• Professor of Biochemical Parasitology (Infection Immunity and Inflammation Life Sciences)

telephone: 01413306904
email: Michael.Barrett@glasgow.ac.uk

Current research :

A focus on understanding how drugs work against parasites and how parasites become resistant to drugs. In the case of African trypanosomiasis, transport related phenomena have been central and a major research area has been associated with understanding drug resistance.  This has led to the discovery of new transporters involved in uptake of melaminophenylarsenical and diamidine drugs and eflornithine.  Prof Barrett chairs the Kinetoplastids Drug efficacy working group at the World Health Organisation.  Since many drugs work at the level of interference with metabolism he has also pioneered work into biochemistry of parasites, identifying several drug targets and also founded the Scottish Metabolomics facility which is now able to report on metabolomics data outputs in any system, and is now part of the Glasgow Polyomics Facility which is involved in collecting metabolomics, genomics and proteomics data and analysing the data within an active bioinformatics hub. Prof Barrett is also interested in developing new screens for drugs, including an in vivo imaging model to determine whether drugs act in stage 2 human African trypanosomiasis, and is Director of New Projects at the Consortium of Parasitic Drug Development.

Scientific Advisory board of "Developing World Health"

• Integrated Health - Polyomics and Systems Biomedicine (ISSF Bid)
  Wellcome Trust
  2011 - 2012
   
• Adapting cell phone technology for the diagnosis of malaria
  Gates Foundation
  2011 - 2012
   
• The silicon trypanosome (SilicoTryp)
  BBSRC
  2010 - 2013
   
• Antiparasitic pyrrolopyrimidines
  MRC
  2010 - 2013
   
• In vivo imaging models of African trypanosomiasis to support drug discovery programmes.
  Gates Foundation
  2010 - 2012
   
• Drug resistance in African trypanosomes
  MRC
  2008 - 2011
   
• Metabolomic systems biology analysis of differentiation in trypanosomes
  BBSRC
  2008 - 2011
   
• Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance (SULSA)- Systems Biology
  Scottish Funding Council
  2008 - 2015
   
• Assessment of the probability of developing resistance to novel trypanocides under consideration for late stage HAT
  The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  2006 - 2010
   
• Design & Synthesis of Potential Agents for the Treatment of African Trypanosomiasis
  Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative
  2006 - 2006
   
• Use of transporters to selectively deliver agents to trypanosomes
  MRC
  2006 - 2009
   
• Energy metabolism in trypanosomatic parasites - a target for new drugs
  British Council
  2006 - 2007
   
• Surveillance of drug resistance in trypanosomiasis
  World Health Organisation/TDR
  2005 - 2006
   
• The molecular basis of functional divergence between structurally similar monosaccharide transporters in Leishmania
  Wellcome Trust
  2005 - 2009
   
• Inhibitors of trypanosomal 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase - modes of action and drug delivery strategies
  Wellcome Trust
  2005 - 2008
   
• Combatting drug resistance in human African trypanosomiasis
  UBS-Optimus
  2004 - 2007
   
• Molecular genetics and biochemistry of parasites
  MRC
  2004 - 2009
   
• A diagnostic test for drug resistance in African trypanosomes
  Wellcome Trust
  2003 - 2005
   
• Development Novel Drug Candidates Treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis & Leish
  The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  2002 - 2006
   
• Molecular and Biochemical mechanisms of pentamidine resistance in Leishmanaia
  Wellcome Trust
  2002 - 2005
   

Editorial Board

• 1998 - ongoing: Letters in Applied Microbiology
• 1996 - ongoing: Journal of Applied Microbiology
• 1996 - ongoing: Biochemical Journal

Grant Advisory Board

• 2004 - ongoing: WHO - Chairman of the Treatment Failure Working Group of Human African Trypanosomiasis Network (HATNET)
• 2004 - ongoing: WHO - Expert Committee on Human African trypanosomiasis
• 2004 - ongoing: WHO - Chairman of the Drug Resistance working group of the Tripanosomiasis Network.
• 2004 - ongoing: WHO - Committee, Treatment and Drug Resistance Network for Sleeping Sickness
• 2001 - ongoing: WHO Scientific Working Group - African Trypanosomiasis, 2001; Drug Resistance in Trypanosomiasis, 2002 onwards
• 2000 - 2002: European Commission Framework V - Evaluator, Quality of Life

Invited International Presentations

• 2002: North Carolina, USA - Gates Consortium: New drugs for trypanosomiasis and Leishmaniasis. University of North Carolina

Professional Learned Society

• 2011 - ongoing: Developing World Health - Scientific Advisor