Staff Profile:Dr Ben Whalley

Name:

Dr Ben Whalley

Job Title:

Lecturer in Pharmacology

Responsibilities:

• SCFP Ethics Committee (Chair)

• Module convenor PM3TH3 and PM2TH1

• Reading Independent Ethics Committee Member (Pharmacist Member)

• Joint Faculty Staff Student Committee (Pharmacy Staff Representative)

• BioPharma Internship Programme Mentor

• Academic Pharmacists Group (Reading School of Pharmacy Representative)

• Reading Systems Biology Network Committee (Pharmacy Member)

Areas of Interest:

Dr B. J. Whalley is a Lecturer in Pharmacology and has been a lecturer at the School of Pharmacy, University of Reading since 2005. His research interests lie in investigating neuronal processes that underlie complex physiological functions such as neuronal hyperexcitability states and their consequential disorders (e.g. epilepsy, ataxia and dystonias) and learning and memory. A significant component of this research has been the development of experimental platforms that combine biological (neuronal cell culture) and machine (robotic) systems to produce 'animats' as tools for investigating the cellular correlates of complex CNS functions.

He also conducts extensive work with in vitro models of epileptiform activity using sharp microelectrode, patch clamp and multi-electrode array electrophysiological methods and in vivo rodent models of seizure. This work examines cellular mechanisms underlying the effects of anticonvulsants in clinical use or currently in clinical trials (UCB Pharmaceuticals), the identification of anticonvulsant cannabinoids (GW Pharmaceuticals, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals and University of Reading Endowment Trust Fund), cannabinoid effects upon appetite and feeding behaviours (Reading Endowment Trust Fund), anti-ataxic actions of phytocannabinoids (Ataxia UK) and the development of novel electrophysiological screening methods for candidate PET ligands (GE Healthcare).

Dr Whalley has also been successful in obtaining grant funding from both the University of Reading and the Royal Society to build and maintain a computational cluster for the analysis of the large datasets generated by multi-electrode electrophysiological research. His group currently comprises 8 PhD students, two PDRAs and 3 research technicians. In addition to his work being featured in New Scientist, national newspapers and an exhibition at the Science Museum (London), he has also appeared in, and advised on, a number of scientific television programmes that have been broadcast.

Research groups / Centres:

Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience Research Group (Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics)

Publications:

Peer reviewed journal publications:

1. Jones NA, Hill AJ, Smith I, Bevan S, Williams CM, Whalley BJ & Stephens GJ (2009; Accepted for publication) Cannabidiol displays anti-epileptiform and anti-seizure properties in vitro and in vivo. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
2. Hill AJ, Jones NA, Williams CM, Stephens GJ & Whalley BJ (2009, Accepted, Epub ahead of print available via PubMed) Development of multi-electrode array screening for anticonvulsants in acute rat brain slices. Journal of Neuroscience Methods
3. Hill AJ, Farrimond J, Jones NA, Stephens GJ, Whalley BJ & Williams CM (2009) A cost effective high throughput digital system for observation and acquisition of animal behavioural data. Behavior Research Methods 41(2): 446-451.
4. Whalley BJ, Stephens GJ & Constanti A (2009) Investigation of the effects of a novel anticonvulsant compound RWJ-333369 (carisbamate) on rat olfactory cortical neurones in vitro. British Journal of Pharmacology 156: 994-1008.
5. Dennis I, Whalley BJ & Stephens GJ (2008) Effects of cannabinoids on [³⁵S]GTP?S binding in mouse brain cerebellum and piriform cortex membranes. British Journal of Pharmacology. 154(6): 1349-58.
6. Ma Y-L, Weston S, Whalley BJ & Stephens GJ (2008) The phytocannabinoid D⁹-tetrahydrocannabivarin modulates inhibitory neurotransmission in the cerebellum. British Journal of Pharmacology 154(1): 204-15
7. Patel N, Weston S, Constanti A, Halliwell J & Whalley BJ (2007) Cholinergic modulation of intrinsic fibre-evoked excitatory transmission contains a nicotinic component in immature but not adult rat piriform cortex, in vitro. Neuroscience Letters 425(1): 43-48.
8. Whalley BJ & Constanti A (2006) Developmental changes in presynaptic muscarinic modulation of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission in rat piriform cortex in vitro: relevance to epileptiform bursting susceptibility. Neuroscience 140, 939-956.
9. Whalley BJ, Postlethwaite M & Constanti A (2005) Further characterization of muscarinic agonist-induced epileptiform bursting activity in immature rat piriform cortex, in vitro. Neuroscience 134(2), 549-66.
10. Whalley BJ, Wilkinson JD, Williamson EM, & Constanti A (2004). A novel component of cannabis extract potentiates excitatory synaptic transmission in rat olfactory cortex in vitro. Neuroscience Letters 365(1): 58-63. 
11. Wilkinson JD, Whalley BJ, Baker D, Pryce G, Constanti A, Gibbons S & Williamson EM (2003). Medicinal Cannabis: is D9-tetrahydrocannabinol necessary for all its effects? J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 55: 1687-1694.
12. Malas S, Postlethwaite M, Ekonomu A, Whalley BJ, Nishiguchi S, Wood H, Meldrum B, Constanti A & Episkopou V (2003). SOX-1 deficient mice suffer from epilepsy associated with abnormal ventral forebrain development and olfactory cortex hyperexcitability. Neuroscience 119: 421-432.

Other peer reviewed publications:

1. Warwick, K, Nasuto, SJ, Becerra, VM & Whalley BJ (Accepted for publication in 2010) Experiments with an in vitro robot brain" Lecture Notes In Artificial Intelligence (Editor: Y. Cai) Springer.
2. Preece DG & Whalley BJ (2009) Proportions of cannabis constituents: links to epileptic seizure susceptibility. Drug Information Journal 43(2): 228.
3. Hammond MW, Marshall S, Downes JH, Xydas D, Nasuto SJ, Becerra VM, Warwick K, Whalley BJ (2008) Robust Methodology For The Study Of Cultured Neuronal Networks on MEAs. Proceedings MEA Meeting 2008 BIOPRO edition Stuttgart: BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH 5: 293-295.
4. Downes JH, Hammond MW, Xydas D, Whalley BJ, Becerra VM, Warwick K & Nasuto SJ (2008) Real-time and Batch Control of MEA Channel Selection and Stimulation Proceedings MEA Meeting 2008 BIOPRO edition Stuttgart: BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH 5: 157-158.

Edited books

1. Fletcher K, Howard R, Weston S & Whalley BJ A Foundation in Pharmacy Practice, Pharmaceutical Press (London) ISBN 978-0-853-69747-3

Book chapters:

1. Xydas D, Norcott DJ, Warwick K, Whalley BJ, Nasuto SJ, Becerra VM, Hammond MW, Downes J & Marshall S Architecture for Neuronal Cell Control of a Mobile Robot pp23-31 in Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics (EUROS2008) Pub: Springer Berlin / Heidelberg ISBN 978-3-540-78315-2.
2. Weston S, Wilkinson J, Whalley BJ & Williamson EM New findings on medicinal cannabis (Ch. 3) in Recent developments in plant research Ed. Anna Capasso. Pub: Research Signpost, India. ISBN 978-8-130-8016-0
3. Xydas D, Warwick K, Whalley BJ, Nasuto SJ, Becerra VM, Hammond MW & Downes J Neuroscope (Ch. 3) in Material Beliefs Ed. J. Beaver & T. Kerridge Pub: Goldsmiths, University of London, UK ISBN 978-1-904158-95-0