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Staff Profile

Professor Michael Taggart

Chair of Reproductive Sciences

  • Email: michael.taggart@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: +44 (0191) 241 8847
  • Address: Biosciences Institute
    缅北禁地
    International Centre for Life
    Central Parkway
    缅北禁地 upon Tyne
    NE1 3BZ
    UK
    NE2 4HH
Background

Qualifications & Awards

BSc Honours in Physiology, University of Glasgow.

PhD in Biochemistry, University of London.                                                              

FPS (Fellow of the Physiological Society) 

Previous Positions

2006-2007: Reader in Reproductive & Cardiovascular Physiology, University of Manchester.

2001-2006: Senior Lecturer, Cardiovascular Research/Maternal & Fetal Health Research Centre, Manchester University.

2001-2001: Lecturer, Cardiovascular Research & Maternal & Fetal Health Research Centre, Manchester University

1999-2001: Lecturer, Department of Medicine, Manchester University.

1998-1999: Wellcome Trust Research Fellow, Department of Medicine, Manchester University.

1995-1998: Wellcome Trust Research Fellow, The Physiological Laboratory, Liverpool University.

1991-1995: Post-doctoral research associate, The Physiological Laboratory, Liverpool University.

1986-1990: PhD student, Department of Cardiac Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London.


1998-2006: Visiting Research Scientist, Boston Biomedical Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA.

1999-2002: Visiting Scientist, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.

Memberships

Royal Society of Biology (www.rsb.org.uk)

The Physiological Society ()

British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society (www.bmfms.org.uk)



Research

Research Interests

Our laboratory investigates the molecular, cellular, tissue and organ remodelling events that occur in the mother and fetus during pregnancy and the impact these have for post-natal life to adulthood. The regulation of these adaptations is crucial for the mother to support the growing embryo/fetus and ensure a successful pregnancy outcome. This is important because common complications of pregnancy such as preterm birth - arising from fetal growth restriction, pre-eclampsia or preterm labour - can result in very serious immediate or lifelong health issues for the mother and any surviving babies. Of particular note here are the increased risks of developing cardiovascular disease.

We generally use three experimental paradigms. First, in liaison with clinical colleagues, and via the auspices of the 缅北禁地 Uteroplacental Tissue Bank (http://www.ncl.ac.uk/biobanks/collections/nutb/), we often use fresh human tissue biopsies for our experiments. These are obtained, following informed consent, from non-pregnant or pregnant women. Second, allied to this we use suitable animal models of human pregnancy that enable precisely timed measurements and/or investigation of interventions in a pre-clinical setting. One such understudied but very valuable model is the guinea pig. Third, we make use of a variety of computational modelling approaches to interrogate and interpret complex data.

A range of experimental techniques are employed to these ends including: live cell confocal fluorescent microscopy (Ca2  imaging, fluorescent molecule tracking), optical mapping of tissue electrogenesis (cardiac and uterine action potentials), tissue contractility (e.g. isobaric or isometric myography of small arteries), ultrastructural examination by transmission-EM and serial block face-EM and molecular expression studies using RNA sequencing and label-free proteomics.

Presently, our research concentrates on three topics:

     * Tissue-specific mechanisms of vasculogenesis and vascular remodelling.

     * Molecular mechanisms of cardiac remodelling from fetus to adult.

     * Alterations in uterine smooth muscle phenotype during pregnancy.

By studying these different aspects, we are trying to

(i) gain insight to the ways in which human cells/tissues/organs can respond when challenged to their physiological limits

and

(ii) better understand how these parameters become overwhelmed in situations that result in pathophysiological outcomes such as cardiovascular disease (heart failure, hypertension, atherosclerosis) and preterm birth.

You can read some examples of our research here: 

Inhibitors of inflammatory signalling (doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02966)

Human vascular studies (doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-12153-5; doi:10.1083/molehr/gat095; doi:10.1083/molhr/gat045)

Cardiac remodelling (doi:10.3389/fphys.2014.00399; doi:10.1093/cvr/cvu198)

Proteomics (doi:10.1016/j.tips.2015.06.003; doi: 10.1074/jbc.M111.278549; doi: 10.1002/pmic.201900156)

Computational modelling (doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0018685; doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0114034) 

Animal models (doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00153.2009; doi: 10.1016/j.tips.2015.06.003)

Postgraduate Supervision

14 PhD/MD students successfully supervised for postgraduate research degrees since 2001. Presently supervise 2 PhD students.

Enquiries are welcome from prospective Md/PhD students with secured funding, or who wish to apply for funding, in the following topics:

1. Molecular signatures of cardiac and blood vessel remodelling in health and disease

2. Structural remodelling of blood vessels in health and disease as studied by 3-D electron microscopy

 Funding

Research in our laboratory has been supported by:

Medical Research Council (http://www.mrc.ac.uk)

British Heart Foundation (http://www.bhf.org.uk)

The Wellcome Trust (http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk)

Action Medical Research (http://www.action.org.uk)                                                       

Borne (www.borne.org.uk)                                                                           

Wellbeing of Women (http://www.welbeingofwomen.org.uk)                                                 

British Maternal & Fetal Medicine Society (http://www.bmfms.org.uk)


Teaching

I teach on several undergraduate/postgraduate degree courses. The lectures often contain information from research activities associated with the taught topics, sometimes including examples of experimental data originating from our 缅北禁地 laboratory. Students are thereby encouraged to be curious, develop critical thought and engage with the scientific research basis of the topic.

Postgraduate Teaching.

I teach on the MRes courses Cardiovascular Science in Health and Disease (module information is available at: ) and Enabling Technologies and Methodologies for Biomedical Research (module information: /postgraduate/degrees/module/?code=MMB805).

In addition, each year our laboratory supports students to undertake a 6 month research project component of their MRes degree. Students are welcome to inquire about forthcoming research topics. In recent years, we have offered MRes research projects involving both in-lab and computational training e.g. in the following general areas:

• Establishing Proteomic Signatures that Define Human Blood Vessel Maturation

• Investigating Key Structural Features of Cardiac Remodelling

• Novel Regulation of HumanUteroplacental Function by Ca2 /Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II

Undergraduate teaching.

I am Curriculum Chair of the BSc Honours Physiological Sciences degree course () 

I am module leader for:

Integrated Physiology (/undergraduate/degrees/module/?code=PSC3012)

and teach on:

Advanced Systems Physiology: Cardiovascular, Respiratory & Renal ()  

I also teach on the BSc Honours Human Nutrition degree course, module:

Human Physiology and Practical Skills (/module-catalogue/module.php?code=NUT1005)

In addition, each year our laboratory hosts BSc Honours students undertaking their final year 9/10-week Project module. Examples of BSc Honours research projects offered in recent years include:

• Developmental Changes in the Expression of Striated Muscle Sarcomeric Proteins

• The Alteration of Cardiac EC Coupling Proteins during Ageing

• Use of Small Molecule Inhibitors to Reduce Cytokine Proinflammatory Signalling in Human Smooth Muscle Cells

Publications

  • Articles

    • Dora KA, Lin J, Borysova L, Beleznai T, Taggart M, Ascione R, Garland C. . Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2022, 9, 980628.
    • Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Whitfield P, Burte F, Bertelli PM, Pathak V, Doherty M, Hilgen B, Gliaudelyte L, Platt M, Queen R, Coxhead J, Porter A, Oberg M, Fabrikova D, Davey T, Beh CS, Georgiou M, Collin J, Boczonadi V, Hartlova A, Taggart M, Al-Aama J, Korolchuk VI, Morris CM, Guduric-Fuchs J, Steel DH, Medina RJ, Armstrong L, Lako M. . Journal of Extracellular Vesicles 2022, 11(12), 12295.
    • Xu Y, Hao D, Taggart MJ, Zheng D. . Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine 2022, 223, 106967.
    • Taggart MJ, Tribe RM. . Experimental Physiology 2022, 107(5), 395-397.
    • Lin JH, Gettings SM, Talbi K, Schreiber R, Taggart MJ, Preller M, Kunzelmann K, Althaus M, Gray MA. . Pflugers Archiv European Journal of Physiology 2023, 475, 167-179.
    • Albargothy MJ, Azizah NN, Stewart SL, Troendle EP, Steel DHW, Curtis TM, Taggart MJ. . Journal of Anatomy 2023, 243(2), 245-257.
    • Dora KA, Borysova L, Ye X, Powell C, Beleznai TZ, Stanley CP, Bruno VT, Starborg T, Johnson E, Pielach A, Taggart M, Smart N, Ascione R. . Cardiovascular Research 2022, 118(8), 1978-1992.
    • Lin JH, Taggart M, Borthwick L, Fisher A, Brodlie M, Sassano MF, Tarran R, Gray MA. . Scientific Reports 2021, 11(1), 9643.
    • Xu Y, Liu H, Hao D, Taggart M, Zheng D. . IEEE Reviews in Biomedical Engineering 2020, 15, 341-353.
    • Dookun E, Walaszczyk A, Redgrave R, Palmowski P, Tual Chalot S, Suwana A, Chapman J, Jirkovsky E, Donastorg Sosa L, Gill E, Yausep O, Santin Y, Mialet Perez J, Owens WA, Grieve D, Spyridopoulos I, Taggart M, Arthur HM, Passos JF, Richardson GD. . Aging Cell 2020, 19(10), e13249.
    • Palmowski P, Watson R, Europe-Finner GN, Karolczak-Bayatti M, Porter A, Treumann A, Taggart MJ. . Proteomics 2019, 19(15), 1900156.
    • Gurney LRI, Taggart J, Tong W-C, Jones AT, Robson SC, Taggart MJ. . Frontiers in Immunology 2018, 9, 2966.
    • Cocks E, Taggart M, Rind FC, White K. . Journal of Microscopy 2018, 270(2), 217-234.
    • Nicholson CJ, Sweeney M, Robson SC, Taggart MJ. . Scientific Reports 2017, 7, 12153.
    • Lartey J, Taggart J, Robson S, Taggart M. . PLoS ONE 2016, 11(10), e0164352.
    • Chin-Smith EC, Willey FR, Slater DM, Taggart MJ, Tribe RM. . Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 2015, 13, 83.
    • Gomez-Lopez N, Tong WC, Arenas-Hernandez M, Tanaka S, Hajar O, Olson DM, Taggart MJ, Mitchell BF. . American Journal of Reproductive Immunology 2015, 73(4), 341-352.
    • McCloskey C, Rada C, Bailey E, McCavera S, van den Berg HA, Atia J, Rand DA, Shmygol A, Chan YW, Quenby S, Brosens JJ, Vatish M, Zhang J, Denton JS, Taggart MJ, Kettleborough C, Tickle D, Jerman J, Wright P, Dale T, Kanumilli S, Trezise DJ, Thornton S, Brown P, Catalano R, Lin N, England SK, Blanks AM. . EMBO Molecular Medicine 2014, 6(9), 1161-1174.
    • Di Marco LY, Di Maria C, Tong WC, Taggart MJ, Robson SC, Langley P. . Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing 2014, 52(8), 707-716.
    • Corcoran JJ, Nicholson C, Sweeney M, Charnock JC, Robson SC, Westwood M, Taggart MJ. . Molecular Human Reproduction 2014, 20(5), 433-441.
    • Narytnyk A, Verdon B, Loughney A, Sweeney M, Clewes O, Taggart MJ, Sieber-Blum M. . Stem Cells Reviews and Reports 2014, 10(2), 316-326.
    • Tong WC, Tribe RM, Smith R, Taggart MJ. . PLoS One 2014, 9(12), e114034.
    • Tong WC, Ghouri I, Taggart MJ. . Frontiers in Physiology 2014, 5, 399.
    • Chen A, Karolczak-Bayatti M, Sweeney M, Treumann A, Morrissey K, Ulrich SM, Europe-Finner GN, Taggart MJ. . Physiological Reports 2013, 1(6), e00127.
    • Dordea AC, Sweeney M, Taggart J, Lartey J, Wessel H, Robson SC, Taggart MJ. . Molecular Human Reproduction 2013, 19(11), 727-736.
    • Europe-Finner GN, Taggart MJ, Karolczak-Bayatti M. . Reproductive Sciences 2013, 20(2), 175-181.
    • Yusuf D, Butland SL, Swanson MI, Bolotin E, Ticoll A, Cheung WA, Zhang XY, Dickman CT, Fulton DL, Lim JS, Schnabl JM, Ramos OH, Vasseur-Cognet M, de Leeuw CN, Simpson EM, Ryffel GU, Lam EW, Kist R, Wilson MS, Marco-Ferreres R, Brosens JJ, Beccari LL, Bovolenta P, Benayoun BA, Monteiro LJ, Schwenen HD, Grontved L, Wederell E, Mandrup S, Veitia RA, Chakravarthy H, Hoodless PA, Mancarelli M, Torbett BE, Banham AH, Reddy SP, Cullum RL, Liedtke M, Tschan MP, Vaz M, Rizzino A, Zannini M, Frietze S, Farnham PJ, Eijkelenboom A, Brown PJ, Laperriere D, Leprince D, de Cristofaro T, Prince KL, Putker M, Del Peso L, Camenisch G, Wenger RH, Mikula M, Rozendaal M, Mader S, Ostrowski J, Rhodes SJ, VanRechem C, Boulay G, Olechnowicz SW, Breslin MB, Lan MS, Nanan KK, Wegner M, Hou J, Mullen RD, Colvin SC, Noy PJ, Webb CF, Witek ME, Ferrell S, Daniel JM, Park J, Waldman SA, Peet DJ, Taggart M, Jayaraman PS, Karrich JJ, Blom B, Vesuna F, O'Geen H, Sun Y, Gronostajski RM, Woodcroft MW, Hough MR, Chen E, Europe-Finner N, Karolczak-Bayatti M, Bailey J, Hankinson O, Raman V, Lebrun DP, Biswal S, Harvey CJ, Debruyne JP, Hogenesch JB, Hevner RF, Heligon C, Luo XM, Blank MC, Millen KJ, Sharlin DS, Forrest D, Dahlman-Wright K, Zhao C, Mishima Y, Sinha S, Chakrabarti R, Portales-Casamar E, Sladek FM, Bradley PH, Wasserman WW. . Genome Biology 2012, 13(3), R24.
    • Taggart MJ, Arthur P, Zielnik B, Mitchell BF. . American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2012, 207(1), 76.e15-76.e24.
    • Herriott A, Sweeney M, Whitaker M, Taggart M, Huang JY. . Cell Cycle 2012, 11(24), 4650-4660.
    • Corcoran JJ, Charnock JC, Martin J, Taggart MJ, Westwood M. . Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2012, 97(11), E2098-E2104.
    • Hausman N, Martin J, Taggart MJ, Austin C. . Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 2012, 16(8), 1720-1730.
    • Karolczak-Bayatti M, Sweeney M, Cheng JAN, Edey L, Robson SC, Ulrich SM, Treumann A, Taggart MJ, Europe-Finner GN. . Journal of Biological Chemistry 2011, 286(39), 34346-34355.
    • Tong W-C, Choi CY, Kharche S, Holden AV, Zhang H, Taggart MJ. . PLoS One 2011, 6(4), e18685.
    • Tong WC, Sweeney M, Jones CJP, Zhang H, O'Neill SC, Prior I, Taggart MJ. . Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 2009, 13(5), 995-998.
    • Li Y, Reznichenko M, Tribe RM, Hess PE, Taggart M, Kim H, DeGnore JP, Gangopadhyay S, Morgan KG. . PLoS ONE 2009, 4(10), e7489.
    • Withers SB, Taggart MJ, Baker P, Austin C. . Placenta 2009, 30(6), 529-535.
    • Jones NW, Raine-Fenning NJ, Jayaprakasan K, Mousa HA, Taggart MJ, Bugg GJ. . Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology 2009, 33(3), 307-312.
    • Arthur P, Taggart MJ, Zielnik B, Wong S, Mitchell BF. . Journal of Physiology 2008, 586(24), 6063-6076.
    • Taggart MJ, Europe-Finner GN, Mitchell BF. . Journal of Clinical Investigation 2008, 118(12), 3829-3832.
    • Wu X, Morgan KG, Jones CJ, Tribe RM, Taggart MJ. . Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 2008, 12(4), 1360-1373.
    • Sweeney M, Wareing M, Mills TA, Baker PN, Taggart MJ. . Placenta 2008, 29(4), 356-365.
    • Matthews LC, Taggart MJ, Westwood M. . Endocrinology 2008, 149(10), 5199-5208.
    • Taggart MJ, Blanks A, Kharche S, Holden A, Wang B, Zhang H. . BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth 2007, 7(S1), S11.
    • Arthur P, Taggart MJ, Mitchel BF. . Frontiers in Bioscience 2007, 12(1), 619-633.
    • Hudson NK, O'Hara M, Lacey HA, Corcoran J, Hemmings DG, Wareing M, Baker PN, Taggart MJ. . Biology of Reproduction 2007, 77(1), 45-52.
    • Sweeney M, Jones CJP, Greenwood SL, Baker PN, Taggart MJ. . Placenta 2006, 27(6-7), 635-647.
    • Hemmings DG, Hudson NK, Halliday D, O'Hara M, Baker PN, Davidge ST, Taggart MJ. . Biology of Reproduction 2006, 74(1), 88-94.
    • Bugg GB, Stanley E, Baker PN, Taggart MJ, Johnstone T. . European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 2006, 124(1), 37-41.
    • Bugg GB, Riley MJ, Johnston TA, Baker PN, Taggart MJ. . European Journal of Clinical Science 2006, 36(2), 133-140.
    • Shaw LM, Sweeney MA, Jones CJP, O'Neill SC, Austin CE, Taggart MJ. . Cardiovascular Research 2006, 69(4), 825-835.
    • Riley M, Baker PN, Tribe RM, Taggart MJ. . Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 2005, 9(1), 122-134.
    • Matthews LC, Taggart MJ, Westwood M. . Endocrinology 2005, 146(12), 5463-5473.
    • Shaw LM, O'Neill SC, Jones CJP, Austin CE, Taggart MJ. . British Journal of Pharmacology 2004, 141(4), 678-688.
    • Montgomery S, Shaw L, Pantelides N, Taggart MJ, Austin C. . British Journal of Pharmacology 2003, 139(7), 1249-1253.
    • Shaw L, Ahmed S, Austin C, Taggart MJ. . Journal of Vascular Research 2003, 40(1), 1-10.
    • Taggart MJ. . News in Physiological Sciences 2001, 16(April), 61-65.
    • Lee Y-H, Hwang M-K, Morgan KG, Taggart MJ. . Experimental Physiology 2001, 86, 283-288.
    • Taggart MJ, Leavis P, Feron O, Morgan KG. . Experimental Cell Research 2000, 258(1), 72-81.
    • Taggart MJ, Lee Y-H, Morgan KG. . Experimental Cell Research 1999, 251(1), 92-101.
    • Taggart, M.J. & Wray, S. Smooth Muscle Hypoxia: key regulatory events during metabolic stress. J. Physiol 1998, 509, 315-325.
    • Taggart, M.J. & Wray, S. Contribution of sarcoplasmic reticular calcium to smooth muscle contractile activation: gestational-dependence in isolated rat uterus. Journal of Physiology 1998, 511, 133-144.
    • Taggart, M.J., Menice, C,B., Morgan, K.G. & Wray, S. Effect of metabolic inhibition on intracellular Ca2+, phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chain and force in isolated rat smooth muscle. Journal of Physiology 1997, 499, 485-496.
    • Taggart, M.J. & Wray, S. Agonist mobilisation of sarcoplasmic reticular calcium in smooth muscle: functional coupling to the plasmalemmal Na+/Ca2+ exchanger?. Cell Calcium 1997, 22, 333-342.
    • Taggart, M.J., Burdyga, T, Heaton, R.C. & Wray, S. Stimulus-dependent modulation of smooth muscle intracellular calcium and force by altered intracellular pH. Pflugers Archives 1996, 432, 803-811.
    • Taggart, M.J. & Wray, S. The effect of metabolic inhibition on rat uterine intracellular pH and its role in contractile failure. Pflugers Archives 1995, 430, 125-131.
    • Taggart, M.J., Austin, C. & Wray, S. Contribution of extracellular calcium to intracellular pH-induced changes in spontaneous force of rat portal vein. Experimental Physiology 1995, 90, 69-78.
    • Crichton, C. A., Taggart, M.J., Wray, S. & Smith, G.L. The effects of pH and inorganic phosphate on force production in alpha-toxin permeabilised isolated rat uterine smooth muscle. Journal of Physiology 1993, 465, 629-646.
    • Taggart, M.J. & Wray, S. Occurrence of intracellular pH transients during spontaneous contractions in rat uterine smooth muscle. J. Physiol. 472: 22-31. Journal of Physiology 1993, 472, 22-31.
    • Taggart, M.J. & Marston, S.B. The effects of vascular smooth muscle caldesmon on force production by 'desensitised' skeletal muscle fibres. FEBS Lett. 1989, 242, 171-174.
    • Marston, S., Pritchard, K., Redwood, C. & Taggart, M.J. Ca2+ regulation of the thin filaments: biochemical mechanism and physiological role. Biochemical Society Transactions 1988, 16, 494-497.

  • Book Chapters

    • Gurney L, Robson SC, Sweeney M, Jones AT, Taggart MJ. . In: Langel U, ed. Cell Penetrating Peptides : Methods and Protocols. Boston: Humana Press Inc, 2022, pp.459-471.
    • Treumann A, Palmowski P, Tong WC, Taggart J, Mortice N, Europe-Finner GN, Taggart MJ. . In: Minnie M. Sarwal, Tara K. Sigdel, ed. Tissue Proteomics: Methods and Protocols. New York: Humana Press, 2017, pp.1-9.
    • Taggart MJ, Tribe RM. . In: Savinneau, JP, ed. New Frontiers in Smooth Muscle Biology and Physiology. India: Research Signpost, 2007, pp.523-549.

  • Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)

    • Walaszczyk A, Dookun E, Redgrave R, Palmowski P, Tual Chalot S, Gill E, Owens A, Grieve D, Spyridopoulos I, Taggart M, Arthur H, Passos J, Richardson GD. . In: Termis 6th World Congress. 2022, Maastricht, Netherlands: Mary Ann Liebert.

  • Editorials

    • Taggart MJ, Word RA. . Reproductive Sciences 2013, 20(2), 138-139.
    • Taggart M. . Experimental Physiology 2012, 97(4), 474-475.
    • Taggart M. . Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 2010, 14(5), 1017.
    • Calaghan SC, Taggart MJ. . Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology 2006, 41(1), 1-3.

  • Letters

    • Taggart MJ, Karolczak-Bayatti M, Europe-Finner GN. . American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology 2014, 307(5), C493-C493.
    • Taggart MJ, Hume R, Lartey J, Johnson M, Tong W-C, Macleod KT. . Cardiovascular Research 2014, 104(1), 226-227.

  • Reviews

    • Europe-Finner GN, Karolczak-Bayatti M, Taggart MJ. . Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 2015, 36(8), 493-493.
    • Aslanidi O, Atia J, Benson AP, van den Berg HA, Blanks AM, Choi C, Gilbert SH, Goryanin I, Hayes-Gill BR, Holden AV, Li P, Norman JE, Shmygol A, Simpson NAB, Taggart MJ, Tong WC, Zhang H. . Progress in Biophysics & Molecular Biology 2011, 107(1), 183-192.
    • Mitchell BF, Taggart MJ. . American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 2009, 297(3), 525-545.
    • Taggart MJ, Morgan KG. . Seminars in Cell Development 2007, 18(3), 296-234.