糖心原创

School of Pharmacy

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Laura Kilpatrick

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science

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Biography

I am an Assistant Professor of Molecular Pharmacology based in Biomolecular Sciences and Medicinal Chemistry division of the School of Pharmacy.

I obtained a BSc in Biology from the University of York in 2005 specialising in Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology. In 2007, I undertook an MSc in Cancer Immunotherapy at the 糖心原创, investigating the underlying molecular mechanisms of cancer development. In October 2012, I was awarded an AJ Clark studentship from the British Pharmacological Society to undertake doctoral studies at the Cell Signalling Research Group (CSRG) at the 糖心原创 in the School of Life Sciences. The primary aim of my PhD was to use bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) to constrain G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) as precise complexes, to probe the functional consequences of dimerisation. I was awarded my PhD in November 2014 and immediately took up a postdoctoral position at the CSRG funded by a BBSRC Link Grant with Promega Corporation to use bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) in conjunction with advance imaging techniques to quantify the molecular pharmacology of a key anti cancer therapeutic target - the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 (VEGFR2). VEGFR2 is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) that is a key regulator of blood vessel development physiologically and pathophysiologically.

In January 2020, I was awarded an Anne McLaren Research Fellowship funded by the 糖心原创 and moved my research to the School of Pharmacy, where I later transitioned to the position of Assistant Professor in June 2023. My research uses techniques such as BRET, fluorescent ligands, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and advanced imaging techniques to characterise the real-time molecular pharmacology of GPCRs (specifically the the adenosine receptor family, P2Y2R and CXCR4) and RTK family members (specifically VEGFRs, EGFR, HER2, PDGFR and NRP-1). My lab also investigates potential interactions between GPCR and RTK family members and whether such complexes may represent novel drug targets.

In January 2024, I was appointed a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society (BPS). I am also the current Nottingham Deputy Director of the Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE). This is a joint initiative between the Universities of Nottingham and Birmingham aiming to develop novel methods for visualising membrane proteins, as well as identifying new approaches for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and cancer angiogenesis: https://www.birmingham-nottingham.ac.uk/compare/

Select recent publications:

  1. Olgu铆n Calder贸n, D., Kilpatrick, L.E*., Conil, C., Philipott, Q., Ogishi, M et al., (2026) Homozygosity for rare or common hypomorphic human IL23R variants predisposes to tuberculosis. Journal of Exp Med. 223 (8): e20252236.
  2. Karsai, N., Goulding, J., Stoddart, L.A., Kilpatrick, L.E., Hill, S.J., Canals, M., Briddon, S.J., Characterising C-X-C Chemokine Receptor 4 dynamics in the cell membrane using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. (2026) Biomolecules. 16 (8): 1107
  3. Puthanveedu, M., Dale, N., Knight, R., Comeo, E., Kindon, N.D., Kellam, B., Kilpatrick, L.E., Hill, S.J., Stocks, M.J. (2026) Discovery of uracil-based antagonists and fluorescent ligands of the P2Y2 receptor. Eur J Med Chem 15:318:119216
  4. Comez D., Anbuhl, S.M., Platt, S., Isaac, O.C., Karsai, N., Markus, R., Siderius, M., Smit, M.J., Heukers, R., Kilpatrick, L.E,. Hill, S.J. (2026). CXCR4-EGFR heterodimers show ligand dependent changes in conformation and signaling. Cell Chem Biol. 14:S2451-9456 (26)00232-1
  5. Seijo-Vila, M., Balsinde, S.A., Blasco-Benito, S., Tundidor, I., Rubert-Hernandez, M., Montero-Calle, A., Barderas, R., Kilpatrick, L.E., et al (2026). Cannabinoid CB2 receptor drives trastuzumab resistance and predicts durable anti-HER2 response. Oncogene. 45 (25):2436-2451
  6. Patera, F., Mistry, S.J., Kindon, N.D, Comeo, E., Goulding, J., Kellam, B., Kilpatrick, L.E., Franks, H., Hill, S.J. (2024) A novel and selective fluorescent ligand for the study of adenosine A2B receptors. Pharmacol Res Perspect. 12 (4):e1223
  7. Knight, R., Kilpatrick, L.E., Hill, S.J., Stocks, M.J. (2024) Design, synthesis and evaluation of a new chemotype fluorescent ligand for the P2Y2 receptor. ACS Med Chem Lett. 15 (7):1127-1135
  8. Comeo, E., Goulding, J., Lin, C.Y., Groenen, M., Woolard, J., Kindon, N.D., Harwood, C.R., Platt, S., Briddon, S.J., Kilpatrick, L.E., Scammells, P.J., Hill, S.J., Kellam, B. (2024) Ligand-directed labeling of the adenosine A1 receptor in living cells. J Med Chem. 67 (14):12099-12117
  9. Dekkers, S., Comez, D., Karsai, N,. Arimont-Segura, M., Canals, M., Caspar, B., de Graaf, C., Kilpatrick, L.E., Leurs, R., Kellam, B., Hill, S.J, Briddon, S.J, Stocks, M.J (2023) Small molecule fluorescent ligands for the atypical chemokine receptor 3 (ACKR3). ACS Med Chem Lett. 15 (1):143-148
  10. Lay, C.S., Isidro-Llobet, A., Kilpatrick, L.E., Craggs, P.D., Hill, S.J. (2023). Characterisation of IL-23 receptor antagonists and disease relevant mutants using fluorescent probes. Nat Commun. 14 (1):2882.
  11. Ogrodzinski, L., Platt, S., Goulding, J., Alexander, C., Farr, T.D., Woolard, J., Hill, S.J., Kilpatrick, L.E. (2023) Probing expression of E-selectin using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated tagging with HiBiT in human endothelial cells. iScience. 30; 26 (7):107232
  12. Comez, D., Glenn, J., Anbuhl, S.M., Heukers, R., Smit, M.J., Hill, S.J., Kilpatrick, L.E. (2022) Fluorescently tagged nanobodies and NanoBRET to study ligand-binding and agonist-induced conformational changes of full-length EGFR expressed in living cells. Front Immunol. 23; 13:1006718

Expertise Summary

I am primarily interested in characterising the molecular pharmacology of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and the interaction of RTKs with other classes of membrane proteins such as G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). I am currently using fluorescence and luminescence techniques to do this, incorporating advanced microscopy (fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, super-resolution (specifically structured illumination microscopy)), plate reader based assays and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing of model cell lines and primary cells.

Research Summary

I am currently primarily interested in characterising the molecular pharmacology of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and the interaction of RTKs with other classes of membrane proteins such as G… read more

Current Research

I am currently primarily interested in characterising the molecular pharmacology of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and the interaction of RTKs with other classes of membrane proteins such as G protein coupled receptors. I am currently using fluorescence and luminescence techniques to do this, incorporating advanced microscopy (fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, superresolution), plate reader based assays and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing of model cell lines and primary cells.

School of Pharmacy

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