Dr Gillian Douglas

Biography

I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Leeds, being awarded a BSc in Pharmacology in 2001. In 2005 I was awarded a PhD in Physiology from Kings College London.

Research Interest

Large studies linking common variations to the occurrence of coronary artery disease have enabled us to identify several new genes that may have a causative influence on the susceptibility to developing coronary artery disease. However, for many of these genes the mechanism by which they alter cardiovascular disease pathology is unknown. We use primary knockout cells in In vitro models of vascular biology e.g. migration, proliferation and uptake assays to investigate the role of novel cardiovascular genes in vascular biology. We then use pathway-specific in vivo models such as murine models of vascular injury and models of atherosclerosis progression and regression to assess the role of the novel genes on cardiovascular disease. Understanding how these novel genes are linked with atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease will provide new information on the causes of coronary artery disease, and might identify new ways to prevent or treat coronary artery disease.