Professor Yvonne Alexander

My profile

Biography

Wife, mother of two sons and 1 daughter; all three happily married.

Nana to 5 young grandsons and 2 little granddaughters.

Enjoyed golf and skiing before academia and grandchildren took over. Now it is more  swimming, gentle tennis and walking.

Enjoy nights out at the theatre.

Words of wisdom

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Every cloud has a silver lining

Academic and professional qualifications

BSc Hons

PhD

Other academic service (administration and management)

Former Head of The Cardiovascular Research Group

Former Chair of Interview Panels for PhD studentships/ Selection Panel for Clinical Training Fellowships.

Former Member of Appointments Committee for Academic Positions

Former Medical Student Application Interview Panels

Personal tutor and mentor for many students and post-docs

Conference Young Investigator and Poster Prize Judge

Chair of Lab Users Committee

Languages

English

Rusty French

External examiner roles

External Examiner for 8 PhD thesis at King’s College London;Imperial College London; University College Cork; University of Glasgow; University of Bristol and INSERM, Paris.

Reviewer of grant applications for 11 funding bodies

Reviewer of manuscripts for 21 International high ranking Journals Invited Reviewer of abstracts submitted for International and National Societies

Judge for Young Investigator Awards at International meetings.Numerous Invited National & International Lectures

2012 - British Cardiovascular Society Press Expert

2012 - Member International Scientific Programme Organising Committee for The European Vascular Biology Organisation

2013 Conference held as a symposium within the International Union of Physiologists ASC

2011 - International Advisory Board member (on behalf of EVBO) for the Joint Meeting of the 27th European Microcirculation Society and 7th European Vascular Biology Organisation during the International Union of Physiological Societies meeting 2013

2011 - Editor ‘Frontiers in Clinical and Translational Physiology’ 2011 - Guest reviewer of World Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery

2011 - Member International Scientific Programme Organising Committee for The Frontiers in Cardiac and Vascular Biology 2012 Conference

2007 - Member Scientific Programme Organising Committee European Vascular Biology Organisation 2007 to present

Consultancy and advisory roles

Member of  International Working Group of Biomarkers for Atherosclerosis

Prizes and awards

Group Prizes

2014 MMU Student Research Showcase; Daniel Moreno PhD student. MicroParticles as disease biomarkers

2014 British Society for Rheumatology: Innovation award. S. Skeoch, P. Hubbard, H. Williams, J. James, Y.Alexander, J.Waterton, I. Bruce. Imaging arterial
inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

2013 1st Prize Best Poster Award. John Reynolds, D Ray, IN Bruce,&
MY Alexander.  Vitamin D as a Modifier of Endothelial Dysfunction and Drug Response in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Translational Medicine Showcase at the University of Manchester.

2012 1st Prize Best Poster Award. John Reynolds, D Ray, MY Alexander & IN Bruce.

Vitamin D as a Modifier of Endothelial Dysfunction and Drug Response in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Translational Medicine Showcase at the University of Manchester. Jan 2012

2011 1st Prize Young Investigator Award. A Ndip, A Williams, E Jude, A J M Boulton, M Y AlexanderRANKL/OPG signalling: a key player in medial arterial calcification in diabetic Charcot Neuroarthropathy, 47th European Association for the Study of Diabetes. Annual Meeting.2011 (2000 delegates) Diabetologia 65 (1) S42

Other distinctions

Supervised Over 31 Postgraduate Research Students

Director of International Research which has led to 14 prize-winning contributions for Prof Alexander and her group at International and National meetings.

Expert reviewer for external funding bodies

British Heart Foundation

Wellcome Trust

Medical Research Council

Arthritis Research UK

Visiting and honorary positions

Hon Senior Lecturer in the University of Manchester

Editorial Board membership

Frontiers in Physiology

Membership of professional associations

British Society for Cardiovascular Research

British  Atherosclerosis Society

European  Vascular Biology Organisation

British Biochemical Society

British Society of Endocrinology

Personal website address

http://www.shs.mmu.ac.uk

Projects

British Society for Cardiovascular Research (Ex-Chair)

European Vascular Biology Organisation (Council Member & Web Secretary)

British Society for Biochemistry (Member)

British Society for Atherosclerosis (Member)

British Society for Endocrinology (Member)

Teaching

Why do I teach?

To inspire people to see their strengths and reach their potential.

How I’ll teach you

Stem Cells in Vascular Disease

Atherosclerosis and Vascular Calcification

Signalling Networks in Cardiovascular Disease

Endothelial Dysfunction and Repair

Several Years’ Experience in Postgraduate and Undergraduate Research Supervision and Examination

Why study…

Heart disease is one of the biggest killers in the UK.  Understanding how our heart and blood vessels remain healthy will help in ensuring we have a good quality of life and help us enjoy life for longer.

Postgraduate teaching

Vascular Calcification

Endothelial Dysfunction

Smooth Muscle Cell Biology

Microparticles in Disease

Subject areas

Cardiovascular Disease

Research outputs

Cellular reprogramming in vascular calcification within the context of diabetes and renal disease;

Endothelial progenitor cell differentiation and impaired vascular function with age;

Endothelial dysfunction and repair in Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis patients

Identifying biomarkers in carotid disease to prevent risk of stroke

Vascular Remodelling Plaque Stability & Atherosclerosis

Press and media

Media appearances or involvement

2013 - Lead organiser of a Scientific Research Symposium on “Vascular Calcification” for The European Vascular Biology Organisation Annual Scientific Conference, joint with The International Union of Physiologists

2012 - Elected member of the Academic and Research Committee of the British Cardiovascular Society

2011 - Member of Scientific Programme Organising Committee on behalf of the European Society for Cardiology: 2nd Annual Meeting on Frontiers for Cardiac & Vascular Biology, London Member of Scientific Programme Organising Committee of European Meeting for Vascular Biology & Medicine (EMVBM) Marseille

2011 - Lead Organiser of a Scientific Research Symposium on “Progenitor cells in Disease” for The British Cardiovascular Society Annual Scientific Conference, joint with The British Atherosclerosis Society and British Society for Cardiovascular Research2008 - Local assistant organiser of British Society for Cardiovascular Research Conference, Manchester 2006 - Invited participant at the European Vascular Genomics Network: Toulouse Conference Centre Pierre Baudis: Dec 11-14, 2006. 3rd European Vascular Genomics Network Conference 2005 - Member of Scientific Programme Organising Committee of EMVBM Bristol