Vascular Research Group

Members 

Raheela Khan

Professor of Cellular Physiology, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

Contact

Teaching Summary

I am actively involved in several areas of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.

I am Module convenor for:

  • A12U2G (Urogenital) module of Graduate Entry Medicine.
  • A12REP (Reproduction) module of the BSc in Medical Physiology and Therapeutics which runs in Part I of the course.
  • A13LIP (Lipid signalling) as co-convenor

Research Summary

My current research is centred around reproductive physiology in the human. The main interest of my group is on signalling mechanisms that maintain gestational quiescence and the switch to labour. I… read more

Selected Publications

Current Research

My current research is centred around reproductive physiology in the human. The main interest of my group is on signalling mechanisms that maintain gestational quiescence and the switch to labour. I am interested in the role of inflammatory pathways in pregnancy. This research is currently funded by the Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council and Action Medical Research. In particular we are studying the role of eicosanoids in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia, the contribution of a purinergic receptor to the release of the cytokine interleukin-1beta in pregnancy as well as investigation of the inflammasome in coordinating inflammatory pathways coupled to cytokine release.

In recent years, we have begun exploring the role ion channels play in the aetiology of ovarian cancer. Our cancer studies have expanded to include oesophageal cancer with emphasis on oestrogen receptor expression and function in this malignancy.

Current grant funding:

2011-2013. The purinergic P2X7 receptor: regulation of uterine function in labour and preterm labour. RN Khan (PI), AJ Douglas, ST Woolley. Action Medical Research, project grant

2010-2012. Mechanisms underlying non-prostanoid eicosanoid modulation of vascular function in normal and pre-eclamptic pregnancies. RN Khan (PI), DA Barrett, F Broughton Pipkin. British Heart Foundation, project grant2009-2012. Proinflammatory mediators as modulators of decidual calcium channel expression and function. RN Khan (PI), N Chapman. The Wellcome Trust, project grant

Past Research

My past research has involved investigation of ipn cahnenls in thecontrol of pregnancy.

208-2011. Understanding how how NF-kappaB regulates expression and repression of the Galphas GTPbinding protein in the myometrium. N Chapman, D Anumba, N Europe-Finner. RN Khan (CoI). Medical Research Council, project grant (36 months)

2007-2009. The possible role of phospholipase C delta in the regulation of uterine contractility. J Lymn, RN Khan (CoI), SJ Hill. Action Medical Research, project grant (24 months)

2005-2008. Ion channel characterization in the human fetoplacental unit. RN Khan. British Heart Foundation, PhD studentship (36 months)

2004-2007. Mechanisms underlying the modulatory actions of cytochrome P450-derived eicosanoids in human myometrium. RN Khan (PI), DA Barrett. BBSRC, project grant (36 months)

Future Research

The intention for future research is to apply some of our experimental findings for translation to the antenatal clinic, either through idnetification and validation of potentially novel drug targets through which to manage pregnancies complicated by preterm birth either through tocolysis, early detection of preterm birth using novel biomarkers. We also aim to perform largescale genomic and metabolomic investigations designed to increase knowledge of causal factors in preterm birth.

Cardiovascular Medicine

D Floor, South Block
Queen's Medical Centre
Nottingham, NG7 2UH

telephone: +44 (0) 115 823 1024
email: linda.pycroft@nottingham.ac.uk