Madeleine King

Contact

• workRoom E2e University of Nottingham Medical School
  Queen's Medical Centre
  Nottingham
  NG7 2UH
  UK
• work0115 82 30402
• madeleine.king@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

I graduated from the University of Bath in 2002 with a MSci in Pharmacology, which included an industrial placement in the Behavioural Neuroscience department of the Merck Sharp & Dohme Neuroscience Research Centre. I moved to Nottingham to complete a Roche-funded PhD on the role of 5-HT₆ receptors in memory and attention, followed by post-doctoral research on a multicentre EU FP6-funded project, developing novel models for glutamatergic CNS disorders using short hairpin RNA approaches. I was appointed as Senior Research Fellow in 2010 and promoted to Assistant Professor in 2023.

I received a 2019 British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP) award for research excellence in non-clinical psychopharmacology, and from 2019-2023 I was member of the British Journal of Pharmacology Editorial Board . I am BAP Secretary for Non-Clinical External Affairs until summer 2025.

Expertise Summary

I have expertise in a broad range of behavioural techniques (using the latest software for computerised tracking, visual touchscreen tasks and recording of ultrasonic vocalisations), complimentary molecular approaches and access to state of the art magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).

Teaching Summary

I teach on year 2-4 of the Neuroscience degree, on topics related to my research. I am also a personal tutor and I supervise final year research projects.

I have achieved Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in recognition of my commitment to professionalism in learning and teaching in higher education.

Research Summary

My research uses neurodevelopmental models to understand how stress and adversity impact on brain function and contribute to cognitive and social dysfunction. The same models are extremely useful for… read more

Selected Publications

• GOH J-Y, O'SULLIVAN SE, SHORTALL SE, ZORDAN N, PICCININI AM, POTTER HG, FONE KCF and KING MV, 2020. Gestational poly(I:C) attenuates, not exacerbates, the behavioral, cytokine and mTOR changes caused by isolation rearing in a rat ‘dual-hit’ model for neurodevelopmental disorders Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 89, 100-117
• SHORTALL SE, BROWN AM, NEWTON-MANN E, DAWE-LANE E, EVANS C, FOWLER M and KING MV, 2020. Calbindin deficits may underlie dissociable effects of 5-HT6 and mGlu7 antagonists on glutamate and cognition in a dual-hit neurodevelopmental model for schizophrenia Molecular Neurobiology. (In Press.)
• KOHLI S, KING MV, WILLIAMS S, EDWARDS A, BALLARD TM, STEWARD LJ, ALBERATI D and FONE KCF, 2019. Oxytocin attenuates phencyclidine hyperactivity and increases social interaction and nucleus accumbens dopamine release in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology. 44(2), 295-305
• SHORTALL SE, NEGM OH, FOWLER M, FAIRCLOUGH LC, TIGHE PJ, WIGMORE PM and KING MV, 2018. Characterization of behavioral, signaling and cytokine alterations in a rat neurodevelopmental model for schizophrenia, and their reversal by the 5-HT6 receptor antagonist SB-399885 Molecular Neurobiology. 55(9), 7413-7430

• View all publications

Current Research

My research uses neurodevelopmental models to understand how stress and adversity impact on brain function and contribute to cognitive and social dysfunction. The same models are extremely useful for evaluating novel treatments for conditions like schizophrenia, autism and depression. Our group has a track record of successful collaboration on EU and industry-funded projects evaluating novel therapeutics. Current group members are working on a variety of exciting projects, investigating changes to inflammatory biomarkers in patients with schizophrenia, strategies for optimizing nasal delivery of potential therapeutics, and the impact of stress and inflammation on the gut microbiome-brain axis.

I am always keen to establish new links with academic and industrial researchers - if you are interested please contact me via email.

Future Research

I will be welcoming several new postgraduate students throughout the 2025-26 academic year. Their projects involve:

1. Developing in vitro models for stress-related mental illnesses
2. Assessing changes to the gut microbiota in models for stress-related mental illnesses
3. Investigating biased signalling at the 5-HT₆ receptor
4. Examining nanoparticle approaches to enhance nose-brain delivery of therapeutic peptides
5. Developing bespoke nanocarriers for controlled encapsulation and release of therapeutic peptides

There may be an additional opportunity for an MRes or self-funded PhD project on 'Validating behavioural tests for social learning/empathy'. Information about applying can be found here.

• SHORTALL SE, BROWN AM, NEWTON-MANN E, DAWE-LANE E, EVANS C, FOWLER M and KING MV, 2020. Calbindin deficits may underlie dissociable effects of 5-HT6 and mGlu7 antagonists on glutamate and cognition in a dual-hit neurodevelopmental model for schizophrenia Molecular Neurobiology. (In Press.)
• GOH J-Y, O'SULLIVAN SE, SHORTALL SE, ZORDAN N, PICCININI AM, POTTER HG, FONE KCF and KING MV, 2020. Gestational poly(I:C) attenuates, not exacerbates, the behavioral, cytokine and mTOR changes caused by isolation rearing in a rat ‘dual-hit’ model for neurodevelopmental disorders Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 89, 100-117
• KOHLI S, KING MV, WILLIAMS S, EDWARDS A, BALLARD TM, STEWARD LJ, ALBERATI D and FONE KCF, 2019. Oxytocin attenuates phencyclidine hyperactivity and increases social interaction and nucleus accumbens dopamine release in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology. 44(2), 295-305
• DUNPHY DOHERTY F, O’MAHONY SM, PETERSON VL, O’SULLIVAN O, CRISPIE F, COTTER PD, WIGMORE P, KING MV, CRYAN JF and FONE KCF, 2018. Post-Weaning Social Isolation of Rats Leads to Long-term Disruption of the Gut Microbiota-Immune-Brain Axis Brain, Behavior and Immunity. 68, 261-273
• SHORTALL SE, NEGM OH, FOWLER M, FAIRCLOUGH LC, TIGHE PJ, WIGMORE PM and KING MV, 2018. Characterization of behavioral, signaling and cytokine alterations in a rat neurodevelopmental model for schizophrenia, and their reversal by the 5-HT6 receptor antagonist SB-399885 Molecular Neurobiology. 55(9), 7413-7430
• SHORTALL SE, GREEN AR, FONE KC and KING MV, 2016. Caffeine alters the behavioural and body temperature responses to mephedrone without causing long-term neurotoxicity in rats. Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England). 30(7), 698-706
• WATSON DJ, KING MV, GYERTYÁN I, KISS B, ADHAM N and FONE KC, 2016. The dopamine D₃-preferring D₂/D₃ dopamine receptor partial agonist, cariprazine, reverses behavioural changes in a rat neurodevelopmental model for schizophrenia. European Neuropsychopharmacology. 26(2), 208-24
• SHORTALL SE, SPICER CH, EBLING FJ, GREEN AR, FONE KC and KING MV, 2016. Contribution of serotonin and dopamine to changes in core body temperature and locomotor activity in rats following repeated administration of mephedrone. Addiction Biology. 21(6), 1127-1139
• KING, M.V., KURIAN, N., QIN, S., PAPADOPOULOU, N., WESTERINK, B.H.C., CREMERS, T.I., EPPING-JORDAN, M.P., LE POUL, E., RAY, D.E., FONE, K.C.F., KENDALL, D.A., MARSDEN, C.A. and SHARP, T.V., 2014. Lentiviral delivery of a vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1)-targeting short hairpin RNA vector into the mouse hippocampus impairs cognition Neuropsychopharmacology. 39(2), 464-476
• GREEN AR, KING MV, SHORTALL SE and FONE KCF, 2014. The preclinical pharmacology of mephedrone; not just MDMA by another name. British Journal of Pharmacology. 171(9), 2251-2268
• JONES S, FILECCIA EL, MURPHY M, FOWLER MJ, KING MV, SHORTALL SE, WIGMORE PM, GREEN AR, FONE KCF and EBLING FJP, 2014. Cathinone increases body temperature, enhances locomotor activity, and induces striatal c-fos expression in the Siberian hamster. Neuroscience letters. 559, 34-8
• WRIGHT TM, KING MV, DAVEY WG, LANGLEY-EVANS SC and VOIGT JW, 2014. Impact of cafeteria feeding during lactation in the rat on novel object discrimination in the offspring. The British journal of nutrition. 112, 1933-7
• SHORTALL, S.E., GREEN, A.R., SWIFT, K.M., FONE, K.C.F. and KING, M.V., 2013. Differential effects of cathinone compounds and MDMA on body temperature in the rat, and pharmacological characterisation of mephedrone-induced hypothermia British Journal of Pharmacology. 168(4), 966-977
• SHORTALL, S.E., MACEROLA, A.E., SWABY, R.T.R., JAYSON, R., KORSAH, C., PILLIDGE, K.E., WIGMORE, P.M., EBLING, F.J.P., GREEN, A.R., FONE, K.C.F. and KING, M.V., 2013. Behavioural and neurochemical comparison of chronic intermittent cathinone, mephedrone and MDMA administration to the rat European Neuropsychopharmacology. 23(9), 1085-1095
• GREEN AR, KING MV, SHORTALL SE and FONE KCF, 2012. Lost in translation: preclinical studies on 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine provide information on mechanisms of action, but do not allow accurate prediction of adverse events in humans. British Journal of Pharmacology. 166(5), 1523-36
• GREEN, A. R., KING, M. V., SHORTALL, S. E. and FONE, K. C. F., 2012. Ecstasy cannot be assumed to be 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDMA) British Journal Of Pharmacology. 166(5), 1521-1522
• MARSDEN, C.A., KING, M.V. and FONE, K.C.F., 2011. Influence of social isolation in the rat on serotonergic function and memory - Relevance to models of schizophrenia and the role of 5-HT₆ receptors Neuropharmacology. 61(3), 400-407
• KING, M.V., SPICER, C.H., SLEIGHT, A.J., MARSDEN, C.A. and FONE, K.C.F., 2009. Impact of regional 5-HT depletion on the cognitive enhancing effects of a typical 5-HT₆ receptor antagonist, Ro 04-6790, in the Novel Object Discrimination task Psychopharmacology. 202(1-3), 111-123
• KING MV, SEEMAN P, MARSDEN CA and FONE KC, 2009. Increased dopamine D2High receptors in rats reared in social isolation. Synapse (New York, N.Y.). 63(6), 476-83
• KING M.V, MARSDEN C.A and FONE K.C., 2008. A role for the 5-HT1A, 5-HT4 and 5-HT6 receptors in learning and memory Trends Pharmacol Sci. 29(9), 482-492
• KING M.V, SLEIGHT A.J, WOOLLEY M.L, TOPHAM I.A, MARSDEN C.A and FONE K.C., 2004. 5-HT6 receptor antagonists reverse delay-dependent deficits in novel object discrimination by enhancing consolidation - an effect sensitive to NMDA receptor antagonism Neuropharmacology. 47(2), 195-204