Professor Shireen Davies
- Professor of Integrative Cell Signalling (Molecular Biosciences)
telephone:
01413302317
email:
Shireen.Davies@glasgow.ac.uk
R325 Level 3, Institute of MC&SB, Davidson Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ
Biography
Shireen was born in Singapore and attended Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, Singapore and Westonbirt School, England. She gained a BSc (Hons), Biochemistry 1st Class from the University of Aberdeen and a PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Glasgow.
Personal Awards
- University of Glasgow Faculty of Medicine Scholarship and Overseas Student Research Award
- Overseas Student Research Award
- BBSRC David Phillips Fellowship
- BBSRC Flexible Interchange Award
- BBSRC Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellowship
- Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Post-doctoral career
- 1989-1990: Department of Biochemistry, University of Glasgow
- 1990-1993: Career break
- 1993-1996: Departments of Cell Biology and Genetics, University of Glasgow
- 1995: Journal of Cell Science Travel Fellow, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, USA
- 1996-2001: BBSRC David Phillips Fellow, Department of Genetics, University of Glasgow
- 2002-2005: Senior Lecturer, Division of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences,
University of Glasgow - 2005-2009: Reader, Integrative and Systems Biology, Integrated Biology Division, Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow
- 2009-current: Professor of Integrative Cell Signalling, University of Glasgow
- 2015: Visiting Professor, Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya
Research interests
I am interested in how organisms tolerate and survive environmental stress, and so use the model insect Drosophila melanogaster to understand this process from the molecular level to whole organisms and species. In particular, we seek to understand the key roles of peptide hormones (neuropeptides), which act on epithelial cells and tissues in stress survival. We utilise approaches including molecular and cellular biology, physiology, peptide analogues and the ‘omic' technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics). Using these approaches in Drosophila, we can address fundamental questions of mechanisms of stress tolerance in vivo, which can also be applied to biomedicine (e.g. metabolic, oxidative stress, renal development). We can also increase understanding of insect physiology, and are working on novel insecticide targets for Food Security (insect pests of agriculture, horticulture and forestry), and for Human and Animal Health (insect vectors of disease) by working on pest insect species and by developing novel assays/screens.
Our research is supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC); the European Union's Horizon 2020 funding programme - nEUROSTRESSPEP (Coordinator) and RenalTract; and by industry and other organisations.
Grants
Grants and Awards listed are those received whilst working with the University of Glasgow.
- Functional genomics of the insect epitheliome
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2021 - 2024
- When are two cells better than one? A comparative approach to insect renal function
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2021 - 2024
- High Growth Spin Out BioPesticides Discovery and Development Venture
Scottish Enterprise
2019 - 2020
- BBSRC-FAPESP Joint Funding of Research
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2019 - 2021
- Market assessment for Opportunities for Novel Models for Kidney Disease Drug Discovery & Nephrotoxicity Assessment
Medical Research Council
2018 - 2019
- SE Early Stage Delevopment - Diligence on Biopesticides Discovery (D3)
Scottish Enterprise
2018 - 2019
- Plasma Agriculture for pesticide reduction (STFC IPS)
Science and Technology Facilities Council
2018 - 2020
- Multi-omic approaches to understand the evolution of insecticide resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda and Euschistus heros: Towards effective Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM) in Brazilian agri-ecosystems.
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2018 - 2019
- Excellence with Impact - internal award
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2018 - 2019
- ISCF Agri-Food Technology Catalyst Seeding Catalyst Award
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2017 - 2018
- FlyMet.org - a tissue-based metabolomic online resource for the Drosophila and systems biology communities
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2017 - 2020
- Functional analysis of insect neuropeptide G protein-coupled receptors
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2017 - 2020
- SFC-GCRF: SCePTRe: Sustainable management of Crop PesTs in bRazil
Scottish Funding Council
2016 - 2017
- nEUROSTRESSPEP
European Commission
2015 - 2019
- RENALTRACT
European Commission
2015 - 2019
- New approaches for insect control for Food Security
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2014 - 2016
- Identifying new leads for a major medical problem, using a unique in vivo model for kidney stones - Sparking Impact Award
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2014 - 2014
- FlyAtlas2: a definitive, expanded NGS expression resource for the Drosophila community and beyond.
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2013 - 2018
- Functional Genomics of the enigmatic stellate cell.
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2013 - 2016
- Japan-Systems Approaches to Addressing Food Security: Novel methodology for pest control using key regulators of insect survival against infection
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2012 - 2015
- A new direction for insect control: transporters as novel targets for insecticidal compunds.
Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance
2012 - 2013
- Extraordinary pH - the mechanism of generation of pH 12 in living systems
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2012 - 2014
- Unravelling the function of the Nha gene family
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2010 - 2013
- Epithelial stress sensors: novel roles for cytochrome P450s and organellar calcium in integrated stress and immune responses.
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2009 - 2013
- Genetic, proteomic and functional analysis of junctional complexes in Drosophila
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2008 - 2011
- Cyclic nucleotide signalling in innate immunity
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2007 - 2010
- Spatiotemporal filtering in calcium control of mitochondrial function
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2006 - 2009
- Investigation of calcium signalling in sarcoplasmic riticulum of cardiac myocytes using a novel targeted reporter
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2005 - 2008
- Exploration of cyclic 3', 5' guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signalling dynamics in vivo
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2004 - 2008
- Confocal laser scanning microscope
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2003 - 2006
- Comparative integrative physiology of novel branches of the NA+/H+ exchanger family
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2003 - 2006
- Function of intracellular calcium pools in renal transport - unravelling complexities using targeted calcium reporters
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2003 - 2006
Teaching
• Deputy Coordinator, Masters in Food Security
• Level 4 Biochemistry Central Approaches in Biochemistry Option
Additional information
Grant Advisory Board
- 2019: The Research Council of Norway - grants panel
- 2019 - present: FWO (Research Foundation - Flanders) - Chair, Bio2 Fellowships Panel
- 2016 - 2017: FWO (Research Foundation - Flanders) - SB Fellowships Panel
- 2016 - present: BBSRC - Core Panel Member Committee E - Fellowships and personal awards
- 2015 - present: European Commission - MCSA ITN and IF schemes evaluator
- 2015 - 2018: FWO (Research Foundation - Flanders) - Core Panel Member - Bio2 Grants and Fellowships Panel
- 2010 - 2014: BBSRC - Core Panel Member Committee D - Molecules, Cells and Industrial Biotechnology
Invited International Presentations
- 2018: German Zoological International Conference, Griefswald
- 2017: Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA - Industry workshop - Sustainable management of crop pests in Brazil
- 2017: The Royal Society - Buckinghamshire ‘Evolution and functional biology of neuropeptide signalling: from genomes to behaviour’
- 2016: Rehovot, Israel - Weizmann Institute for Science Innovations in Crop Protection
- 2016: Leuven, Belgium - Conference of European Comparative Endocrinologists State of the Art Lecture
- 2015: Brussels, Belgium - European Commission Coordinators Day
- 2015: Sendai, Japan - Organiser, 2nd Young Researchers Conference, Tohoku University, BBSRC
- 2015: Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA - Industry
- 2015: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - University of Malaya
- 2015: Myanmar - Invertebrate Neuropeptide Conference
- 2014: Rennes, France - Conference of European Comparative Endocrinologists, State of the Art Lecture
- 2014: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - University of Malaya Department of Molecular Medicine
- 2014: Glasgow, Scotland, UK - Organiser, International conference, "The Epitheliome: potential new targets for insecticides?", BBSRC and Japan Science and Technology Agency
- 2013: Barcelona, Spain - State of the Art Lecture, Homeostasis Symposium, International Conference of Comparative Endocrinology
- 2013: Switzerland - Stress: challenging homeostasis, Journal of Experimental Biology
- 2013: Thailand - Invertebrate Neuropeptide Conference
- 2013: Oxford, England, UK - University of Oxford
- 2013: Switzerland - Organiser, International conference, 'Stress: challenging homeostasis', Company of Biologists and Journal of Experimental Biology
- 2013: Sendai, Japan - Organiser, Young Researchers’ Conference, Tohoku University, BBSRC
- 2012: Zurich, Switzerland - Conference of European Comparative Endocrinologists
- 2012: Sendai, Japan - Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University
- 2012: Glasgow, Scotland, UK - Festschrift, Professor Miles Houslay
- 2011: Glasgow, Scotland, UK - Scottish Vitae Young Researchers Network Conference, University of Glasgow
- 2011: East Malaysia - Invertebrate Neuropeptide Conference
- 2011: Glasgow, Scotland, UK - Society for Experimental Biology International Meeting
- 2011: Paisley, Scotland, UK - Scottish Funding Council Equality Conference
- 2010: London, England, UK - Leadership Conference, Imperial College
- 2010: Glasgow, Scotland, UK - Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow
- 2010: Pecs, Hungary - Conference of European Comparative Endocrinologists, State of the Art Lecture
- 2008: Deidesheim, Germany - BASF Symposium
- 2008: Marseille, France - Society for Experimental Biology International Meeting
- 2006: Maine, USA - Invited seminar speaker at Gordon Conference on Phosphodiesterases
- 2006: Cambridge, England, UK - Invited seminar and participant in Biochemical Society meeting on cAMP compartmentalization
- 2006: San Diego, California, USA - Invited seminar speaker at the American Society of Nephrology meeting
- 2005: Barcelona, Spain - Co-organiser of the Insect Physiology symposium, Society for Experimental Biology International Meeting
Prizes, Awards and Distinctions
- : BBSRC - Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellowship
- : Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
- : Overseas Student Research Award
- : University of Glasgow - Faculty of Medicine Scholarship
- : BBSRC - David Phillips Fellowship
- : BBSRC - Flexible Interchange Award