Work address: Department of Physiology, MBC, Queen's University of Belfast, 97
Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, N. Ireland.
Telephone: (+44 2890) 972082 (direct) (+44)7712188019 (mobile)
Fax: (+44 2890) 331838.
Email: n.scholfield@qub.ac.uk or cns@post.com
Degrees: B.Sc., Ph.D.
EDUCATION
Duncan Hall School, Scratby, Norfolk, England, 1956-1962. GCE 'O' level graded passes in English Language, English Literature, Maths, History, Geography, French, Technical drawing, General Science, Agricultural Science; awarded August, 1962, University of Cambridge Examination Board.
Norwich City College, Norwich, England, 1962-1964. Graded GCE 'A' level passes in Chemistry (B), Physics (D), Zoology (D) and Botany (E), August 1964, University of Cambridge Examination board.
University College London, England, 1965-1968. B.Sc Physiology awarded July 1968. The degree also involved special courses in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physics, Respiration and Circulation, Endocrinology, Salt and Water balance. Two vacation courses, one in Marine Physiology (Plymouth) and the other in Aviation Physiology (Farnborough) were taken.
St. Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, Dept of Pharmacology, London, UK. 1968-1972, Ph.D granted Feb. 1976, University of London, entitled "Depolarising drugs and ion movements in ganglia". The external examiners were D.H.Jenkinson, Department of Pharmacology, University College, London, and B.L.Ginsborg, Department of Pharmacology, University of Edinburgh.
1989-on Senior Lecturer, Queen's University.
1968-1972 Research Assistant, Dept of Pharmacology, St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, London, England.
1972-1974 Research Associate in the laboratory of Prof. J.A. Harvey, Dept of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA,
1974-1976 Research Associate in the Dept of Pharmacology, The School of Pharmacy, Brunswick Square, London, WCIN 1AX, England.
1976-1989 Lecturer in Physiology, The Queen's University of Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL. Tenure granted in 1978.
MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
Elected member of the British Pharmacological Society, 1978.
Elected member of the Physiological Society, 1979.
Member of the Brain Research Association and the European Neuroscience Societies.
The role of calcium channels in various neurophysiological processes have been under intense investigation. Their role is of crucial importance in controlling membrane polarisation in neurons and muscle cells. In neurons, the release of neurotransmitter is controlled by the activation of specific voltage dependent calcium channels. Beta-amyloid fragments have been shown to activate these channels, and numerous reports show that these processes are crucial in the development of neurodegeneration in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, very little is known about the factors that regulate the contractility of microvascular smooth muscle (MVSM) that control regional blood flow. Major diseases of the retina (particularly diabetic retinopathy) and the brain (including vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease) are associated with microvascular dysfunction. In these disease states, the demise of the MVSM cells precedes endothelial cell loss and the microvessel looses its vasoreactiveness and its integrity leading to microaneurism and microhaemorrhages.
The general aim is to show how in the physiology and intracellular signalling neurons and in MVSM cells changes in these pathologies and relate these to changes in microvessel contractility and changes in retinal and cerebral blood flow.
Recent grants
Wellcome Trust, 2004-2007 for "Initiation and intracellular coupling of Ca2+ signals in intact retinal arterioles" ref 0746748/Z/04/Z to Dr G.McGeown (Principal grant holder), T. Curtis & C.N Scholfield. £306,373 Objective: to show localised Ca2+ transients regulate cell functions in health and diabetes.
Fight for Sight: (2003-2006) £60,000, Ca2+ sparks and Ca2+ waves in retinal arteriolar smooth muscle cells and their disruption by diabetes, PhD studentship, 2003-2006, with TM Curtis (PI) & G.McGeown, Objective: To characterise sub-cellular calcium events in retinal arteriolar smooth muscle cells and their disruption in diabetes. This work relates to the underlying mechanisms responsible for retinal perfusion abnormalities in diabetic patients.
RNIB/Diabetes UK, 2002-2005, for “Effects of advanced glycation end-products on cytosolic Ca2+ signalling in cultured bovine retinal pericytes”. TM Curtis (PI) CN Scholfield, AW Stitt, TA Gardiner. £54,815. Objective: Role of AGEs in altering Ca2+ regulatory mechanisms in capillary pericytes and their relationship to haemodynamic changes observed in the retinae of diabetic patients.