Alberto Contreras Sanz
|
|
Alberto is a PhD student at the Urinary System Physiology Unit. His research studies the urothelial ATP cell signalling in the Overactive Bladder (OAB) syndrome. He is supervised by Dr Scott Wildman (RVC), Prof Kevin Taylor (SOP) and Prof James Malone-Lee (UCL).
Biography
Alberto graduated in 2008 from the University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, with an intercalated MSc in Neuropharmacology under the supervision of Dr. Darryl S Pickering. His Master's thesis was focused on the in vitro activity of newly-developed AMPA receptor modulators. Also in 2008, Alberto gained his MPharm from the University Complutense of Madrid, Faculty of Pharmacy. Alberto worked as a Pharmacy assistant during the summer term from 2004-2006, and as a pre-registration Pharmacist in a hospital pharmacy for 6 months. Shortly afterwards, in October 2008, he began a PhD in Physiology at the Royal Veterinary College and the School of Pharmacy (University of London) under the supervision of Dr Scott Wildman (RVC), Prof Kevin Taylor (SOP) and Prof James Malone-Lee (UCL). Since then, he has successfully established collaborations at the Royal Free Hospital, UCL (where he holds an honorary contract in the Nephrology Department) and the Department of Pharmaceutics at the School of Pharmacy.
Research
Alberto's main area of research the characterisation of the urothelial ATP cell signalling in normal and Overactive Bladder (OAB). Alberto is currently studying the altered P2R cell signalling in a subset of OAB patients that suffer from the worst symptoms of this syndrome. For this purpose, he utilizes human bladder biopsies and a wide variety of laboratory techniques, including advanced confocal microscopy, cell culture, 16s rRNA gene sequencing, HPLC, and luciferin-luciferase assay.
Alberto was also the vice-chair for the Young Physiologists' Symposium (YPS) "Epithelial Physiology across Species" organised by the Urinary System Physiology Unit, held in August 2011 at the RVC.
For more information see the Urinary System Physiology Unit which encompasses the Wildman's lab. Here you will find information on latest news, people, renal research, microvasculature research, OAB research and funding.
Teaching
Alberto is a Tutor for BSc Veterinary Science Year 1 and Year 2 students. Additionally, he supervises the laboratory work of BSc Veterinary Science Year 2 and Year 3 students from the Royal Veterinary College, and medical students from UCL.
Clinical
Alberto´s research is in close collaboration with clinicians from UCL and his final aim is to identify potential new therapeutic targets for the OAB.
Selected Publications
Lolli ML, Giordano C, Pickering DS, Rolando B, Hansen KB, Foti A, Contreras-Sanz A, Amir A, Fruttero R, Gasco A, Nielsen B, Johansen TN. 4-hydroxy-1,2,5-oxadiazol-3-yl moiety as bioisoster of the carboxy function. Synthesis, ionization constants, and molecular pharmacological characterization at ionotropic glutamate receptors of compounds related to glutamate and its homologues. J Med Chem. 53(10): 4110-8, (2010)
Wildman SS, Boone M, Peppiatt-Wildman CM, Contreras-Sanz A, King BF, Shirley DG, Deen PM, Unwin RJ: Nucleotides Downregulate Aquaporin 2 via Activation of Apical P2 Receptors. J Am Soc Nephrol. 20(7):1480-90, (2009)
Kaae BH, Harpse K, Kastrup JS, Contreras-Sanz A, Pickering DS, Metzler B, Clausen RP, Gajhede M, Sauerberg P, Liljefors T and Madsen U: Structural Proof of a Dimeric Positive Modulator Bridging Two Identical Receptor Binding Sites. Chem. Biol. (14):1294-1303, (2007)
Outreach Activities
Vice-chair for the Young Physiologists' Symposia (YPS) "Epithelial Physiology Across Species"