diabetes and Mazankowski Heart Institutes, Edmonton, Alberta.
Dr Hossein Elbadaway (2007-2010) worked on a PhD project funded by the British Skin Foundation, and is currently working as a research scientist at Fondazione Banca degli Occhi del Veneto, Zelarino, Venezia

PGCLTHE:

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
External PhD Examiner for the Universities of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Glasgow, Nottingham Trent, Warwick, Sydney