Professor Susanna Hourani

Research Interests

My research is in the field of adenosine and adenine nucleotides: their receptors, their effects and their physiological and pathological roles. They are important in platelet function, the control of the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems and in the brain. My research has been funded by The Wellcome Trust, The British Heart Foundation and and GlaxoSmithKline.

Selected recent publications:

Ribe, D., Sawbridge, D., Thakur, S, Hussey, M.J., Ledent, C., Kitchen, I., Hourani, S.M.O. & Li, J.-M. (2008) Adenosine A_2A receptor signalling regulation of cardiac NADPH oxidase activity.  Free Rad. Biol. Med., 44, 1433-1442.

Castañé, A., Wells, L., Soria, G., Hourani, S. , Ledent, C.,  Kitchen, I., Opacka-Juffry, J., Maldonado, R. and Valverde, O. (2008) Behavioural and biochemical responses to morphine related to its motivational properties are altered in adenosine A2A receptor knockout mice.  Br J Pharmacol, 155, 757-766.

Hussey, M.J., Clarke, G.D., Ledent, C., Hourani, S.M.O. & Kitchen, I.  (2007) Reduced response to the formalin test and lowered spinal NMDA glutamate receptor binding in adenosine A_2A receptor knockout mice.  Pain, 129, 297-294.

Godfrey, L., Bailey, I., Toms, N.J., Clarke, G.D., Kitchen, I. and Hourani, S.M.O. (2007) Paracetamol inhibits nitric oxide synthesis in murine spinal cord slices.  Eur. J. Pharmacol., 562, 68-71.

Ferre, S., Diamond, I., Goldberg, S.R., Yao, L., Hourani, S.M.O., Huang, Z.L., Urade, Y. and Kitchen, I. (2007) Adenosine A_2A receptors in ventral striatum, hypothalamus and nociceptive circuitry: Implications for drug addiction, sleep and pain.  Prog Neurobiol., 83, 332-347.

Godfrey, L., Yan^, L., Clarke,G.D., Ledent, C., Kitchen, I. & Hourani, S.M.O. (2006).  Modulation of paracetamol antinociception by caffeine and by selective adenosine A₂ receptor antagonists in mice.  Eur. J. Pharmacol., 531, 80-86.

Godfrey, L., Morselli, A., Bennion, P., Clarke, G.D., Hourani, S.M.O. & Kitchen, I.  (2005).  An investigation of binding sites for paracetamol in the mouse brain and spinal cord.  Eur. J. Pharmacol., 508, 99-106.

Lamb, D.J., Tickner, M.L., Hourani, S.M.O. & Ferns, G.A.A.  (2005).  Dietary copper supplements modulate superoxide dismutase, nitric oxide and atherosclerosis.  Int. J. Exp. Path., 86, 247-255.

Teaching

I teach pharmacology to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, focussing mainly on the effects of drugs outside the central nervous system.

Departmental Duties

Head of Division of Biochemical Sciences

Chair, Level 2 Biosciences Exam Board

Chair, MSc Toxicology Board of Studies

Chair, MSc Toxicology Exam Board

Affiliations

Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society

Member of the Biochemical Society