The University of Sheffield
Department of Infection and Immunity

Dr Lisa Parker BSc MRes PhD

Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine
Department of Infection and Immunity
L Floor
The University of Sheffield Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX

Tel: +44 (0)114 271 3452
Fax: +44 (0)114 226 8898
Email: l.c.parker@sheffield.ac.uk
Secretary - Ms Pauline Whitaker
Tel: +44 (0)114 271 2027
Email: p.a.whitaker@sheffield.ac.uk

Biography

I joined the University of Manchester in 1993 and obtained a BSc (First Class Honours) degree (1996) and MRes (1997) within the Department of Neuroscience. I then completed an MRC funded PhD(2000), investigating `Interleukin-1 and its receptors in the brain´, under the supervision of Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell.

I moved to the University of Sheffield in 2001 where, maintaining my interest in inflammatory mechanisms in disease, I obtained a post-doctoral position (funded by the ARC) working with Professor Ian Sabroe in the Department of Infection and Immunity. My research interests now focussed on Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which show many common features with IL-1 receptors, and their role in inflammation in the lung. I remained in Sheffield taking up a second post-doctoral position (MRC-funded) to continue my research into airway inflammation.

I am currently a Lecturer in Inflammation Biology within the Department of Infection and Immunity (2010-present).

Research Interests

Airway inflammation in response to pathogens
Bacterial and viral pathogens are a major trigger of acute exacerbations in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Pathogens are detected by Toll-Like receptors (TLRs), a family of receptors that regulate cell activation, however the mechanisms through which pathogens initiate airway exacerbations remain inadequately defined. My current research aims to identify how leukocytes influence the ability of pathogens to infect and trigger proinflammatory responses in airway epithelial cells. A more complete understanding of the host innate immune responses and complex signalling pathways that are triggered in the course of chronic inflammation, and during single or multiple infections, will lead to the elucidation of novel therapeutic targets and approaches to manage airway inflammation.

Professional Activities

Current Projects

Key Publications

  1. Chaudhuri N, Paiva C, Donaldson K, Duffin R, Parker LC*, Sabroe I* (2010) Diesel exhaust particles override natural injury-limiting pathways in the lung. American Journal of Physiology – Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology [in press]. *Joint senior authors.
  2. Ward JR, Francis SE, West PW, Ariaans MP, Parker LC, Crossman DC, Sabroe I, Wilson HL (2010) Temporal IL-1β secretion from primary human peripheral blood monocytes by P2X7-independent and P2X7-dependent mechanisms. Journal of Biological Chemistry [in press].
  3. Parker LC, Prince LR, Buttle DJ, Sabroe I (2009) The generation of highly purified primary human neutrophils and assessment of apoptosis in response to Toll-like receptor agonists. Methods in Molecular Biology 517:191-204.
  4. Parker LC, Prestwich EC, Ward JR, Smythe E, Berry A, Triantafilou, M, Triantafilou K, Sabroe I (2008) A phosphatidylserine species inhibits a range of TLR, but not IL-1β, induced inflammatory responses by disruption of membrane microdomains. Journal of Immunology 181 (8): 5606-5617.
  5. West PW, Parker LC, Ward JR, Sabroe I (2008) Differential and cell-type specific regulation of responses to Toll-like receptor agonists by ISO-1. Immunology 125: 101-110.
  6. Sabroe I, Parker LC, Dower SK, Whyte MK (2008) The role of TLR activation in inflammation. Journal of Pathology 214 (2): 126-135.
  7. Sabroe I, Parker LC, Dower SK, Whyte MK (2007) Practical and conceptual models of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society 4 (8): 606-610.
  8. Sabroe I, Parker LC, Calverley PM, Dower SK, Whyte MK (2007) Pathological networking: a new approach to understanding COPD. Thorax 62 (8): 733-738.
  9. Parker LC, Prince LR, Sabroe I (2006) Networks regulated by Toll-like receptors mediate innate and adaptive immunity. Clinical and Experimental Immunology 147: 199-207.
  10. Sabroe I, Parker LC, Dockrell DH, Dower SK, Whyte MK. (2006) Pulmonary Perspective: targeting the networks that underpin contiguous immunity in asthma and COPD. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 175: 306-311.
  11. Morris GE, Parker LC, Ward JR, Jones EC, Whyte MKB, Brightling CE, Bradding P, Dower SK, Sabroe I (2006) Cooperative molecular and cellular networks regulate TLR-dependent inflammatory responses. FASEB Journal 20 (12) : E1539-E1549.
  12. Parker LC, Sabroe I (2006) TLRs. In: Immunity: mucosal immunology in health and disease. Eds: Hussell T, Lloyd C, Williams A.
  13. Parker LC, Jones EC, Whyte MK, Dower SK, Sabroe I (2005) Endotoxin tolerance induces selective alterations in neutrophil function. Journal of Leukocyte Biology 78: 1301-1305.
  14. Parker LC, Whyte MKB, Dower SK, Sabroe I (2005) The expression and roles of Toll-like receptors in the biology of the human neutrophil. Journal of Leukocyte Biology 77: 886-892.
  15. Parker LC, Whyte MKB, Vogel SN, Dower SK, Sabroe I (2004) Toll-like receptor (TLR)2 and TLR4 agonists regulate CCR expression in human monocytic cells. Journal of Immunology 172: 4977-4986.
  16. Sabroe I, Parker LC, Wilson AG, Whyte MKB, Dower SK (2002) Toll-like receptors: their role in allergy and non-allergic inflammation. Clinical and Experimental Allergy 32: 984-989.
  17. Pinteaux E, Parker LC, Rothwell NJ, Luheshi GN (2002) Expression of Interleukin-1 receptors and their role in Interleukin-1 actions in murine microglial cells. The Journal of Neurochemistry 83: 754-763.
  18. Parker LC, Luheshi GN, Rothwell NJ, Pinteaux E (2002) IL-1 signalling in glial cells in wildtype and IL-1RI deficient mice. British Journal of Pharmacology 136: 312-320.
  19. Touzani O, Boutin H, LeFeuvre R, Parker L, Miller A, Luheshi G, Rothwell N (2002) Interleukin-1 influences ischaemic brain damage in the mouse independently of the Interleukin-1 type I receptor. The Journal of Neuroscience 22: 38-43.
  20. Parker LC, Rushforth DA, Rothwell NJ, Luheshi GN (2000) IL-1 induced changes in hypothalamic IL-1R1 and IL-1R2 mRNA expression in the rat. Molecular Brain Research 79: 156-158.
  21. Allan SM, Parker LC, Collins B, Davies R, Luheshi GN, Rothwell NJ (2000) Cortical cell death induced by IL-1 is mediated via actions in the hypothalamus of the rat. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 97: 5580-5585.
  22. Allan SM, Grundy RI, Parker LC, Rothwell NJ (2000) Sites and mechanisms of IL-1 action in ischaemic and excitotoxic brain damage. In: Cerebrovascular Disease 2000. Ed: Chan PH. pp237-246.
  23. Allan SM, Parker LC, Grundy RI, Rothwell NJ (2000) Site-specific actions of interleukin-1 in neurodegeneration. In: Pharmacology of Cerebral Ischaemia 2000. Ed: Krieglstein J. pp425-431.