Newcastle University

Roles and Responsibilities

Co-ordinate
1. Technical support
2. Health and safety
3. Estates/Space management
in the Institute of Neuroscience.

Qualifications

BSc.(Hons), MPhil

Memberships

British Association for Psychopharmacology.
British Pharmacological Society

Honours and Awards

Abstract selected for oral presentation at BAP summer meeting 2002.
Medical faculty graduate school poster winner 2002.

Research Interests

Effect of glucocorticoids on the function of the 5-HT system.
A particular focus is the attenuation in somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptor function following chronic corticosterone exposure.

Expertise in Radioimmunoassay, HPLC, microdialysis, insitu hybridization, autoradiography, invitro electrophysiology.

Other Expertise

Laboratory management.
Health and Safety
Estates/Space management

Keywords

5-HT, serotonin, 5-HT1A, depression, affective disorders.

• Gallagher P, Leitch MM, Massey AE, McAllister-Williams RH, Young AH. Assessing cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in saliva: Effects of collection method. Journal of Psychopharmacology 2006, 20(5), 643-649.
• McQuade R, Leitch MM, Gartside SE, Young AH. Effect of chronic lithium treatment on glucocorticoid and 5-HT1A receptor messenger RNA in hippocampal and dorsal raphe nucleus regions of the rat brain. Journal of Psychopharmacology 2004, 18(4), 496-501.
• Gartside SE, Leitch MM, Young AH. Altered glucocorticoid rhythm attenuates the ability of a chronic SSRI to elevate forebrain 5-HT: Implications for the treatment of depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2003, 28(9), 1572-1578.
• Ingram CD, Gartside SE, Leitch MM, Fairchild GF. Chronic corticosterone attenuates 5-HT1A-mediated but not GABA-mediated inhibition of rat dorsal raphe neurones. In: European Neuropsychopharmacology: 16th Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003, Prague, Czech Republic: Elsevier BV.
• Fairchild GF, Leitch MM, Gartside SE, Ingram CD. Corticosterone administration selectively alters 5-HT1A receptor function in the rat dorsal raphe nucleus. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2003, Cambridge, UK: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Gartside SE, Johnson DA, Leitch MM, Troakes C, Ingram CD. Early life adversity programs changes in central 5-HT neuronal function in adulthood. European Journal of Neuroscience 2003, 17(11), 2401-2408.
• Leitch MM, Ingram CD, Young AH, McQuade R, Gartside SE. Flattening the corticosterone rhythm attenuates 5-HT_1A autoreceptor function in the rat: relevance for depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2003, 28(1), 119-125.
• Gartside SE, Leitch MM, McQuade R, Swarbrick DJ. Flattening the glucocorticoid rhythm causes changes in hippocampal expression of messenger RNAs coding structural and functional proteins: implications for aging and depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2003, 28(5), 821-829.
• Gartside SE, Leitch MM, Young AH. Interactions between SSRI and flattened glucocorticoid rhythm with respect to 5-HT function: Implications for antidepressant efficacy. In: European Neuropsychopharmacology: 16th Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003, Prague, Czech Republic: Elsevier BV.
• Troakes C, Gartside SE, Leitch MM, Ingram CD. The effects of early life adversity on 5-HT1A receptor binding in the rat brain. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2003, Cambridge, UK: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Leitch MM, McQuade R, Gartside SE, Young AH. Corticosterone rhythm regulates 5-HT1A autoreceptor function and glucocorticoid receptor mRNA in the rat dorsal raphe nucleus. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2002, Harrogate: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Leitch MM, McQuade R, Gartside SE, Young AH. Corticosterone, rhythm regulates 5-HT1A autoreceptor function and glucocorticoid receptor mRNA in the rat dorsal raphe nucleus. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2002, Harrogate: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Gartside SE, Leitch MM, Johnson DA, Ingram CD. Early life adversity and 5-HT neuronal function in adulthood. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2002, Harrogate: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Fairchild G, Leitch MM, Ingram CD. G protein-linked inwardly rectifying K+ channel (GIRK) mRNA expression in the rat dorsal raphe nucleus: Distribution and effect of chronic corticosterone. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2002, Harrogate: Sage Publications Ltd.