Professor Michael Taggart
Chair of Reproductive Sciences

  • Email: michael.taggart@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: +44 (0191) 222 6988
  • Fax: +44 (0) 191 222 5066
  • Address: Institute of Cellular Medicine
    3rd Floor, Leech Building
    Framlington Place
    Newcastle University
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    UK
    NE2 4HH

Qualifications

BSc Honours in Physiology (IIi), University of Glasgow.
PhD in Biochemistry, University of London.

Previous Positions

2006-2007: Reader in Reproductive & Cardiovascular Physiology,
University of Manchester.
2001-2006: Senior Lecturer, Cardiovascular Research and Maternal
& Fetal Health Research Centre, University of Manchester.
2001-2001: Lecturer, Cardiovascular Research and Maternal & Fetal
Health Research Centre, University of Manchester.
1999-2001: Lecturer, Department of Medicine, University of
Manchester.
1998-1999: Wellcome Trust Research Fellow, Department of Medicine,
University of Manchester.
1995-1998: Wellcome Trust Research Fellow, The Physiological
Laboratory, University of Liverpool.
1991-1995: Post-doctoral research associate, The Physiological
Laboratory, University of Liverpool.
1986-1990: Pre-doctoral research assistant, Department of Cardiac
Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial
College of Medicine, London.

1998-2006: Visiting Research Scientist, Boston Biomedical Research
Institute, Boston, MA, USA.

Memberships

Member of the following Research Groups/Societies:
EU Parturition Group (www.euparturition.eu)
The Physiological Society (www.physoc.org)
Reproductive Bioengineering Forum
The British Association for the Advancement of Science (www.the-
ba.net)

Research Interests

My research focuses on the role that Ca2+-dependent signal transduction pathways have in regulating smooth muscle function. Smooth muscle is the contractile tissue surrounding all hollow organs in the body and its regulation plays a vital role in determining many physiological outcomes. Smooth muscle dysfunction thus contributes to many present-day clinical disorders that have a major health impact on society including hypertension,arteriosclerosis and preterm labour.

A particular focus is given to the cellular mechanisms underlying the remodelling of human uterine and vascular smooth muscle during pregnancy. The role of intracellular Ca2+ in influencing transduction pathways that centre on excitation-contraction coupling, metabolic-contraction coupling or transcriptional-contraction coupling in human uterine smooth muscle is a feature of current research efforts. A multidisciplinary approach encompassing cell physiology, structural, genomic and proteomic techniques is employed. This we will seek to compliment in the medium-term with integrated physiology (systems biology) strategies including mathematical modelling of uterine smooth muscle and blood vessel function.

External Collaborators:

Dr Henggui Zhang, School of Physics, University of Manchester.
Dr Peter Mitchell, University of Alberta, Edmonbton, Canada.
Dr Clare Austin, Cardiovascular Research group, University of
Manchester.
Dr Rachel Tribe, Kings College London.
Dr Andrew Blanks, University of Warwick.

Postgraduate Supervision

6 students successfully supervised for postgraduate research degrees since 2001. Presently co-supervise 4 PhD students.

Research projects are available for individuals with self-arranged funding in the topic of:

'Oxytocin-mediated kinase function in human myometrium during pregnancy'.

The work will involve human cell isolation, quantitative PCR, Western blotting, siRNA and fluorescence microscopy of live and fixed cells.

Esteem Indicators

  • Invited speaker to >30 national & international conferences and research institutions.
  • Author of 6 invited reviews/commentaries.
  • Over 1,000 citations of peer-reviewed publications.
  • Grant reviewer for research applications to MRC, Wellcome Trust, BBSRC, Action Medical Research, BHF, Wellbeing, The Health Research Board of Eire, Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR, France).
  • Scientific Reviewer for papers submitted to Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American Journal of Physiology, BMC Physiology, British Journal of Pharmacology, Cardiovascular Research, Clinical Science, European Journal of Physiology, Experimental Physiology, Human Reproduction, Journal of Endocrinology, Journal of Cellular and Molecular Cardiology, Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Journal of Physiology, Molecular Human Reproduction, Placenta, Clinical Proteomics, Reproductive Sciences, Reproduction.
  • External Examiner for theses of postgraduate students from Imperial College London, Queen’s University Belfast (twice), University of Glasgow, University of Warwick, University of Aberdeen, University of Liverpool, King’s College London, Newcastle University Australia (twice), University of Galway Eire, Caledonian University, University College Dublin, Eire and University of Bristol.
  • Editorial Reviewer for Clinical Science 2001-2004. Editorial Board member of BMC Physiology. Editorial Board member of BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. Editorial Board Member Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (2003-2006).

Funding

Research has been funded by:

Medical Research Council
British Heart Foundation
The Wellcome Trust
Action Medical Research
Dr Hadwen Trust

Keywords

Smooth muscle, blood vessels, uterus, pregnancy, preterm labour.