DR NICHOLAS HOLLIDAY
| Biography | Following first class honours from the University of Cambridge, Nick Holliday carried out his PhD studies at King’s College London (awarded 1998), supported by a prize AJ Clark PhD studentship from the British Pharmacological Society. During subsequent postdoctoral work in London, his interests in peptide messengers regulating appetite and metabolism became focussed on molecular mechanisms underlying the signalling and regulation of their receptors. Dr. Holliday was awarded a competitive independent RCUK fellowship at the University of Nottingham in 2006, was appointed Lecturer in 2011 and Associate Professor of Pharmacology in 2013. Dr. Holliday’s lab focuses on G protein coupled receptor kinetics, signalling and trafficking, especially related to arrestins, and on using novel imaging techniques to investigate the underlying mechanisms. On the basis of previous support from the MRC (G0700049), his group developed a novel fluorescence complementation assay to quantify receptor-beta-arrestin association by high content imaging methods, and to assess the molecular properties of these complexes using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). This work has been recognised by the prize award of the 2011 Bill Bowman travelling lectureship from the British Pharmacological Society, together with a number of invited reviews. It has also continued to support high calibre international academic collaborations and funding (BBRSC project grant coI with Dr Ian Kerr and Steve Briddon 2019-2021; 4 year collaborative project grant with Dr Rafael Roesler funded by CAPES, Brazil), secure industrial funding (Mars, AZ, GSK), and consultancy (Excellerate Biosciences, Novo Nordisk). His group currently consists of 1 post doctoral research assistant and 7 PhD students. Dr. Holliday has also been actively involved in public engagement, including an arts crossover project to explain the use of imaging in pharmacology (“Hijacking Natural Systems”), funded by the Wellcome Trust. |
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| Research Interests | PCRs for peptides such as neuropeptide Y, gastrin releasing peptide and ghrelin, and nutrients such as free fatty acids, are implicated in the control of appetite, body weight and insulin secretion. They provide new drug targets to treat diabetes and obesity, and as such an understanding of the cellular mechanisms that regulate receptor function is crucial when considering long-term treatment of these conditions Our group focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying the signalling and intracellular trafficking of these GPCRs, and developing methods to assess ligand pharmacology for these processes. We have particular expertise in high content imaging and fluorescence / luminescence complementation approaches to develop GPCR protein-protein interaction assays, with the aim to study pharmacology at the level of individual signalling complexes and so better understand the effects of GPCR dimers and ligands which are signalling biased. Recently (in collaboration with Tom Bellamy), we are developing light (optogenetic) and "designer drug" activated receptors to explore spatiotemporal signalling in both model cell systems and astrocytes. Group members: CAPES Drug Discovery program: Dr Corado Pedebos PhD students: Rachel Richardson, Laura Humphrys, Jess Carpenter, Saori Mukaida, Aaron Horsey, Matt Gibbs, Nicola Dijon, Desi Nesheva Research Interests Signalling bias in peptide and dopamine receptors Mechanisms of GPCR internalisation and intracellular trafficking defined through high content imaging Allosteric interactions in peptide receptor homo and heterodimers Optogenetic and chemogenetic stimulation of GPCR signalling Research Expertise GPCR pharmacology (binding and signalling assays) High content confocal imaging and analysis Fluorescence and luminescence complementation to detect protein interactions Optogenetic and designer G protein coupled receptors |
| Teaching and Learning | Module Convenor B31ESP - Essential Skills for Phamacists (Year 1, MPharm 40 credit) C12PBT - Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics (year 2, BSc, 20 credit) A13GPD - GPCR polymorphisms, disease and personalised medicine (Year 3, BMedSci) B33PPM - GPCR based personalised medicine (Year 3, MPharm) Key Contributor B34FME - Future Medicines (MPharm year 4) Senior Tutor for the MPharm degree |
| Scopus Author ID | 7004174500 |