Alister McNeish

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+44 (0) 118 378 8256
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Associate Professor
Areas of interest
I have a passion for studying, and being part of the fight to eradicate cardiovascular disease which is the leading cause of mortality in the UK.
While treatments are constantly improving, with our ageing population and poor lifestyles the incidence of cardiovascular disease is increasing. There is a pressing need for new and better treatments for these diseases alongside preventative strategies.
My main research focus is on vascular pharmacology. In particular how the endothelial cells, which line inside of blood vessels, communicate and modulate the degree of constriction of the smooth muscle cells that form the wall of blood vessels. Understanding these processes helps us develop new strategies for regulating blood flow and blood pressure; perhaps leading to new treatments for cardiovascular diseases.
My current work focuses on using pharmacology to understand the effects of compounds derived from natural products on our cardiovascular system. For example to work out the biological mechanisms involved in the vascular responses to omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils). My recent research suggests these compounds have drug like effects on a type of protein found in the membrane of vascular cells; potassium channels. I have also recently studied the effect of the cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) in epilepsy and am currently investigating some of the cardiovascular effects of this and other cannabinoids in the vasculature.
Teaching
I currently teach on the Pharmacology BSc, Masters Physician Associate and MPharm programmes, focussing on pharmacology and cardiovascular therapeutics.Research centres and groups
My research forms part of the University of Reading's Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research (ICMR). I also have close links to researchers in the Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics (CINN). I have active collaborations with research groups both nationally (Queen Mary’s and St Georges University of London) and internationally (Linköping university, Sweden).Research projects
I currently have two projects funded by the British Heart Foundation, investigating the mechanism underlying vascular effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on different types of potassium channels. Past projects have been funded by the Royal Society, Innovate UK and GW Pharmaceuticals.Professional bodies/affiliations
- Member of the ICMR
- Member of the Molecular Neuroscience Research Group
- Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society
- Member of the Physiological Society, the British Microcirculation Society, and British Society for Cardiovascular Research
- Member of editorial board of of the British Journal of Pharmacology (2011-2018) and Frontiers in Vascular Physiology.
Websites/blogs
- My Linkedin profile
- My Twitter profile
Publications
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Bercea, C.
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Cottrell, G.
ORCID: 0000-0001-9098-7627 , Tamagnini, F.
ORCID: 0000-0002-8741-5094 , McNeish, A. (2021) Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) and hypertension: a review of vasodilatory mechanisms of DHA and EPA. British Journal of Pharmacology , 178 (4). pp. 860-877. ISSN: 0007-1188 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.15336
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Patra, P.
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Serafeimidou-Pouliou, E.
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Bazelot, M.
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Whalley, B.
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Williams, C.
ORCID: 0000-0003-4452-671X , McNeish, A. (2020) Cannabidiol (CBD) improves survival and behavioural comorbidities of Dravet syndrome in mice. British Journal of Pharmacology , 177 (12). pp. 2779-2792. ISSN: 0007-1188 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.15003
- Perry, C. , Finch, P. , Muller-Taubenberger, A. , Leung, K. , Warren, E. , Damstra-Oddy, J. , Sharma, D. , Patra, P. , Glyn, S. , Boberska, J. , Stewart, B. , Baldwin, A. , Piscitelli, F. , Harvey, R. , Harwood, A. , Thompson, C. , Claus, S. , Greene, N. , McNeish, A. , Williams, C. , Whalley, B. , Williams, R. (2020) A new mechanism for Cannabidiol in regulating the one-carbon cycle and methionine levels in Dictyostelium and in mammalian epilepsy models. British Journal of Pharmacology , 177 (4). pp. 912-928. ISSN: 0007-1188 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.14892
- Patra, P. , Barker-Haliski, M. , White, H. , Whalley, B. , Glyn, S. , Sandhu, H. , Jones, N. , Bazelot, M. , Williams, C. , McNeish, A. (2019) Cannabidiol reduces seizures and associated behavioral comorbidities in a range of animal seizure and epilepsy models. Epilepsia , 60 (2). ISSN: 0013-9580 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/epi.14629
- Barrese, V. , Stott, J. , Figueiredo, H. , Aubdool, A. , Hobbs, A. , Jepps, T. , McNeish, A. , Greenwood, I. (2018) Angiotensin II promotes KV7.4 channels degradation through reduced interaction with HSP90 (heat shock protein 90). Hypertension , 71 (6). pp. 1091-1100. ISSN: 1524-4563 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.11116
- Limbu, R. , Cottrell, G. , McNeish, A. (2018) Characterisation of the vasodilation effects of DHA and EPA, n-3 PUFAs (fish oils), in rat aorta and mesenteric resistance arteries. PLoS ONE , 13 (2). ISSN: 1932-6203 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192484
- Roux, B. , Bauer, C. , McNeish, A. , Ward, S. , Cottrell, G. (2017) The role of ubiquitination and hepatocyte growth factor-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate in the degradation of the adrenomedullin type I receptor. Scientific Reports , 7 (1). pp. 12389. ISSN: 2045-2322 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-12585-z
- Barrese, V. , Cidad, P. , Yueng, S. , Lopez-Lopez, J. , McNeish, A. , Ohya, S. , Perez-Garcia, M. , Greenwood, I. (2017) Proliferative role of Kv11 channels in murine arteries. Frontiers in Physiology , 8 ISSN: 1664-042X | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2017.00500
- Onetti, Y. , Dantas, A. , Perez, B. , McNeish, A. , Vila, E. , Jimenez-Altyayo, F. (2017) Peroxynitrate formed during a transient episode of brain ischemia increases endothelium-derived hyperpolarization-type dilations in thromboxane/prostaglandin receptor stimulated rat cerebral arteries. Acta Physiologica , 220 (1). pp. 150-166. ISSN: 1748-1716 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/apha.12809
- Gauthier, K. , Campbell, W. , McNeish, A. (2014) Regulation of KCa2.3 andendothelium-dependent hyperpolarization (EDH) in the rat middle cerebral artery: the role of lipoxygenase metabolites and isoprostanes. PeerJ , 2 ISSN: 2167-8359 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.414
- McNeish, A. , Altayo-Jimenez, F. , Cottrell, G. , Garland, C. (2012) Statins and selective inhibition of Rho kinase protect small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel function (KCa2.3) in cerebral arteries. PLoS ONE , 7 (10). ISSN: 1932-6203 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0046735
- McNeish, A. , Roux, B. , Aylett, S. , Van Den Brink, A. , Cottrell, G. (2012) Endosomal proteolysis regulates calcitonin gene-related peptide responses in mesenteric arteries. British Journal of Pharmacology , 167 (8). pp. 1679-1690. ISSN: 1476-5381 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.02129.x
- McNeish, A. , Altayo-Jimenez, F. , Garland, C. (2010) Evidence both L-type and non-L-type voltage-dependent calcium channels contribute to cerebral artery vasospasm following loss of NO in the rat. Vascular Pharmacology , 53 (3-4). pp. 151-159. ISSN: 1537-1891 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vph.2010.06.002
- Yuill, K. , McNeish, A. , Kansui, Y. , Garland, C. , Dora, K. (2010) Nitric oxide suppresses cerebral vasomotion by sGC-independent effects on ryanodine receptors and voltage-gated calcium channels. Journal of Vascular Research , 47 (2). pp. 93-107. ISSN: 1018-1172 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000235964
- Dora, K. , Gallagher, N. , McNeish, A. , Garland, C. (2008) Modulation of endothelial cell KCa3.1 Channels during endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor signaling in mesenteric resistance arteries. Circulation Research , 102 (10). pp. 1427-1255. ISSN: 0009-7330 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.108.172379
- McNeish, A. and Garland, C. (2007) Thromboxane A2 inhibition of SKCa after NO synthase block in rat middle cerebral artery. British Journal of Pharmacology , 151 (4). pp. 441-449. ISSN: 1476-5381 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjp.0707240
- McNeish, A. , Sandow, S. , Neylon, C. , Chen, M. , Dora, K. , Garland, C. (2006) Evidence for involvement of both IKCa and SKCa channels in hyperpolarizing responses of the rat middle cerebral artery. Stroke , 37 (5). pp. 1277-1282. ISSN: 0039-2499 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1161/01.STR.0000217307.71231.43
- McNeish, A. , Dora, K. , Garland, C. (2005) Possible role for K+ in endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor–linked dilatation in rat middle cerebral artery. Stroke , 36 (7). pp. 1526-1532. ISSN: 0039-2499 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1161/01.STR.0000169929.66497.73